Progress in the Development of Weather Information Systems for the Cockpit

Abstract

Weather is a causal factor in thirty percent of all aviation accidents. Many of these accidents are due to a lack of weather situation awareness by pilots in flight. Provision of strategic weather information during the en route phase of flight can enhance weather situation awareness and enable avoidance of adverse conditions. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has teamed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National O ceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), industry and academia to develop technologies for affordable, color graphic display of weather information in the cockpit. These technologies, currently in the initial stages of commercialization by industry, will provide more precise and timely knowledge of the weather and enable pilots in flight to make decisions that result in safer and more efficient operations.

Adaptive Feedforward Control for Gust-Induced Aeroelastic Vibrations

“…Turbulence, lightning, hail and other phenomena can lead to injuries and discomfort on board and damage to the aircraft [1], resulting in huge cost to airlines. Poor weather detection and analysis can result in poor pilot decision making which could lead to otherwise completely avoidable danger to flights [2]. In addition, weather-related delays and cancellations cost airlines millions of dollars and cost countries' economies billions of dollars in lost productivity each year [3].…”

Implications of Contingency Planning Support for Weather and Icing Information

“…Icing information plays a paramount role in mitigating the safety impact of adverse weather by helping air transportation decision-makers avoid icing conditions beyond the capabilities of their aircraft. Several efforts target critical research and development needs in relation to the icing information system, including NASA's Aviation Weather Information program, the FAA's Aviation Weather Research Program and the Alliance Icing Research Study (Stough and Martzaklis, 2002; Kulesa et al, 2002;Cober et al, 2002). In order to continue developing the technology that will best support the needs of the key aviation decision-makers, it is important to ensure that their needs are understood.…”