In-Flight Evaluation of a Severe Weather Avoidance System for Aircraft

摘要

Since there is increased interest in severe weather avoidance systems to augment conventional radar, a joint flight program was undertaken to evaluate the Ryan Stormscope as a thunderstorm avoidance tool. Comparisons were made between Stormscope electrical activity areas and precipitation contours from both on-board and ground weather radar displays. Strongest correlation between radar and Stormscope was found in regions of high precipitation gradients. Comparisons were also made between Stormscope and a ground-based Lightning Detection and Ranging System (LDAR) to determine range and azimuth accuracy of the electrical activity displayed on Stormscope. Because of inherent differences among these systems (i.e., type and rate of data acquisition), corresponding groups of electrical activity areas were compared. Items compared were group area ratios, group overlap areas and group centroid locations. In general, Stormscope groups were larger than corresponding LDAR groups (150% on the average). Additionally, Stormscope group centroid locations differed an average of 15 NM in range and 11 deg in azimuth from those on the LDAR system. This margin of error is acceptable for in-flight thunderstorm avoidance.