Situational Awareness about Thunderstorms On-board an Aircraft

Abstract

Thunderstorms are top-ranked by pilots as weather situations compromising the flight safety. The information for pilots about adverse weather like thunderstorms today is, if at all, based on significant weather charts. Such services, however, do not give the required information for a particular flight in a particular circumstance because thunderstorms are relatively short-living phenomena. Information is required in the time-scale of up to about one hour with frequent updates clearly outlining the dangerous areas which should be avoided. Tools and products are descried which deliver that information tailored along the aircraft’s trajectory. The information is produced on ground by weather expert systems and delivered to and stored in a ground-based weather processor which serves as a data base and interface between the expert system and the aircraft. Concepts and first tests are described where the information on thunderstorms is up-linked from the data base to the aircraft.