DOPPLER RADAR-RESEARCH AND APPLICATION TO AVIATION FLIGHT SAFETY, 1977-1979

Thunderstorm turbulence detection and the display of the turbulence location offer a significant advance toward improvement in flight safety and utilization of critical air space. A cooperative program involving the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Command, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory has been conducted under a code name of 'Rough Rider'. An F-4-C aircraft instrumented to record turbulence, temperature and wind during thunderstorm penetrations has been used to obtain in situ measurements of these parameters concurrently with Doppler and conventional weather radar observations. The results of this program indicate that the Doppler measured radial wind component's spectral width holds promise as a turbulence indicator. Turbulence of the severe or greater nature was always accompanied by spectral widths greater than 4 m/s. A second part of the program was to display forenoted Doppler radar data in real time at a Radar Approach Control office and at an Air Route Traffic Control Center. This display provided an insight into requirements for an operational system. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Original contains color plates: All DTIC/NTIS reproductions will be in black and white.
• Corporate Authors:

  National Severe Storms Lab

  Norman, OK  United States 

  Federal Aviation Administration

  William J. Hughes Technical Center, Airport Technology Research and Development Branch
  Atlantic City International Airport
  Atlantic City, NJ  United States  08405
• Authors:
  • Lee, J T
• Publication Date: 1981-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 45 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aeronautics; Airspace (Aeronautics); Airspace (Law); Approach; Aviation safety; Control; Control centers; Detection and identification; Detectors; Doppler radar; Electromagnetic spectrum; Federal government; Location; Pendulum tests; Position fixing; Radar; Real time control; Real time data processing; Thunderstorms; Traffic; Turbulence; Weather radar; Width
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Indicators
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00364807
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FAA/RD-81-79
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FA77WAI-808
• Files: NTIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 28 2002 12:00AM