FriendsPartners Aviation Wx Segment

1
Friends/Partners Aviation Wx - Segment 2 -
Progress InWeather ObservationsUser Needs
Issues

• Date 13 Oct 2004
• Las Vegas, NV
• Tom Fahey, Industry Lead

2
Disp. Met. Informal Committee

• Top Three User Needs for 2005
• Wx info for ATM Decision Support Systems
• Priority 1 Terminal Area to Increase Airport
  Capacity
• Priority 2 En Route Environ to Increase
  Airspace Capacity
• Reduce Operational Limitations due to Wx Obs
  Fcsts
• Priority 1 FAR 121.621 Eliminate 6 hr limit-IFR
  No Alternate
• Priority 2 FAR 121.655 Reword to Require Sfc
  not Tower Vis be controlling for VFR IFR
  takeoffs landings instrument approach
  procedures when vis is less than 4 miles (Tall
  Tower)
• Automated Wx Reporting Capability from Aircraft
• Priority 1 Airlines Reimbursed 100 of
  communication costs
• Priority 2 Carriers, FAA NWS Finalize MDCRS
  Mgmnt Team

10 Airline Participants AAL, Alaska, ATA
Airlines, COA, DAL, FedEx, NWA, SWA, UAL UPS
3
Wx info for ATM D S S

• Past Yr FAA NWS Effort to Redefine CWSU Role
• Has potential benefits
• Most Users are not Clear on Details Potential
  Impact
• Future Increased Coordination btwn FAA NWS
• Can CWSU Customers be included in reorg
• Relocation of the TMUs?
• Expand CWSUs role to support Severe Wx Needs of
  Towers?
• Other Examples of requested attention
• An Organizational Structure to Foster FAA NWS
  Coord.
• Clarification of Routine Wx Observations Roles
  Responsibilities
• Observations of Convective Hazards
• Volcanic Ash Observations
• Manual PIREPs and Manual/Auto Turbc Measurements
• Winter Weather Observations

4
Increased Coordination Btwn FAA NWS

• Positive Current exs of Hi Level of Interaction
• Btwn NWS FO or CWSU FAA Tower or ARTCC
• Safety Analysis Team Aug-Sep04
• Interviewed 7 FAA 2 NWS Facilities
• Org Structure Relationships varied greatly
• Simmering distrust bwtn FAA NWS facilities.
• Lack of contact between local NWS Fcst Ofc
  Tower facility.
• Efforts by local NWS to reach out to FAA tower w/
  no reciprocation
• Good reciprocal comms coord. btwn the 2
  govermt facilities
• Wx Obs ResponsibilityConfusion about FAA NWS
  roles

5
Routine Wx Obs ConfusionOct 2004 Example

• 10-12 Oct GRB ASOS OTS
• GRB NWS in past could augment ASOS
• Fall 2003 GRB NWS augmenting discontinued.
• All augmentation capability transferred to FAA
  Tower
• 11Oct Tower couldnt be contacted /or lost ph
  line
• NWA Ops Specs require latest weather obs to
  launch
• NWA was preparing to cancel flight into GRB
• NWA Met staff got creative
• DTW-GRB Flt w/ 124 pass. Operated but 1 hr late.

6
Obs of Convective Hazards

• For Operators Pilots
• Progress by FAA in runway specific windshear
  alerts
• 120 airports with capability (LLWAS-RS, NE
  WSP)
• Improvemen Psbl only 43 of 120 are distributed
  to users
• Industry FAA shud focus on getting more alerts
  accessible by operators pilots
• Psbl concept Web Based, similar to RVR web site
• For ATM ATC
• Recommendation of CDM WAWG
• Echo Tops on TSD Replace Text w/ a Graphical
  Display
• For NWS
• Appears to be a Concept in Planning stages
• Provide access to TDWR at Forecast Offices NCEP
  Facilities

7
Volcanic Ash Observations

• Past Year Positive Efforts
• Conf in DCA in Jun04
• Recent focus on Mt St. Helens
• Public media had Mt St. Helens eruption info
  realtime
• Room For Improvement
• Still limited tools for observing for aviation
  purposes
• Distribution via aviation communication methods
  limited

8
Manual PIREPs Manual/Auto Turbc Measurements

• Manual PIREPS / Turbc
• Some Progress in airline use of Dispatcher Input
• Auto Turbc Measurements
• TAMDAR showing progress
• From User perspective appears to be confusion re
  NCARs EDR vs. NASA RMSG method

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Winter Weather Observations

• Past Year Letter sent Feb04 to NWS FAA
• Augmentation by Contract Wx Observers Missing
• Freezing Precipitation (type and intensity)
• Water Equivalence of Frozen Precip
• Snowfall Measurements (snow on ground hvy
  accumulations)
• RVR longline (included on METARs)
• Long term Automated solutions Requested for
• Freezing Precip. (type, intensity accumulation
  for all storms)
• Water Equivalence of Frozen Precip
• Tower Visibility

10
Winter Weather Observations

• Current Status Next 12 months
• Long term Automated solutions
• NWS progress on All Weather ASOS precip Equip
• No money budgeted for FAA owned ASOS
• Augmentation by Contract Wx Obss Missing
• NWS FAA made progress on Manual Frozen Precip.
  Measures
• Request another reminder be sent to all
  augmenters
• Freezing Precipitation (type and intensity)
• Water Equivalence of Frozen Precip
• Snowfall Measurements (snow on ground hvy
  accumulations)

11
Reduce Operational Limitations due to Wx Obs
Fcsts

• Change FARs (121.621 121.655)
• No need to always load alt fuel for Intl Flt of
  6hrs
• Add to list if Exemptions Not rcvd for
• FAR 121.619 (1-2-3 rule) domestic ops, alt fuel
• FAR 121.625? (10 Intl reserve fuel)
• Tall Tower Issue

12
Wx Data Access via Internet

• ATA Met. Committee Position re QICP
  (Developed 02Apr03 at Spring Meeting)
• NWS Announced No Plans to Become QICP (ATA
  Met Com 11 April 2003 Response to NWS)

All Aviation Weather Products to be
-Accessible to the users via the public internet
in a manner approved by FAA or -Via an
alternative communications method.
The airlines are very interested in the results
of NWS's further research with the FAA to
determine the specific level of effort necessary
by the NWS to comply to QICP status. ATA Met Com
hopes that this research determines that the NWS
can be a QICP soon. ATA Met Com very much looks
forward to learning the results of your study and
are holding off any further comments until that
work is complete.
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MDCRS

• What is MDCRS?
• Meteorological Data Collecting Reporting System
• Automated Wx Info from AA, DL, FDX, NW, UAL UPS
  a/c given to NWS.
• Originated in late 1980s in effort to improve
  flight plan wind fcsts
• What is the MDCRS Management Team
• Effort by NWS, FAA Participating Airlines To
  Improve the System

Vision
An affordable automated collection
dissemination system of a/c provided
meteorological obs to support the nations
complete atm. sensing strategy meet the needs
of the aviation industry.
Goals
Cost Share Variables Optimize Standardiz
e Available Usable
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Progress in Wx Observations

• Issue 2004 Grading
• -Radar Observations New Proposed Initiatives
• Wind Shear Alerts New Proposed Initiative
• -PIREPS (manual auto)
• Industry, NWS FAA Regressed (MDCRS Mgmnt
  Team)
• NASA Progress (TAMDARs)
• Sfc Wx Obs
• NWS FAA No Progress(Vis Stds/ Obs respon )
• NWS Signif Progress (winter variables)
• FAA Slight Progress (winter variables)
• Volcanic Ash Slight Progress
• Turbc Measures NASA Slight Progress (TAMDARs
  RMSG vs EDR-)
• Turbc Measures FAA NWS No Progress
• QICP NWS No Progress