Aviation and the weather
are inextricably
connected. When
conditions are good the
weather is not an issue for
business aviation. But those
in aviation always treat the weather with guarded respect.
Conditions can change quickly in some parts of the
world. Being prepared is essential. Pilots, ground
operations, airports and airfields therefore have
an insatiable appetite to be kept informed, to
understand and respond to weather forecasts.
For business aviation companies operating
and working with smaller aircraft, that often
means delays or diversions. Significantly,
weather forecasting and information technology
has progressed enormously in recent
years, making the task of understanding and
responding much more straightforward.
Robert Fisch, co-president of the Luxaviation
Group says, “The role and responsibilities of airport
management, flight planners and flight crews haven’t
changed much, but the tools supporting the decisionmaking
process have.
“Firstly, weather data is now available instantly and
“Pick data sources
that work for your
situation – webcams
can provide useful
insights into weather”
available in real time, from very local information around the
departure airport to details for an intercontinental flight.
"Secondly, multiple sensors from multiple sources now
deliver extremely precise data. Weather data collected by an
aircraft is automatically transmitted to ground stations. The
third factor is in the representation of weather data and the
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help available interpreting that data, a process
greatly simplified by new technologies, including
apps everyone can have on their smartphones,
tablets and computers.”
Digital times
A sign of changing times was the deactivation
of the Hazardous In-flight Weather Advisory
Service (HIWAS) earlier this year. Although there
were concerns when the plan to shut HIWAS down
was initially announced in 2018, its loss has not had a
significant impact.
NBAA’s director of air traffic services and infrastructure,
Heidi Williams says, “NBAA participated in the FAA safety
panel to ensure that the impacts were mitigated ahead of
the HIWAS cancellation. The panel acknowledged that there
are plenty of additional resources that are now being used
by pilots and operators for both flight planning and in-flight
weather resources.
Robert Fisch, co-president aviation
services, Luxaviation
A decision on a whether to
conduct a flight should be
taken with safety foremost in
mind and always account for
the conditions
O P E R A T I O N S