O P E R A T I O N S
“The use of HIWAS by operators significantly declined as
BUSINESS AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL A P R I L 2 0 2 0 |
51
other resources have become available.”
Digital and connected technologies have made it
possible for weather information and forecasting tools to be
integrated on to the flight deck or on to portable devices.
With on-board wifi connectivity, weather updates can be
virtually instantaneous. There is therefore a requirement to
be able to manage weather situations accordingly.
John Kosak, program manager of weather air traffic
services at the NBAA says, “The National Weather Service
continues to improve products and create new ones. A
great example of this is the new Graphical Forecast for
Aviation from the Aviation Weather Center. This replaced
the old, text-based Area Forecast with a much more robust
graphical product.
The Graphical Forecast contains all of the same
variables, such as ceilings, visibility, precipitation, winds
and turbulence but is refreshed more often and with better
resolution. Operators can look up to 17 hours in the future
and zoom into areas of the map.
“Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in
computing power,” adds Kosak. “The development of
higher resolution models give us more timely and accurate
forecasts because we’re not just feeding them with more
observations, but better observations.”
Accuracy is king
As the availability of weather data has increased it has also
become more accurate. Jason Plowman, senior manager of
meteorology at Universal Weather and Aviation says,
“I have been in the forecasting business for more than 30
years and it has changed tremendously from the old days of
hand analyzing and limited choices for weather models and
satellite data.
“In the last five years the USA has launched two new
satellites to replace older ones. The Global Forecast
System model data has been upgraded and the Euro model
continues to upgrade its data. Plus, we have many
short-range models specifically made to help with severe
weather forecasting.”
The combination of better input and faster computers
enables higher resolution weather models, resulting in better
forecasts. Mike Cetinich senior product manager, weather
and chief meteorologist from Boeing Digital Solutions and
Analytics says, “As more aircraft are equipped with better
instrumentation, we will get an improved profile of the
atmosphere globally, which will yield a better forecast. We
have more than 1,000 aircraft worldwide that are capable of
Which weather station
is best for my airport?T
There is increasing choice in weather
stations available. Lower-cost
embedded electronics are providing
better, more accessible surface
weather data, while integrated
consumer-grade weather stations are
elevating expectations.
Even a modest weather station
with a web portal can significantly
improve safety by providing remotely
accessible data. An advisory surface
weather station can fill an important
role, minimizing cost while providing
valuable current condition reports
for flight planning. Add a camera
and the pilot gains real-time visual
information, perhaps with METAR
(Meteorological Aerodrome Reports)
delivered by SMS connected to a
weather data console.
According to Dyacon, the Utah, USAbased
weather station manufacturer,
smaller airports often cannot afford
or justify a substantial FAA-certified
AWOS (Automated Weather Observing
System) but still want comprehensive
functionality and operational
simplicity from weather stations.
Eugene Bodraro, Dyacon product
engineer, says, “We often gets calls
from customers that use FAA-certified
AWOS instruments as their benchmark.
When they can’t get a laser ceilometer
and visibility sensor in a U$5,000
station, they walk away and stick with
a windsock.
“Our weather stations are
shipped to end users who install,
configure, and maintain the equipment
themselves. Data can be uploaded
using the embedded cell phone or wifi
module. Our stations can also use a
cabled connection to a local PC.”
Weather station manufacturers
aim to provide high value and ease of
use. Bodraro says, “Ultrasonic wind
sensors are the latest hot technology
in mainstream weather instruments.
The latest anemometer technology
has no moving parts and is presumed
to be low maintenance. Nevertheless,
regular calibration and maintenance to
clear insects, bird debris, and dust may
be required. Depending on the design,
they can be affected by snow and rain.
“Mechanical anemometers are
typically much lower power and
are more intuitive to maintain and
troubleshoot. Like any tool, you need
to select the right one for the job.”
For the most part, the most
practical solution is equipment that
pilots or ground technicians can easily
install and maintain.
“With weather instruments, the
devil is in the detail. Side-by-side
comparison of technical specifications
can make US$50 department store
kit seem equivalent to a $50,000
research-grade meteorological
station. But construction materials,
sample rates, data processing,
maintenance intervals, connectivity,
serviceability, after-sale support, data
accessibility, mounting flexibility, and
other factors quickly become critical
once you open the box of your new
equipment,” says Bodraro.
Dyacon’s
weather stations
are installed,
configured and
maintained by
their users