TOPTHERM TopTask TopTask Competition Modern meteorological forecasting tools for gliding activities

TOPTHERM The meteorological area forecast for gliding activities

Functions of TOPTHERM Calculation of convective development on the basis of the topography Allocation of a representative forecasted vertical sounding per Toptherm area Integration of surface temperature and dewpoint by using the values of the meteorological observation stations Integration of the forecasted daily changes of the MET conditions by using the outputs ot DWD’s 4- dimentional models (COSMO-EU)

Results of TOPTHERM Starting and ending of thermals Mean climb rate of a glider in mps Cloudiness (typ, coverage, extension) Special elements (showers, turbulence, cloud streets, wind) Hourly potential flight distance for a standard class glider

Proposal of the functionality of TOPTHERM

Task at 17 May

Barogram of the flight at 17 May

Analysis of the flight at 17 May

Analysis of the flight: Climb rate -> Speed Climb rate V z Z [m/s] V XC [km/h] ASH-25 Flight performance good normal bad

Till now there were only an analysis of the thermal conditions of a flight! But what we need is a forecast of these thermal conditions. We want to know, who and when which conditions can be expected and what will influence this thermals during the day! This forecast delivers TOPTHERM !

Model TOPTHERM –> V Z !

Model Toptherm: Calculation of the development of the vertical structure of temperature and humidity during the day

TOPO: Area coupling by valley winds Reduktion 3D –> 2D !

V Z Model Toptherm: daily development of V Z

TOPTHERM – mean climb rate for any area

TOPTHERM: Input parameter for the calculation of the potential flight distance Mean climb rate >0,4 mps in the Alps >0,8 mps minimum altitude of flights above the median height: Blue thermals: 900 m Cloud thermals: 700 m

TOPTHERM - clouds, precipitation and turbulence

V Z –> V XC –> PFD

TopTask The m eteorological flight route planning tool for soaring activities

Vision of glider pilots: Direct weather for long distance flights Look at a thermal map (PFD-Values!)... Selection of a flight task... Calculation of a flight plan... Adaptation of the task – and up in the air!

All these features are included in the TOPTHERM plannig tool TopTask

TopTask – the route planning tool for glider pilots Input parameter:  start and end of thermals  mean climb rate  tops of thermals or basis of cumulus clouds  wind in middle of the convective layer  type of glider  wing load

departure turnpoint 1 turnpoint 2 arrival PFD-chart with task

Which date are necessary for the calculation of the flight route? The climb rate for every area for the calculation of the potential flight distance (PFD) the upper wind in the main flight levels the topography

The Meteorology delivers: Regional climb rate V z plus PFD... Regional climb rate V z plus PFD... Synoptic wind... Synoptic wind... With these both basic data and the under layed topography the flight route plan for a distance flight can be calculated

Long distance Tasks as a polygon

Phases of flights: thermal flight with Cruising speed V XC (V Z ) climbing with V Z for more operation height gliding to thermals (poss. outlanding) final flight to destination

TopTask - Competition Further development of TopTask processing of tasks from pc_met, SeeYou and Strepla time optimized final flight with the forecasted meteorological climb rate

TopTask - Competition use for flight planning issues – finding of an optimal departure window – checking of several standard tasks for verification – comparison between flown route (IGC-file) with tasks planned with pc_met, SeeYou or Strepla

TopTask - Competition Program to support: the task setter to find the right tasks the pilots to find the best routes and the optimal departure window debriefings

TopTask Competition departure window with optimal departure time calculated barogram flown distance blue: mean flight progress red: calculated flight progress cumulus clouds

Comparison of TopTherm-results with real flights

During the Switzerland championships (May 2004) the all tasks were for the first time exclusively set with TopTherm by the tasksetter. After the championship a verification take place between the planned and the real flown tasks. Additional a comparison was made between same extra ordinary long distance flights of Mathias Schunk and the TopTherm results. Both results should be presented in the following pransparencies.

Task at 29 May

TopTask flight plan at 29 May

Course of flight at 29 May

Evaluated Tasks May RM SM 187 km 351 km 263 km 355 km509 km 461 km 328 km289 km 531 km

Speed forecast with TopTask

1000 km Weather [!!!] June June 2004

: 1000 km FAI 18m Class (Mathias Schunk) Increase of the meteorological glide ratio: 49 --> km/h

: 1000 km FAI Standardklasse (Mathias Schunk) Increase of the meteorological glide ratio: 44 --> km/h

Improvement of TOPTHERM in the years 2006 and 2007 Changing in the involvement of radiation parameters Correction in the involvement of the distribution of the vertical temperature and humidity. Adaptation of the areas, especially in the alps and the lower mountains (Hochschwarzwald/ Oberer Neckar/ Obere Donau) Changing of the boundary conditions – Optimisation in the involvement of model grid points and synoptic stations to the regional areas – Local reduction of the evaporation – Better correlation of minimum convection heights with the area conditions

……..Improvement of TOPTHERM 2007 and 2008 For the first time area related quantitative consideration of dynamical effects (cloud streets and hang winds) Extension of Toptherm into the whole European French area including the Pyrenees, into the western part of Poland (2007) and the whole Czech republic (2008) Further improvements of the forecast – Area optimisation (Austria and France) – Optimisation of heating and evaporation – Involvement of detour portion (8%) – Consideration of the “second day effect”

…und 2009 Java-based internet version of TOPTHERM and TopTask Start: AERO

Conclusion At gliding competitions and individual flights, the speed forecasted with TopTask is a very good first approximation for the estimation of the daily maximum speed GPS-based records of glider flights allow a detailed verification of the TOPTHERM-forecasts With TopTask a high quality tool is available which can be used for the planning of tasks for task setters and glider pilots