GLFE Status Meeting

1. GLFE Status Meeting August 24-25, 2005

2. TAMDAR Takes Its Human Toll BEFORE TAMDAR AFTER TAMDAR

3. Presentation topics • AirDat/TAMDAR Overview • Status • TAMDAR Impact Studies • Simulations and Displays • Ongoing Work in Support of Future Deployments • Sensor Enhancements and Refinements • Future Sensor Testing and Deployment • Communications Architecture and Data Center • System Monitoring and QA • AirDat TAMDAR Forecasting Impact

4. AirDat/TAMDAR Overview

5. Status • All 63 Mesaba Saab 340 Equipped • All 63 aircraft delivering data • Ongoing firmware improvements • Improved Data Quality • Current Upgrade—Improved Winds Aloft • GLFE has been extended to Jan. 15, 2006

6. Status • Mesaba incentives being supported • Incentives • OOOI and flight numbers • System functional and working well • Mesaba plans to activate in October • Text messaging • AirDat contractual obligation to Mesaba • Hardware design being developed

7. Data quality • Data quality good • Ongoing improvements in data quality • Sensor firmware refinements • Ground based QA improvements • Sensors can be re-calibrated by ground command • Algorithms include constants • Roughly 100 constants can be commanded • IMPORTANT: systematic biases can be removed • Must be fully verified • Must be agreed to by participating parties • Long-term drift can be corrected • Additional humidity sensors being evaluated for future improvements

8. AirDat/NCAR impact studies • Turbulence study ongoing • New sensor installed on UND Citation • 10 hours of flight tests planned • Statistical precipitation study • Auto nowcast study • Impact on convective models • 0-2 hour forecast • CIP icing potential study

9. TAMDAR Data Volume and Simulation • Radiosonde soundings (daily): 138 • 69 sites • 2 launches per day • Mesaba (GLFE) soundings: 820 • 79 sites (airports) • CONUS deployment (500+ aircraft) soundings: 5000+ • 300+ sites (airports) • Simulation—illustrates potential impact

10. AirDat display work • AirDat working on displays to increase usefulness of data to FAA for aviation safety • Map display evolved from FSL display developed by Bill Moninger • Enhanced with visual displays of icing and turbulence • Downloadable application accessible from AirDat website • Available to all users during GLFE

11. Icing map display

12. Turbulence map display

13. Sensor Enhancements And Refinements August 24-25

14. Presentation Topics • Hardware Refinements • SPU Electronics • Probe • Considerations for High Speed Subsonic Aircraft • Algorithm Refinements • High Subsonic Wind Tunnel Testing • First Air Boeing 727

15. Hardware Refinements--SPU Electronics • Hardware Over temperature Protection for Probe Heater (currently only in software) • Ice Accretion Rate Capability Added • Software Selection of Capacitive or MEMS RH Sensor • 4th Serial Port • Separate Heater Control for Rear Static Port Heater • Increased Current Capacity for GPS Power Supply • Software Switch for GPS Power

16. Hardware Refinements--Probe • Different Optic Sleeve Material • Better Thermal Coefficient—closer to Aluminum • Better Adhesion • Pitot Machined Into Cap for Better Heating—Previously It Was Screwed into Cap • Improved Sensor Board Connector—new PCB layout and Sleeve Base • Improved LED and Photo Diode Mounting for Easier Mfg. • Removable “Plug” in Cap for Easier Field Replacement of Sensor Board—Removal of Cap no longer required.

17. Considerations for High Speed Subsonic Aircraft • Probe Dimensions Constrained by Physical Limitations of Sensor Elements and Aircraft Mounting Options • Shock Wave Begins to form on Sides of Probe at Approximately 0.7 Mach • Static Port Reading Reads Too Low—Affects TAS Accuracy • Pressure in Sensor Chamber No Longer Linear—Affects RH Correction • Turbulence Noise Floor Rises

18. High Speed Subsonic Wind Tunnel Testing has Been Done • Tests at Rolls-Royce Fully Instrumented Wind Tunnel • Various Angle of Attacks • Data used to Develop the Polynomial Curve Fits for the Static Pressure and the Sensor Chamber Pressure at High Mach

19. Preliminary Testing on First Air 727 • Data is Now Being Downlinked • Data Comparisons to Raobs Indicates Need for Calibration • Calibration of TAS Required on Dedicated Flight • Better Calibration Flight Will Occur After More TAMDAR Data Fields are added by Skytrac • Recommend Implementation of Ground QC Procedures

20. Future TAMDAR Sensor Deployments August 24, 2005

21. Presentation Topics • Deployment Strategy • Product Development and Deployment Plans: Next Generation TAMDAR Sensors • TAMDAR Sensor Test Activities • Air Carrier Incentives • Current • Future • Next Generation TAMDAR Baseline Router Configuration

22. Deployment Strategy • AirDat is focused on developing the capability to collect and distribute TAMDAR data on a broad scale • Translates into increased TAMDAR sensor deployments • Current focus is on CONUS region • 63 Mesaba aircraft equipped to date • In discussions with various air carriers to equip their fleets with TAMDAR sensors • Range of aircraft platforms under consideration • Small commuter aircraft (turboprop, regional jet) • Other commercial airliners • Helicopters

23. Product Development and Deployment Plans – Next Generation TAMDAR Sensors • TAMDAR sensors with current capabilities available for deployment on new airline carrier opportunities today • Development activities underway for next-generation TAMDAR sensor • TAMDAR equipage incentive packages customized on a carrier-by-carrier basis • Some air carriers are requesting that AirDat provide sophisticated support measures via TAMDAR

24. TAMDAR Sensor Test Activities • Wind tunnel and flight testing may be required to support diversity of aircraft platforms under consideration for future deployments • Wind tunnel testing • Verify TAMDAR sensor enhancements at high subsonic speeds • AirDat plans in place for design of new wind tunnel • Utilize commercially-available facilities for short term needs

25. TAMDAR Sensor Test Activities • Flight testing (Fixed-wing) • Required to verify TAMDAR sensor enhancements at high subsonic speeds • In discussions with Calspan (Lear 25 testbed) • Exploring possibility of equipping NCAR GV aircraft for flight test/research support • Flight testing (Rotary-wing) • Investigate characteristics of TAMDAR sensor in helo environment • In discussions with UND regarding equipage of Bell 206B JetRanger helicopter

26. Air Carrier Incentives (Current) • TAMDAR sensor equipment offered at no charge to airlines • Current TAMDAR capabilities • Weather observations • OOOI reporting • Global aircraft tracking • Flight planning tools (AirMaps) • Comprehensive logistical support for TAMDAR provided to airlines • manufacturing support • inventory management • field maintenance support

27. Air Carrier Incentives (Future) • TAMDAR system will include router option, thus supporting the following additional capabilities: • Cockpit text messaging via tablet/EFB • Backup voice • Aircraft data monitoring • Ice detection /alert to cockpit • Wireless comms to cabin • Wx radio

28. Next Generation TAMDARBaseline Router Configuration • Key Features of TAMDAR System: • Voice integrated into aircraft communication system. • PDA as Flight Deck Interface can control voice and be used as text messaging platform • EFB can be used as text messaging platform and voice control. • GPS input for EFB can be through GPS receiver using AirDat antenna. • WSI/XM Weather Radio antenna available using AirDat antenna. • EFB can simultaneously be used for all other EFB applications.

29. AirDat Network and Systems Architecture Tony Papa August 24, 2005

30. Network Overview Message Latency

31. Network Overview Geographic diversity/redundancy is achieved via four linked data centers supported by four Internet providers

32. Network Overview • TAMDAR data processing systems are redundant at the system and site level • All critical systems have at least 1 hot-failover • Failover is automatic and stateful in all cases • All systems are managed 7/24/365 by AirDat Network Operations staff. • All systems and services are monitored in real-time and trended for performance and uptime. • 2nd-site redundant systems will continue to be enhanced as needed.

33. System Monitoring

34. Partner Update – Peak-10 • AirDat partnered with Peak-10 a datacenter co-location provider with 5 datacenters on the east coast. • AirDat has redundant hardware in 2 of these and leverages network resources from all 5. • Peak-10 has proven 100% network uptime for the past 2 years. • Peak-10 continues to have positive business growth in all 5 markets.

35. Partner Update – Iridium • Iridium Satellite’s SBD service has been very stable through the GLFE. • Many enhancements have been made in the past 12 months. More upgrades are scheduled through Q2 ’06 further increasing stability and redundancy. • Iridium recognizes that data services is their largest growth opportunity.

36. Data Distribution • Over 3.5M observations have been distributed during the ongoing GLFE • This data is being distributed to over 30 recipients via FTP including: • UK Met Office • ECMWF (via UK Met Office) • Canadian Met Office • US Air Force • US Army • Fleet Numerical Modeling (US Navy)

37. TAMDAR System Management • AirDat has developed systems to manage the inventory and lifecycle support of the TAMDAR system including sensor calibration parameters. • A 7/24/365 helpdesk has been established to support the airline partners. • Daily sensor status reports are sent daily to all AirDat employees.

38. Lifecycle Management

39. System Development • Jeff Urban and team continue to enhance the proprietary data processing applications. • TAMDAR database structure is has been improved in the past 12 months to accommodate changing needs. • AirMap application has been improved to include a Skew-T trending tool based on partner feedback.

40. Skew-T trending tool

41. QUESTIONS?

43. TAMDAR System Monitoring and Quality Assurance Alan Anderson Cyrena-Marie Druse