The Foundation of Forecasting
How FAA Research Has Helped Redefine Access to Weather Technology
By Darcy Gagnon, FAA NextGen Office
For the past two decades, one of the FAA’s focuses has been transforming the National Airspace System (NAS) into a digital environment, with more efficient data access and distribution for the airspace’s various users. While these and other evolving advancements have been most noticeable in commercial air travel, the benefits to general aviation (GA) pilots have also been plentiful.
“-B”ig Changes
The most noticeable contribution to a digitized airspace was through the rollout of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) services to airports and aircraft. These services enable air traffic controllers to track aircraft more accurately and give GA pilots access to information about nearby traffic, weather, terrain, and temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) through their cockpit display. While some pilots were initially apprehensive about the cost and complexity to equip, many have grown to appreciate the technology, and since 2019, FAA researchers have been gradually improving the latency and efficiency of data, including weather, to ADS-B In.
But what if you want even more tech beyond what you can get from ADS-B? In the past two decades, the FAA has increased access and transparency of data directly to pilots. Therefore, the reason you can trust technologies like Garmin and ForeFlight for additional weather data is because the FAA not only supplies them with the weather data, but our researchers are also vetting those technologies.
Gearing Up
A vital preflight resource for pilots is the National Weather Service (NWS) Aviation Weather Center, which provides graphical forecasts for aviation and covers everything from wind to icing conditions. However, few know that FAA research directly supports these services.
“The NWS has a massive amount of people and industries relying on it outside of aviation,” said Danny Sims, FAA physical scientist and inflight icing project lead. “Because they have to balance so many priorities, we told them that if they supply us with all the weather data they’re generating, we’ll do the research on our end on how to make it more granular for pilots.” The byproduct of this collaboration is the Aviation Weather Center webpage at AviationWeather.gov.
So, what was improved? A lot of aviation weather forecasting in the past was focused on altitudes that pertained mostly to commercial aircraft but didn’t necessarily reflect lower altitudes. One of the FAA’s early projects in improving weather forecasting technology was to provide a way for emergency medical helicopters to access lower-altitude weather information. After concluding that program, it was revamped to aid GA operations, which is why you can now find lower altitude weather data on your preferred websites or apps.
Another favorite tool of pilots is weather cameras, which are about as close as you can get to looking out your window. Still, 2D visualization is limited, which is why FAA researchers have taken it a bit further to provide visual estimation analytics.
“On weather cameras, a cloud might look further away than it actually is,” said Gary Pokodner, manager of the Weather in the Cockpit program. “This upgrade to weather cameras helps calculate distance so you can better plan your preflight.”
Reacting in Real Time
Pilots should never plan a flight based on their perceived ability to dodge inclement weather. However, improvements in weather technology mean pilots are certainly better able to react to sudden meteorological shifts using ADS-B and the tools in their flight bag. One factor that has plagued pilots for ages is in-flight icing.
“In the past, the most we could tell people was ‘you might encounter icing in these regions over some amount of time,’” said Sims. “Now we can tell you what level icing conditions are occurring at, and we are updating those predictions every hour.”
To do this, the FAA brings in weather information from the NWS and supplements it with weather radar, surface reports, satellite data, and pilot reports. Icing forecasts are updated at the top of the hour, and because of ADS-B equipage, that information goes straight to your cockpit display.
These products already provide awareness benefits for pilots en route, but FAA researchers are working to make icing data more detailed during the key stages of departure, approach, landing, and takeoff.
“At the moment, the rule of thumb for many is to stay away from ice, period,” said Stephanie DiVito, an FAA meteorologist working on a new weather product that provides greater icing information surrounding airports. “As aircraft hardware and weather analysis and visualization improves, there might be more flexibility for pilots to navigate this hazard in the future.”
For example, with this new data, a pilot could request a path that avoids icing near an airport if, say, icing is present on the north side of the airport but not the south. Similarly, if an aircraft is certificated to fly safely in freezing drizzle but not freezing rain, these factors may inform a pilot’s flight plan or best route to escape icing conditions.
“We want pilots to see weather in a way that doesn’t require them to become a full-on meteorologist during those critical stages of flight,” DiVito said.
Back to the Classroom
We can confidently say that weather technology and forecasting have improved over the past two decades. But another crucial factor in the FAA’s weather research is the correct use of that weather technology.
“Even though the latency of what you’re seeing on your radar has improved, weather can change in an instant,” Pokodner said. “Too much reliance on weather technology can lead to poor decision-making.”
Pokodner and his group regularly host training events and attend air shows to educate pilots on how to use weather technology. Their free aviation weather courses on YouTube have accrued over 100,000 views, and they work closely with flight schools to ensure that pilot exams accurately assess a pilot’s weather awareness.
Looking forward, Pokodner and his team are researching ways to use virtual reality and gaming technology to train pilots in weather preparation. They are also working on an app for flight instructors, allowing them to easily create customizable weather scenarios to use in classrooms.
Additionally, they want to provide more tools for current pilots, like the ability to download pilot reports (PIREPs) on the fly and more improvements to weather cameras.
Advancements in meteorological education along with greatly improved situational awareness from emerging technology are just a few of the ways the FAA are helping pilots navigate the challenges posed by weather.
Learn More
- Aviation Weather Courses on YouTube
- FAASTeam Course ALC-521, Enhancing Wx Knowledge and Training
Darcy Gagnon is a communications specialist with the FAA’s NextGen Office.
