brockenspectre
8th Jul 2009, 22:10
Mods - please move this if you consider it inappropriate for R&N as I wasn't sure where to post.
This, copied verbatim from The Guardian, looks to be a helpful development to me - what do the rest of you think? How would something like this be implemented?
The US space agency Nasa is funding a system to provide pilots with up-to-the-minute updates on severe storms and turbulence as they fly across remote regions of the ocean.
Scientists say their goal is to guide aircraft around intense weather and avoid disasters such as the Air France crash last month. A total of 228 people were killed after an Airbus A330 flying from Brazil to Paris disappeared from the radar shortly after encountering thunderstorms and heavy turbulence over the equatorial Atlantic.
The National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) already produces real-time maps of turbulence at various altitudes over the US and now it is applying its expertise to the oceans.
John Williams, of NCAR, said: "Pilots currently have little weather information as they fly over remote stretches of the ocean, where some of the worst turbulence occurs. Providing pilots with at least an approximate picture of approaching storms could help guide them safely around areas of potentially severe turbulence."
Pilots on selected trans-oceanic routes are due to test the system, which applies artificial intelligence to satellite data and computer-generated weather models, as early as next year.
They will receive real-time updates and provide feedback before the system goes ahead. The end product is expected to provide pilots and air traffic controllers with maps and graphic displays showing rapidly evolving likely areas of storms and turbulence.
John Haynes, of the Earth Science Division's Applied Science Program at Nasa in Washington, said the work was of "crucial importance" to pilots.
"Turbulence is the leading cause of injuries in commercial aviation," said Haynes.
The NCAR team has created global maps of clear air turbulence based on global computer weather models that include winds and other instabilities in the atmosphere.
This, copied verbatim from The Guardian, looks to be a helpful development to me - what do the rest of you think? How would something like this be implemented?
The US space agency Nasa is funding a system to provide pilots with up-to-the-minute updates on severe storms and turbulence as they fly across remote regions of the ocean.
Scientists say their goal is to guide aircraft around intense weather and avoid disasters such as the Air France crash last month. A total of 228 people were killed after an Airbus A330 flying from Brazil to Paris disappeared from the radar shortly after encountering thunderstorms and heavy turbulence over the equatorial Atlantic.
The National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) already produces real-time maps of turbulence at various altitudes over the US and now it is applying its expertise to the oceans.
John Williams, of NCAR, said: "Pilots currently have little weather information as they fly over remote stretches of the ocean, where some of the worst turbulence occurs. Providing pilots with at least an approximate picture of approaching storms could help guide them safely around areas of potentially severe turbulence."
Pilots on selected trans-oceanic routes are due to test the system, which applies artificial intelligence to satellite data and computer-generated weather models, as early as next year.
They will receive real-time updates and provide feedback before the system goes ahead. The end product is expected to provide pilots and air traffic controllers with maps and graphic displays showing rapidly evolving likely areas of storms and turbulence.
John Haynes, of the Earth Science Division's Applied Science Program at Nasa in Washington, said the work was of "crucial importance" to pilots.
"Turbulence is the leading cause of injuries in commercial aviation," said Haynes.
The NCAR team has created global maps of clear air turbulence based on global computer weather models that include winds and other instabilities in the atmosphere.