Aviation Meteorology A Northwest Airlines Perspective Tom Fahey, Manager Meteorology American Meteorological Society - Memphis Chapter 20 September 2005 Memphis, TN

MEM September Northwest Airlines Perspective General Introduction to NWA NWA System Operations Control NWA Meteorology Roles and Products

MEM September Northwest & KLM Alliance 1990’s

MEM September NWA - Member of SkyTeam

The SOC

MEM September NWA System Operations Control SOC Crew Coord. Customer Svc Flight Dispatch Load Control Maintenance Meteorology Navigation Data Ops Planning Ops Analysis Perf Engineering Implement, Mitigate &/or Recover

MEM September SOC - Responsibilities Focus on “Day of Operation” 2 Main Causes of Flight Schedule Disruptions Maintenance Weather SOC will take action based on 12hr Fcst - Not a 2 day Fcst

MEM September NWA Meteorology Roles Support Efficiency Support Safety Deliver Useful Products & Services

MEM September NWA Meteorology Roles A Historical Perspective 1985 Route Selection & Wind Fcsting 1990 Terminal Forecasting & Verification 1995 Fcsts Supporting Stn Deicing 2000 En Route Tstrms & Air Traffic Mgmnt 2000 Tropical Strm Fcst Supporting Stn Ops Fcsts For Turbc Avoidance

Operational Efficiency

MEM September Operational Efficiency NWA Historical Perspective 1980’s Flight Planning for En Route - Manual Wind Forecasts by Meteorologist - Route Selection by Meteorologist 1990’s Terminal Area Operations - Individual Flight Focus - Currently 3 TAF’s by NWA & Rest from NWS Mid Current System Efficiency - CDM (Collaborative Decision Making)

MEM September CCFP (Collaborative Convective Forecast Product) 1998 Test Lead by NWA 1999 AWC Since 2003 Issued every 2 hrs 2, 4, & 6 Hour Fcsts Used by Traffic Flow Mngmnt Collaborative Forecast - FAA ARTCC’s - Environment Canada - Airline Meteorologists - NWS AWC

MEM September CCFP CCFP Purpose: Identify En Route Airspace Impacted Significantly.

MEM September Collaborative Decision Making Tstrm Routing - Terminal Area  Flt Dispatchers & an Airline and Air Traffic FAA & Airline use Fcsts & Obs to decide on routes around tstrms when departing an airport.

Safety & Efficiency

MEM September NWA Meteorology Products Fcsts Supporting Safety & Efficiency - Air Traffic Management During Convection - Station Ops During Deicing - Station Ops During Tropical Activity - Clear Air &Terrain Induced Turbc Avoidance

MEM September Preflight Routing-Tstrm Avoid Preferred Route for time & burn.

MEM September Preflight Routing-Tstrm Avoid White Line most days. Green Line today.

MEM September Station Ops During Deicing Name this Airport: AMS ? DTW ? IND ? MEM ? MKE ? MSP ? NRT ? Meteorology Fcsts for 5 NWA hub airports - Which Ones?

MEM September Aviation Safety Requires Deicing

MEM September What Station? Deicing Fcsts Support Efficiency Decision Support - Staffing - Equipment Prep - Flight Thinning

MEM September Winter Weather Depiction Covers 5 Hub areas & E. Coast stns

MEM September Tropical Weather Depiction Also Issued for East Pacific (btwn Mexico & HNL), Asia Pacific & India

MEM September Clear & Mtn Wave Turbulence Avoidance NWA’s Turbulence Plot System - Meteorologist Forecasting Procedures - Preflight Graphics & Outlooks - For Route Selection by Dispatchers - En Route Updates to Dispatchers & Pilots

MEM September mb wind >30kts - wave develops 2. Wave begins to propagate vertically if 500mb/700mb wind ratio & Stable layer at or near Mtn peaks 3. Heights begin packing near surface 4. Upper level waves reach tropopause & begin to break and reflect back down 5. Downslope windstorm ensues. 700mb Vertical Propagating Breaking Waves. Waves: Step 1 Mt Peaks Step 2 & 3 Develops Vertically

MEM September Severe Rotor turb Vertically propagating Breaking mountain wave Turbulence (+) Mountain top Stable layer 2 Layers of Focus Mtn Wave Fcst Procedures Model

MEM September Preflight Graphics A General Overview CAT & Mtn Waves

MEM September The Turbulence Plot Messages The Details - Continuous Updates Preflight Graphics - For Pilot & Dispatcher En Route Updates - For Dispatcher & Text for Pilot 8 Hazards Including Including Clear & Mtn Wave Turbc Dispatchers’ Tool ASD

MEM September The Turbulence Plot Messages Pilots’ Tool Web Wx

Conclusion

MEM September Safety & Efficiency Driven by Conditions at Airport & TAF - TAF Ceiling & Visibility: Require Fuel for an Alternate - Airport Congestion: Snow, Tstrms or Wind Velocity Driven by Conditions En Route - Air Traffic Mngmt & Congestion During Convection - Clear Air &Terrain Induced Turbce Avoidance - Convection Hazard Avoidance  Fuel Loading Decisions

Questions?