Kiwi company aims to clear fog at airports

[AnotherFSO]

Interesting (sorry, I can't post links yet).

From the NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment website:Pyper Vision is developing a solution that uses remotely piloted aircraft to clear fog at airports by dispersing a safe water-absorbing product that soaks up moisture in the air. A critical area of sky can be cleared in as little as 10 minutes, allowing safe take-off and landing to resume.

Pyper Vision is aiming to test and use its technology in airports throughout New Zealand, with a view to taking the product global. The absorbent used by Pyper Vision is approved for use by the Environmental Protection Authority and meets drinking water standards.


From the company's website:Pyper Vision disperses fog to empower your passengers to fly on time, every time. Using our intelligent dispersal system, we bring fog to the ground, clearing the skies for take-off.

Our system is specifically designed for use at airports, preventing disruption to commercial operations on foggy days.

We get to work on foggy mornings, before it can pose an inconvenience to passengers. Through 30 minutes of operation at an airport, fog can be cleared, allowing aircraft to take off and land for hours.

While there are some ways to manage and mitigate the effects of fog, our system is designed to remove the hazard completely.

[Capn Bloggs]

I can't see that working.

[thunderbird five]

Will be sad to see the end of fog delays, they'll be mist.......................................

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

Bloggs, I see what you did there :E

Seriously though, I wonder how wind affects it ie fog continually blowing in to replace the "treated" fog?

What was wrong with FIDO?

[Ascend Charlie]

What was wrong with FIDO?

The translation is, "Fog! It's a Day Off!"

[Cedrik]

Interesting (sorry, I can't post links yet).

From the NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment website:Pyper Vision is developing a solution that uses remotely piloted aircraft to clear fog at airports by dispersing a safe water-absorbing product that soaks up moisture in the air. A critical area of sky can be cleared in as little as 10 minutes, allowing safe take-off and landing to resume.

Pyper Vision is aiming to test and use its technology in airports throughout New Zealand, with a view to taking the product global. The absorbent used by Pyper Vision is approved for use by the Environmental Protection Authority and meets drinking water standards.


From the company's website:Pyper Vision disperses fog to empower your passengers to fly on time, every time. Using our intelligent dispersal system, we bring fog to the ground, clearing the skies for take-off.

Our system is specifically designed for use at airports, preventing disruption to commercial operations on foggy days.

We get to work on foggy mornings, before it can pose an inconvenience to passengers. Through 30 minutes of operation at an airport, fog can be cleared, allowing aircraft to take off and land for hours.

While there are some ways to manage and mitigate the effects of fog, our system is designed to remove the hazard completely.




Surely this is an April 1st story that was late?

[Capn Bloggs]

Surely this is an April 1st story that was late?
I wouldn't have a foggy idea.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Fog is controlled by the airlines. It is used to delay flights.

[340drvr]

Not a new idea. Years ago, they tried something similar (google fog dispersal/airlines or fog seeding/airports, too many links to post) in the US, at Salt Lake City airport. The methods may have been used at other airports, as well. A small plane, I recall Bonanzas and Aztecs, set up for cloud seeding with dry ice, would fly the approach with spreaders turned on. The resultant particles would cause the moisture to precipitate out enough to clear the air for airline operation. It evidently only worked in cold conditions (fog turning to heavier ice crystals). I was under the impression that it was very temporary, but one source said the result could last for several hours. The program was eventually abandoned as too expensive, and I imagine the advent of Cat III auto-land made the seeding obsolete.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

Which is why the company profile targets small and medium sized airports. Ones without ILS I imagine.

[601]

Coming back into BN on foggy mornings, we were happy for the preceding DC9 or 727 to go-around.
It generally meant a hole in the fog that we could become visual in.
Didn't the Poms have jet engines spaced along the runway sides to disperse the fog?.

[morno]

I remember going into Melbourne one foggy morning, with a preceding 747 doing a go around. Created the perfect hole that we were able to see even from 10 miles.

The traffic following us for the next 45 minutes all went around :}