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The AMDAR Observing System

The AMDAR Observing System. Mexico AMDAR Regional Workshop, 8-10 November 2011 Dean Lockett Observing Systems Division, WMO. Content. The WMO Aircraft Observations System What is AMDAR? The AMDAR Observing System Global AMDAR System Current Status Global AMDAR Coverage

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The AMDAR Observing System

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  1. The AMDAR Observing System Mexico AMDAR Regional Workshop, 8-10 November 2011 Dean Lockett Observing Systems Division, WMO

  2. Content • The WMO Aircraft Observations System • What is AMDAR? • The AMDAR Observing System • Global AMDAR System Current Status • Global AMDAR Coverage • Why Develop an AMDAR Programme? • Getting Started: • AMDAR Reference Manual • AMDAR Software

  3. Observations From Aircraft- Aviation Operations Reports • Pilot reports – PIREP • Report of actual weather conditions in-flight • Aircraft Reports – AIREP • Standard format report that can be used to relay weather information • Meteorological observations: wind, air temperature, cloud amount, cloud cover, cloud base and cloud top, and special phenomena • Automated Dependent Surveillance – Contract and Broadcast (ADS-C and ADS-B) • Essentially automated aviation industry reports that can have a meteorological report included.

  4. Observations from Aircraft- Meteorological • Processing, formatting and relay of aircraft observations commenced in the 70s in research mode; • Automated measurement programs for operational meteorology commenced in the late 1970s with ASDAR • ASDAR = Aircraft Satellite DAta Relay • Sensor and communications package. • Largely indendent of aircraft infrastructure and avionics • Forerunner to modern day TAMDAR by AirDat. • Research programs concluded: met. data from aircraft sensors provided very high quality data (air temperature, winds, air pressure, position) as ASDAR and even radiosonde systems. • Other sources of aircraft data include: • 3rd party avionics systems such as the AeroMechanical Services (AMS) AFIRS. • Mode S (ADS-B) • TAMDAR • AMDAR…

  5. Aircraft Observations No sensor deployment Sensor deployment

  6. The AMDAR Observing System • AMDAR = Aircraft Meteorological DAta Relay • WMO affiliated observations program under the World Weather Watch Programme. • Automated relay of aircraft meteorological data according to WMO and NMHS meteorological specification. • Program enabled with innate sensors, avionics and communications systems (ACARS). • Data collected in (near) real-time on ascent and descent (vertical profiles) and en-route according to meteorological requirements. • Quality of data equivalent to meteorological radiosonde (balloon-borne sensors). • Over 30 airlines and around 2800 aircraft participating.

  7. The AMDAR Observing System • High resolution vertical profiles (i.e. measurement taken regularly, e.g. every 10hPa or 100m on ascent or descent) of: • air temperature, • wind speed and direction • when available, water vapour content and icing; • Regular reports (e.g. every 5-10 minutes) of the same meteorological variables whilst en-route at cruise level; • Accurate measurement of coordinates (time, latitude, longitude and pressure altitude); • Measurement of turbulence: • DEVG (Derived Equivalent Vertical Gust); and/or, • EDR (Eddy Dissipation Rate: a meteorological turbulence parameter appropriate for direct assimilation into numerical weather models); • Icing (on or off) • Measurements are compiled into a standard message format and transmitted to the Meteorological Agency in as near-to real-time as possible.

  8. The AMDAR Observing System • Software implemented in aircraft avionics; • Transmission by VHF or satellite communications to ground station; • Relayed by a Data Service Provider to Airline (or direct to Met. Service); • Data decoded used by Met. Service; • Data is distributed on the GTS.

  9. The AMDAR Observing SystemData Quality

  10. The AMDAR Observing SystemData Quality

  11. Global Aircraft Data– Daily Output

  12. Aircraft Data - Coverage 5% of available obs shown Courtesy of NOAA/ESRL/GSD

  13. Status of RBSN Upper Air Network

  14. Why Should a Met. Service Develop an AMDAR Programme? • Improvement in upper air coverage: • Source of high quality upper air data; • AMDAR can provide superior temporal coverage of winds and air temperatures to radiosondes (potentially hourly versus 12-hourly); • No sensor implementation required – AMDAR facilitated by software deployment; • Cost of AMDAR profile can be 1/10th to 1/100th cost of radiosonde profile. • Opportunity to redesign upper air observations networks for efficiency!!!

  15. Why Should a Met. Service Develop an AMDAR Programme? • Experience with use of AMDAR data has shown that: • Impact on Numerical Weather Prediction is positive and significant; [Input to Aviation Forecasting…] • Extremely useful for input to forecast applications: • Surface and upper air forecasts of wind and temperature; • Thunderstorm genesis, location and severity; • Wind shear location and intensity; • Low cloud formation, location and duration; • Fog formation, location and duration; • Turbulence location and intensity; • Jetstream location and intensity. [Input to Aviation Forecasting…]

  16. Why should airlines participate in the AMDAR Programme? • Weather accounts for 70% of all air traffic delays within the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS)…. • Further, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined two thirds of this is preventable with better weather information. • From: USA, FAA NextGen: Congressionally mandated initiative to modernize the U.S. Air Transportation System • "A key finding, based on an analysis of several 2005-2006 convective events, is that as much as two-thirds of the weather-related delay is potentially avoidable." • Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee; Report of the Weather-ATM Integration Working Group; Oct3, 2007.

  17. Why should airlines participate in the AMDAR Programme? • NextGen: • “The total cost of domestic air traffic delays to the U.S. economy was as much as $41 billion for 2007.” • Air-traffic delays raised airlines' operating costs by $19 billion. • Delays cost passengers time worth up to $12 billion. • Indirect costs of delay to other industries added roughly $10 billion to the total burden Two thirds of 70% of $19,000,000,000 is a number Airlines should be interested in!

  18. Why should airlines participate in the AMDAR Programme? • AMDAR Impact on Weather Service Operations: • Improved Numerical Weather Prediction • Improved forecasting ability • Sensor monitoring ability for Aircraft

  19. Sensor Monitoring for Aircraft

  20. Why should airlines participate in the AMDAR Programme? • AMDAR Impact on Weather Service Products: • Improved NWP and Forecast ability: • Improved Aviation Products • Sensor monitoring ability: • Provide sensor monitoring service to airlines

  21. Why should airlines participate in the AMDAR Programme? • AMDAR Impact on Airline operations: • Improved Aviation Products: • Improved safety mangement • Improved flight operations • Provide sensor monitoring service to airlines: • Improved aircraft management

  22. Why should airlines participate in the AMDAR Programme? • AMDAR Impact on Airline Performance: • Improved safety mangement => Safety Record => $Savings • Improved flight operations => Customer Satisfaction => $Savings • Improved aircraft management => Better fuel use => $Savings

  23. Getting Started – AMDAR Reference Manual

  24. AMDAR Reference ManualWMO-No. 958 • Chapter 1. • Provides background and history on the AMDAR Program; • Chapter 2. Sensors and Measurements: • Aircraft sensors utilised for basic measurements: • Pitot Static Head (static air pressure) • Total Air Temperature probe (total air temperature) • Inertial Reference Unit and or GPS for positional information • Derived information (Air Data Computer): • Pressure altitude (ICAO); • (Static) Air Temperature; • Latitude, longitude; • Wind speed and direction; • Vertical acceleration (for turbulence); • Roll angle; • Mach no. required for corrections; • More detailed information in Appendix I

  25. AMDAR Reference ManualWMO-No. 958 • Chapter 3: • Onboard message Compilation • Chapter 4: • Data content and downlink formats • Sampling on ascent and descent and enroute • More detailed information in Appendices 2 and 3:

  26. AMDAR Reference ManualWMO-No. 958 • Chapter 5: AMDAR Data Management (by NMHS): • Data decoding and processing; • Formats for GTS dissemination: • FM42 (text) • FM94 BUFR (binary) • Chapter 6: Data Quality Control Processing (by NMHS) • Real-time quality control (before GTS dissemination); • Basic range and consistence checks • Quality monitoring; • Near real-time (sensor issues); • Long-term, e.g. monthly (sensor issues, systemic issues) • More detail in Appendix 4

  27. AMDAR (Aircraft) Observations Software Standards • Two main standards: • AAA (ACARS ACMS AMDAR) specification • Implemented mainly in Teledyne ACMS systems. • ARINC 620 versions 1 through 4. • Implemented mainly in Honeywell/Rockwell Collins systems. • Both have similar meteorological and functional definition. • Both have uplink control functionality, which is crucial to AMDAR Programme operation and viability (for redundant data and communications costs reduction)

  28. Summary • AMDAR Observing System is an Aircraft Observations system specified and developed for meteorological purposes. • Other aircraft observations supplement AMDAR data. • AMDAR quality is equivalent to radiosonde quality and much less expensive. • AMDAR Programme is mutually benificial to Met. Services and Aviation. • Introduced to AMDAR Reference Manual, WMO-No. 958. • Avionics Software standards exist and should be utilised for AMDAR Programme development.

  29. Thank you.

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