empty Federal Aviation Administration Seal
empty FAA Home About FAA Jobs News Library empty
empty Pilots Travelers Mechanics More empty
empty
empty
empty
empty
Aircraft
empty
Airports &
Air Traffic
empty
Data &
Statistics
empty
Education &
Research
empty
Licenses &
Certificates
empty
Regulations &
Policies
empty
Safety
empty
Search:  

Summary Description:

This solution set includes improvements to weather information and its use to improve safety, capacity, and efficiency.

Background:

Current NAS weather data are not well integrated into either manual procedures or automated decision-support systems. Data are also not readily available to the full spectrum of decision makers, nor are they sufficiently accurate. In order to support the predicted volume of future air traffic operations, improvements are needed. Unpredicted changes in weather are of prime concern because of the significant impact and disruption they create throughout the entire NAS. The current system does not respond well to unpredicted weather situations or those that evolve differently than expected.

The goal of this solution set will be to proactively plan operations based on improved weather predictions rather than being forced to mitigate impacts once the weather has changed. Improved weather information will result in better decision-making during NextGen operations. This will be accomplished using integrated weather information, including probabilistic forecasts.



Operational Capability Description:

NAS performance will be improved by being able to anticipate the impact of weather on its operations.  This will be accomplished through the transmission of consistent and integrated accurate weather information into ATM, air traffic control, flight operations center (FOC), as well as into flight deck tactical and strategic operational decision-making tools.  Improvements will be developed to define weather impact, provide improved weather observations and better forecasts.  These will enable universal operator access to consistent weather information, which will promote common situational awareness.  The improved forecasts, including improved characterization of uncertainty, will assist operators in safely planning and conducting 4D, gate-to-gate, trajectory-based operations that avoid storm hazards and provide comfortable flight conditions. Decision-support systems will directly incorporate weather data and define weather impact.  This will allow decision-makers to determine the best response to potential weather-related operational effects, thus minimizing the level of traffic restrictions required in all planning horizons from 0–8 hours.

Improvements will be forthcoming in four functional areas: Weather information integrated into decision-support tools; weather sensing capability required for better forecasting; weather forecasting and processing; and the universal and common access of all information that will be made available to the full spectrum of users.

NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW) will be the core of the NextGen weather support services.  It will enable widespread distribution of weather products to enhance collaborative and dynamic NAS decision making.  It will provide network access to weather information from a myriad of sources (weather processor and radar processor replacement, DoD, NOAA) to all users, as well as a fusion and integration of weather information into NextGen decision-support systems.

 

Commitments:

  • Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) Deployment:  Complete the deployment of ITWS capabilities as planned.
  • Weather Advisory Information to the Flight Deck (Nationwide):  Flight Information Service-Broadcast (FIS-B) will be deployed nationally to improve flight deck situational awareness relative to weather, as well as reduce frequency congestion.

 

Near-Term Demonstrations:

Improved Weather Detection/Prediction Integrated with Traffic Management Advisor (TMA): Advanced concept technology development (ACTD) will be used to demonstrate integrated capability (also possible partnership). The information will be passed to the TMA via System-Wide Information Management (SWIM). The expanded use of TMA during convective weather periods is expected to improve weather detection and prediction.

 

Mid-Term Capabilites (2012 - 2018):

Trajectory-Based Weather Impact Evaluation: Weather information and its expected impact on individual 4D trajectories will be integrated into decision-oriented automation where it will be translated into operational impacts to support tactical and strategic decisions on individual and group flights.  This will improve overall flight efficiency and capacity.  Decision-support strategies include automation-to-automation integration of Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), and decision-support capabilities with those of users, where appropriate.

 

Timeline:

Reduce Weather Impact Timeline
Reduced Weather Impact Timeline (PDF)

 

Benefits:

  • Common weather information will enable pilots and aircrews to engage in shared situational-awareness and shared responsibilities with controllers, and dispatchers, as well as flight service station specialists, and others.  This will promote safe and efficient preflight, en route, and post-flight aviation decisions involving weather.
  • Improved weather information, integrated into controller decision-support tools, will improve the efficiency of controller decisions and greatly reduce controller workload during bad weather.
  • Improved weather information, made accessible to traffic managers, pilots, and FOCs, will reduce fuel costs and the expense of flight delays, cancellations, and diversions due to unforeseen, adverse weather.

 

Dependencies:

This solution set is dependent on: Integration of weather processing and forecasting via NNEW; NAS weather processor; ADS-B receive (in); SWIM; ERAM; advanced surface automation; Terminal Automation Platforms; TFM-M; Weather Sensors; training; procedures; airspace redesign; Safety Management System processes; and 4D Trajectories.

 

FY09 Key Enabling Activities:

Weather Observation Consolidation
  • Develop an integrated strategy for weather sensors, including a low-cost alternative to ATC radars for terminal weather. Complete concept of use for multifunction phased array radar (MPAR) and radar network. Begin subsystem development on MPAR pre-prototype to resolve critical performance and cost issues

Weather Forecast Improvements

  • Integrating Weather Processing. Develop requirements and an evolution strategy for improving forecast capability and for lower costs by reducing the number of weather processing systems.
  • Trajectory Impact Analysis. Develop requirements to include calibration of each weather phenomenon to aircraft types, characterization of weather information in probabilistic terms where useful to DSTs, manual procedures, and the flight deck

NextGen Transformational Program
NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW): This will permit widespread distribution of weather products to enable collaborative and dynamic NAS decision-making. All categories of weather users will have improved access to timely and accurate flight information in their homes, businesses, at the airport, and in the air to support improved decision making, while enhancing safety.

The team will complete the initial investment readiness decision and begin the Initial Investment phase. They will begin development of standards for weather data dissemination and the NextGen 4D weather data cube—current description of the atmosphere in four dimensions.  They will develop initial prototypes of a weather data-dissemination capability and 4D weather data cube, and will implement a network enabled operations-compatible dissemination test capability.

Additional details for the NNEW program can be found in the reference sheet.


FY09 Key Research:

Weather Technology in the Cockpit: There are two parts to this program:  Cockpit Weather Technologies and Human Factors for Cockpit Weather Technologies.  Cockpit Weather Technologies develops policy and standards for hardware and software requirements, including update rates, and guidelines and procedures for testing, evaluating, and qualifying weather systems for certification and operation on aircraft.  Human Factors for Cockpit Weather Technologies addresses policy, standards, and guidance for the display of weather information and its use, including design guidance, training, procedures, and error management.  Research will involve the policy, standards, and guidance required to safely implement weather technologies in the cockpit and enable shared situational-awareness and shared responsibilities. 

Air Traffic Control/Technical Operations Human Factors – Controller Efficiency: This program will accelerate and expand research addressing human performance issues in NextGen concepts. It will facilitate improved access to weather displays in the en route domain. Air-Ground Integration: This program will identify how requirements of probabilistic weather information will be used by pilots and controllers.

Mid-Term Capability (2012 – 2018) Details

Capability details for reducing weather impact are described below:

Trajectory-Based Weather Impact Evaluation

Weather information and its expected impact on individual 4D trajectories will be integrated into decision-support tools, where it will be translated into operational impacts to support tactical and strategic decisions on individual and group flights.  This stands to improve overall flight efficiency and increase the effective use of capacity.  Decision-support strategies include automation-to-automation integration of Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), and decision-support capabilities with those of users, where appropriate

Need/Shortfall:  The ANSP must be able to make timely, safe and efficient decisions based on common weather information. Adverse weather conditions impact safety, reduce capacity, and reduce system predictability. A lack of common and timely information can contribute to diversions from local and national planned traffic flows, causing system-wide inefficiencies.  Existing planning tools are ineffective during expected or actual adverse weather conditions.

Operational Concept:  Decision-support assistance is provided to the ANSP by integrating a “common weather picture”, including current/forecast weather information, into decision-support tools (e.g., trajectory/route availability, icing, turbulence, and ground deicing needs), and will translate into operational impacts.  Terminal service providers will use the integrated capability to more efficiently plan arrival and departure routes.  En route service providers will use a problem-resolution capability within the tools to identify trajectories that avoid severe/hazardous weather areas, and provide resolution, which will reduce individual flight-path disruption and increase the effective use of available capacity.  Flow managers will have risk-based decision-support tools that use probabilistic weather information to assist them in developing strategies for handling demand under reduced system capacity conditions.  Tower service providers will use the weather-integrated capability to plan operations for expected or during actual weather events.

Aircraft & Operator:   

Design/Architecture:  Initially, air traffic management (ATM)/weather integration may use existing weather products to determine aviation impact.  To fully realize the benefits of this capability, a single authoritative source provided by NextGen network enabled weather (NNEW) will be required. Probabilistic weather-impact information will be provided in a format for integration into decision-support tools residing on, or interfacing with en route, traffic flow management, and other automation and decision-support tools that might be specific to terminal and surface domains.   

Key Enabling Programs:

  • En Route Automation Modernization Release 3 (2011-2012)
    • Key Decision #43 En Route Automation Modernization Release 3 Package Contents (2009)
  • System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) Segment 1 (2010-2014)
  • 4D WX Cube (2012-2014)
  • NextGen Weather Processor WP 2 (2017-2019)

Dependencies: 

  • Weather Forecast Improvements Developmental Activity Trajectory-Impact Analysis
  • SWIM architecture will support dissemination to decision-support tools of the provided weather and impact information.

Benefits:

  • Improved efficiency
  • Enhanced safety
  • Improved throughput
  • Reduced fuel-burn and engine emissions

First Initial Operational Capability: 2011–2018

Champions:

FAA: ATO-E, ATO-T, ATO-R, ATO-W

External User: Airlines and general aviation

Updated: 4:56 pm ET July 3, 2008