Reduce Weather Impact
Summary Description | Background | Operational Capability Description
Timeline | Benefits | Dependencies | FY08 Activities
Summary Description:
This solution set includes improvements to weather information and its use, to improve safety, capacity, and efficiency.
Background:
In today’s NAS, weather data are not well integrated into either manual procedures or automated decision support systems, are not readily available to all decision makers, and are not sufficiently accurate. Thus, improvements are needed to support the increased number of air traffic operations envisioned in the future. More importantly, unpredicted changes in weather cause significant impacts and disruptions in the NAS; the current system does not respond well to unpredicted weather.
The goal is to determine the impact of weather on the NAS and use that information for better decision-making. Using integrated weather information, along with probabilistic forecasts, to determine the impact of weather on the system will minimize the effects of weather on NextGen operations. This solution set proactively plans operations based on the predicted impact, rather than attempt to mitigate impacts once the weather has changed.
Operational Capability Description:
The performance of the NAS will be improved by anticipating the impact of weather on NAS operations. Consistent and accurate weather information will be provided for integration into ATM, Air Traffic Control, Flight Operations Center (FOC), and flight deck tactical and strategic operational decision making tools. Improvements will be provided that define weather impacts, better sensor networks, better forecasts, and universal operator access to consistent weather information, which will promote common situational awareness. The improved forecasts will assist operators to safely plan and conduct 4-D, gate-to-gate, trajectory-based operations that avoid storm hazards and provide comfortable flight conditions. Decision support systems will directly incorporate weather data, and define the weather impact, allowing decision-makers to determine the best response to weather’s potential operational effects and minimizing the level of traffic restrictions that must be made 2–6 hours ahead.
Improvements are categorized in 4 functional areas: weather information provided for integration into decision support tools; improvements in weather sensing capability, which is required to provide better forecasts; improved weather forecast and processing; and the universal and common access of that information by all users.
NNEW (NextGen Network Enabled Weather) is the core of the NextGen weather support services. It enables widespread distribution of weather products to enhance collaborative and dynamic NAS decision making. It provides network access to weather information from distributed weather information sources (e.g., Weather Processor and Radar Processor Replacement) by all users; and fusion and integration of weather information into NextGen decision support systems.
Commitments:
- ITWS: Complete the deployment of Integrated Terminal Weather System capabilities as planned.
Mid-Term Capabilities (2012 – 2018):
- Integration of Weather Information into Decision Support Tools: Incorporate weather information into decision support tools in the flow, en route, terminal and surface domains by providing evaluations of weather impact on individual flight plan based flight profiles.
- Wake Vortex Transport Prediction: Notify controllers of conditions that allow reduced closely spaced parallel operations due to wake vortex separation reduction.
- FIS-B Capability Nationally: Operators, by equipping, can gain weather information in the cockpit that will allow better and safer planning.
Timeline:
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- Common weather information will enable pilots and aircrews to engage in shared situational awareness and shared responsibilities with controllers, dispatchers, flight service station specialists, and others, pertaining to safety and efficient preflight, en route, and post flight aviation decisions involving weather.
- Improved weather information, integrated into controller decision support tools, will improve the efficiency of controller decisions and greatly reduce controller workload during bad weather.
- Improved weather information, made accessible to pilots and FOCs, will reduce fuel costs and costs of aircraft cancellations and diversions due to unforeseen, adverse weather.
Dependencies:
This solution set is dependent on: Integration of weather processing and forecasting via Network Enabled Weather (NNEW), ADS-B receive (in), SWIM, ERAM, advanced surface automation, Terminal Automation Platforms, TFM-M, Weather Sensors, training, procedures, airspace redesign, Safety Management System processes, and 4D Trajectories.
Key research
Consolidate Convective Weather Forecast: Today there are multiple forecast capabilities. For airspace planning, collaboration and common situational awareness, users need a common forecast capability which indicates the probability of weather impacts in the user domain. The initial efforts are to demonstrate a consolidated convective weather forecast capability.
Improve Methods for Assessing Weather: Develop or improve and validate reliable methods to determine winter weather precipitation type and intensity in a timely manner for accurate use of fluid anti-icing holdover times. Plan for a demonstration of common weather data base development and access (i.e., 4 dimensional weather data cube).
Wake Vortex Prediction: Provide concepts of use, prototypes of applied technology, system engineering and procurement requirements for Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) decision support tools that will lead to the required separations to mitigate the impacts of aircraft generated wake vortices in dependent ILS arrivals (757 and heavier) separations on closely spaced parallel runways (CSPR). NextGen concepts assume reduction of separation can be achieved by the addition of technology to both the ANSP and the Flight Deck. Additionally, research will also be used to develop requirements/standards for the Flight Deck capability – as an entry point to the avionics standards setting processes. In FY08, the focus will be on the development of the concept and benefit feasibility study for an ANSP decision support tool used to reduce wake mitigation separations
Weather in the Cockpit: The introduction of data link weather in the past few years using satellite- and ground-based data linked systems has provided an influx of numerous non-standard, non FAA approved weather products for use in the cockpit. The FAA recognizes that some weather vendors are providing weather products to the cockpit via data link with limited safety oversight. Historically, proliferation of these products has been driven by the perceived benefits provided to users and by vendors wanting to market their proprietary products. Initial efforts will focus on developing an evaluation process for operational approval of graphical weather products for use in the cockpit.
Turbulence Forecast Capability: Implement a mid-level turbulence forecast capability on the Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS) website.
Improve Efficiency: Conduct simulations to determine what weather information is required to improve efficiency.
Demonstrations
Begin a joint (e.g., NWS, DoD) interoperability demonstration for weather dissemination management, to demonstrate the capability for non-point to point, networked access of weather information from distributed weather information sources by all users.
Other activities
The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Network Enabled Weather (NNEW): develop concept for dissemination via the virtual data cube; initiate revisions to NAS Enterprise Architecture and Weather Roadmap; develop a shortfall analysis of dissemination of weather to air traffic management; draft dissemination ConUse and initial requirements; and initiate the weather dissemination interoperability demonstration.
Alaska weather cameras: Install weather cameras and continue maintenance of weather cameras. Weather cameras provide near real-time weather images of remote airports and mountain passes. Camera images are updated every ten minutes and stored for six hours and are accessible to the public via the FAA weather camera website. The web site allows pilots to have the most accurate and up-to-date weather images about their destination airport and route of flight. These same weather camera images are also used by Alaska Flight Service Specialists as a source of data for weather briefings, both preflight and en route. The Weather Camera Program provides a cost effective means of information gathering, allowing specialists to effectively disseminate the information.
