IP: New Aviation Weather Data System Debuts on Internet

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Approved-By: FAA-Newsrelease () NSMAIL FAA GOV
Date:         Wed, 19 Feb 1997 11:51:49 -0800
Reply-To: faa-newsrelease () NSMAIL FAA GOV
Sender: FAA-NEWSRELEASE <FAA-NEWSRELEASE () LISTSERV FAA GOV>
From: FAA-Newsrelease <FAA-Newsrelease () NSMAIL FAA GOV>
Organization: APA
Subject:      New Aviation Weather Data System Debuts on Internet
To: FAA-NEWSRELEASE () LISTSERV FAA GOV


FAA News
Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC 20591




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APA 27-97
Wednesday, February 19, 1997
Contact: Les Dorr, Jr.
Phone: 202/267-8521
National Weather Service: Patrick J. Slattery
Phone: 816/426-7621, ext. 621, pat.slattery () noaa gov


New Aviation Weather Data System Debuts on Internet


        WASHINGTON  -- The National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center
and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today launched an
experimental digital data program that will ultimately increase safety
by giving aviation users more accurate weather forecasts.


        The new Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS), available via the
Internet, will contain weather observations and forecasts important to
the aviation community. The data, generated by sophisticated numerical
models, can be used by pilots and the private meteorological industry to
generate customized aviation products.


        "This data set is the first step for putting critical weather
information related to aviation in the hands of the users, individual
pilots, the airlines, flight service stations and National Weather
Service meteorologists, and allowing them to generate products to fit
their different needs and applications," said David Rodenhuis, director
of the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) in Kansas City, Mo.  "Part of the
weather service and FAA mission is to improve aviation weather
services."


        "We are improving the forecasting of weather elements such as icing,
turbulence, and convection that impact aviation safety," added David
Sankey, team leader for the FAA’s Aviation Weather Research program.
"This new data set is a first step in providing more accurate and
accessible weather observations, such as gridded in-flight icing
forecasts."




        The ADDS, developed through a partnership of the National Weather
Service and the FAA, represents an important milestone in realizing the
vision of providing aviation-specific weather products. The agencies
expect that the availability of the ADDS will spur the creation of
software that will let aviation users manipulate the data for their
precise requirements.


        "Eventually, we want users to be able to have in their hands a
forecast
that says, 'You’ll encounter these specific conditions at this
particular location at this specific time,' if that’s what they want,"
Sankey said.


        The two agencies cooperate on numerous research programs designed to
apply weather sciences and improve the services provided to aviation
users.  For example, an important component of the partnership is the
Experiment Forecast Facility, supported by the FAA and located at the
AWC, where new weather products are tested in an operational mode.


        The AWC, one of the nine National Centers for Environmental
Prediction,
was formerly a part of the Weather Service’s National Severe Storms
Forecast Center.  As a new national center dedicated to aviation,
Rodenhuis said, the AWC will work even more closely with the FAA to
improve forecasting tools to benefit the aviation industry and private
pilots.


        "The AWC provides weather data and forecasts for use by commercial
weather services and U.S. airlines to help them operate more safely and
more efficiently," Rodenhuis said. "We also provide benefits to private
pilots and we are taking steps to make weather data more easily
available to them.  We apply our services through the FAA to the
aviation industry to protect the thousands of people who fly each year
in commercial and private aircraft."


        The Internet address for the Aviation Digital Data Service is:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/adds. Additional information on the Aviation
Weather Center also is available on the Internet. The AWC home page
address is:  http://www.awc-kc.noaa.gov.
The address for the FAA’s Aviation Weather research home page is:
http://www.faa.gov/AUA/ipt_prod/tower/awr/awr.htm


        The National Weather Service is part of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, which operates under the U.S. Department of
Commerce.




# # #
An electronic version of this news release is available via
the World Wide Web at: www.faa.gov