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Atmosphere
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Weather and Aviation Safety
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Weather and Aviation Safety

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Meteorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2020) | Viewed by 46208

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Douglas Boyd

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Aeronautics, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University World Wide, 600 South Clyde Morris Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA
Interests: general aviation accidents; aviation safety; light aircraft; human factors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Thomas Guinn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Aviation, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 1 Aerospace Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA
Interests: aviation meteorology; general aviation weather education and training

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Weather directly affects every phase of flight and type of aviation operation, ranging from air carriers to general aviation. Weather hazards and wind patterns directly affect the safety and economic efficiency of air carriers, including both airfield and en-route operations. For general aviation (GA), the impacts are even greater. GA shows a poor safety record (>60 fold higher accident rate than air carriers [1]), with weather-related mishaps constituting the largest fraction of fatal accidents [2]. Notably, 72% of crashes involving unintended flight from visual to instrument meteorological conditions are fatal [2]. Importantly, the rate of GA weather-related fatal accidents shows little evidence of abating [2].  This lack of progress provides an opportunity for improving aviation weather forecast and analysis products, as well as better understanding the human factors related to proper interpretation/usage.  This special issue seeks papers encompassing all aspects of aviation meteorology, from advancements in aviation forecasting to improved product design and usage.  We also welcome papers looking forward and investigating the potential impacts of climate change on aviation operations.

  1. A Review of General Aviation Safety (1984-2017). Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 88:657-664, 2017.
  2. AOPA Air Safety Institute. 27th "Nall" Report (2017); General Aviation Accidents in 2015.

Dr. Douglas Boyd
Dr. Thomas Guinn 
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aviation
  • meteorology
  • weather
  • safety
  • climatology

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3506 KiB  
Article
Overview of Low-Level Wind Shear Characteristics over Chinese Mainland
by Caiyan Lin, Kaijun Zhang, Xintao Chen, Sheng Liang, Junjie Wu and Wei Zhang
Atmosphere 2021, 12(5), 628; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12050628 - 14 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2591
Abstract
The characteristics of low-level wind shear (LLWS) over the Chinese mainland were investigated using reports from pilots, air traffic controllers and the number of arriving/departing flights from 2016 to 2020. A preliminary analysis of the impact of the flights on the LLWS reports [...] Read more.
The characteristics of low-level wind shear (LLWS) over the Chinese mainland were investigated using reports from pilots, air traffic controllers and the number of arriving/departing flights from 2016 to 2020. A preliminary analysis of the impact of the flights on the LLWS reports was carried out, and the cause of LLWS was also investigated. LLWS reports from most airports indicate that LLWS is most likely to occur within 600 m AGL with a higher density below 300 m, but with some exceptions, as wind shear is reported at higher altitudes at some airports. Airports with a high frequency of LLWS reports are almost all located in or around regions with complex topography and in regions with prevailing weather conditions favorable to LLWS. The variation in overall LLWS reports displays a steady increase from 2016 to 2019 and a decrease from 2019 to 2020, consistent with the trend in the number of flights, but with no evidently similar trends for individual airports. Seasonal variations in LLWS reports are observed and demonstrate no notable impact caused by the number of flights, implying that the main cause is the monthly variation of weather conditions. Diurnal variation is also evident and largely associated with the variation in number of flights during the busy period in addition to weather conditions, such as common strong winds, in the afternoon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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18 pages, 3004 KiB  
Article
Severity-Mapped Vibrotactile Cues to Support Interruption Management with Weather Messaging in the General Aviation Cockpit
by Carolina Rodriguez-Paras, Johnathan T. McKenzie, Pasakorn Choterungruengkorn and Thomas K. Ferris
Atmosphere 2021, 12(3), 341; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12030341 - 06 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1523
Abstract
Despite the increasing availability of technologies that provide access to aviation weather information in the cockpit, weather remains a prominent contributor to general aviation (GA) accidents. Pilots fail to detect the presence of new weather information, misinterpret it, or otherwise fail to act [...] Read more.
Despite the increasing availability of technologies that provide access to aviation weather information in the cockpit, weather remains a prominent contributor to general aviation (GA) accidents. Pilots fail to detect the presence of new weather information, misinterpret it, or otherwise fail to act appropriately on it. When cognitive demands imposed by concurrent flight tasks are high, the risks increase for each of these failure modes. Previous research shows how introducing vibrotactile cues can help ease or redistribute some of these demands, but there is untapped potential in exploring how vibratory cues can facilitate “interruption management”, i.e., fitting the processing of available weather information into flight task workflow. In the current study, GA pilots flew a mountainous terrain scenario in a flight training device while receiving, processing, and acting on various weather information messages that were displayed visually, in graphical and text formats, on an experimental weather display. Half of the participants additionally received vibrotactile cues via a connected smartwatch with patterns that conveyed the “severity” of the message, allowing pilots to make informed decisions about when to fully attend to and process the message. Results indicate that weather messages were acknowledged more often and faster when accompanied by the vibrotactile cues, but the time after acknowledgment to fully process the messages was not significantly affected by vibrotactile cuing, nor was overall situation awareness. These findings illustrate that severity-encoded vibrotactile cues can support pilot awareness of updated weather as well as task management in processing weather messages while managing concurrent flight demands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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15 pages, 4680 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Display Type, Weather Type, and Pilot Experience on Pilot Interpretation of Weather Products
by Jayde M. King, Beth Blickensderfer, Thomas Guinn and John L. Kleber
Atmosphere 2021, 12(2), 143; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12020143 - 23 Jan 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2215
Abstract
The majority of general aviation (GA) accidents involving adverse weather result in fatalities. Considering the high weather-related fatality rate among GA flight operations, it is imperative to ensure that GA pilots of all experience levels can incorporate available weather information into their flight [...] Read more.
The majority of general aviation (GA) accidents involving adverse weather result in fatalities. Considering the high weather-related fatality rate among GA flight operations, it is imperative to ensure that GA pilots of all experience levels can incorporate available weather information into their flight planning. In the past decade, weather product development has incorporated increasing levels of automation, which has led to the generation of high-resolution, model-based aviation displays such as graphical turbulence guidance and current icing potential, which rival the resolution of radar and satellite imagery. This is in stark contrast to the traditional polygonal-based displays of aviation weather hazards (G-AIRMETs and SIGMETs). It is important to investigate the effects of these changes on the end user. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the interpretability of weather products for two areas of interest: display type (traditional polygons vs. model-based imagery) and type of weather phenomena (ceiling/visibility, turbulence, and icing), across a range of pilot experience levels. Two hundred and four participants completed a series of weather product interpretation questions. The results indicated significant effects of product display type, as well as significant effects of weather phenomena and pilot experience on product interpretation. Further investigation is needed to assess possible extraneous variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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22 pages, 3240 KiB  
Article
Assessment of TAF, METAR, and SPECI Reports Based on ICAO ANNEX 3 Regulation
by Josef Novotny, Karel Dejmal, Vladimir Repal, Martin Gera and David Sladek
Atmosphere 2021, 12(2), 138; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12020138 - 22 Jan 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4888
Abstract
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is one of the most prominent and widely accepted forecasting tools for flight planning. The reliability of this instrument is crucial for its practical applicability, and its quality may further affect the overall air transport safety and economic [...] Read more.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is one of the most prominent and widely accepted forecasting tools for flight planning. The reliability of this instrument is crucial for its practical applicability, and its quality may further affect the overall air transport safety and economic efficiency. The presented study seeks to objectify the assessment of the success rate of TAFs in the full breadth of their scope, unlike alternative approaches that typically analyze one selected element. It aspires to submit a complex survey on TAF realization in the context of ANNEX 3 (a regulation for Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)) defined methodology and to provoke a discussion on the clarification and completion of ANNEX 3. Moreover, the adherence of TAFs to ICAO ANNEX 3 (20th Edition) is examined and presented on the example of reports issued in the Czech Republic. The study evaluates the accuracy of TAF forecast verified by Aerodrome Routine Meteorological Report (METAR) and Special Meteorological Report (SPECI), whose quality was assessed first. The required accuracy of TAFs was achieved for most evaluated stations. A discrepancy in terms of formal structure between actually issued reports and the ANNEX 3 defined form was revealed in over 90% of reports. The study identifies ambiguities and contradictions contained in ANNEX 3 that lead to loose interpretations of its stipulations and complicate the objectification of TAF evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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13 pages, 5578 KiB  
Article
Low-Level Wind Shear Identification along the Glide Path at BCIA by the Pulsed Coherent Doppler Lidar
by Hongwei Zhang, Xiaoying Liu, Qichao Wang, Jianjun Zhang, Zhiqiang He, Xi Zhang, Rongzhong Li, Kailin Zhang, Junwu Tang and Songhua Wu
Atmosphere 2021, 12(1), 50; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12010050 - 31 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2827
Abstract
Low-level wind shear is usually to be a rapidly changing meteorological phenomenon that cannot be ignored in aviation security service by affecting the air speed of landing and take-off aircrafts. The lidar team in Ocean University of China (OUC) carried out the long [...] Read more.
Low-level wind shear is usually to be a rapidly changing meteorological phenomenon that cannot be ignored in aviation security service by affecting the air speed of landing and take-off aircrafts. The lidar team in Ocean University of China (OUC) carried out the long term particular researches on the low-level wind shear identification and regional wind shear inducement search at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) from 2015 to 2020 by operating several pulsed coherent Doppler lidar (PCDL) systems. On account of the improved glide path scanning strategy and virtual multiple wind anemometers based on the rang height indicator (RHI) modes, the small-scale meteorological phenomenon along the glide path and/or runway center line direction can be captured. In this paper, the device configuration, scanning strategies, and results of the observation data are proposed. The algorithms to identify the low-level wind shear based on the reconstructed headwind profiles data have been tested and proved based on the lidar data obtained from December 2018 to January 2019. High spatial resolution observation data at vertical direction are utilized to study the regional wind shear inducement at the 36L end of BCIA under strong northwest wind conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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15 pages, 5461 KiB  
Article
Observation of Aircraft Wake Vortex Evolution under Crosswind Conditions by Pulsed Coherent Doppler Lidar
by Xiaoying Liu, Xinyu Zhang, Xiaochun Zhai, Hongwei Zhang, Bingyi Liu and Songhua Wu
Atmosphere 2021, 12(1), 49; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12010049 - 31 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2382
Abstract
The observation and identification of wake vortex are considered important factors to reduce aviation accidents and increase airport capacity. In addition to aircraft parameters, the evolution process of the wake vortex is strongly related to atmospheric conditions, including crosswind, headwind, atmospheric turbulence, and [...] Read more.
The observation and identification of wake vortex are considered important factors to reduce aviation accidents and increase airport capacity. In addition to aircraft parameters, the evolution process of the wake vortex is strongly related to atmospheric conditions, including crosswind, headwind, atmospheric turbulence, and temperature stratification. Crosswind generally affects the wake vortex trajectories by transporting them to the downwind direction. Additionally, the circulation attenuation of wake vortex is also influenced by crosswind shear or turbulence related to crosswind. This paper implemented the range height indicator (RHI) scanning mode of pulsed coherent Doppler lidar (PCDL) to study the influence of crosswind on wake vortex evolution. The crosswind was obtained from the non-wake vortex regions of the RHI sectors. The method, based on the measurements of radial velocity and spectrum with the broadening feature, was performed to locate wake vortex cores. The wake vortex trajectories with various crosswind strengths were comprehensively analyzed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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10 pages, 3428 KiB  
Article
In Situ Measurements of Cirrus Clouds on a Global Scale
by Gary Lloyd, Martin Gallagher, Thomas Choularton, Martina Krämer, Petzold Andreas and Darrel Baumgardner
Atmosphere 2021, 12(1), 41; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12010041 - 30 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2356
Abstract
Observations of high-altitude cirrus clouds are reported from measurements made during the routine monitoring of cloud properties on commercial aircraft as part of the In-Service Aircraft for a Global Observing System. The increasing global scale of the measurements is revealed, with 7 years [...] Read more.
Observations of high-altitude cirrus clouds are reported from measurements made during the routine monitoring of cloud properties on commercial aircraft as part of the In-Service Aircraft for a Global Observing System. The increasing global scale of the measurements is revealed, with 7 years of in situ data producing a unique and rapidly growing dataset. We find that cloud fractions measured ≥ 10 km at aircraft cruise altitude are representative of seasonal trends associated with the mid-latitude jet stream in the Northern Hemisphere, and the relatively higher cloud fractions are found in tropical regions such as the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and South East Asia. Both stratospheric and tropospheric data were used to calculate the cloud fractions routinely experienced by commercial aircraft. Further work is needed for a direct comparison with previous studies that limit cloud fraction calculations to tropospheric data only. The characteristics of these clouds are discussed and the potential different formation mechanisms in different regions assessed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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14 pages, 2106 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Satellite Sounding Temperature Observations for Cold Air Aloft Detection
by Rebekah Esmaili, Nadia Smith, Mark Schoeberl and Chris Barnet
Atmosphere 2020, 11(12), 1360; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11121360 - 15 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1877
Abstract
Cold Air Aloft (CAA) can impact commercial flights when cold air descends below 12,192 m (40,000 ft) and temperatures drop dramatically. A CAA event is identified when air temperature falls below −65 °C, which decreases fuel efficiency and poses a safety hazard. This [...] Read more.
Cold Air Aloft (CAA) can impact commercial flights when cold air descends below 12,192 m (40,000 ft) and temperatures drop dramatically. A CAA event is identified when air temperature falls below −65 °C, which decreases fuel efficiency and poses a safety hazard. This manuscript assesses the performance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) in detecting CAA events using sounders on polar-orbiting satellites. We compare NUCAPS air temperature profiles with those from Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) for January–March 2018. Of 1311 collocated profiles, 236 detected CAA. Our results showed that NUCAPS correctly detects CAA in 48.1% of profiles, while 17.2% are false positives and 34.7% are false negatives. To identify the reason for these detection states, we used a logistic regression trained on NUCAPS diagnostic parameters. We found that cloud cover can impact the skill even at higher vertical levels. This work indicates that a CAA-specific quality flag is feasible and may be useful to help forecasters to diagnose NUCAPS in real-time. Furthermore, the inclusion of an additional sounder data source (e.g., NOAA-20) may increase CAA forecast accuracy. Cloud scenes change rapidly, so additional observations provide more opportunities for correct detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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14 pages, 6062 KiB  
Article
Impact of Lidar Data Assimilation on Low-Level Wind Shear Simulation at Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport, China: A Case Study
by Lanqian Li, Ningjing Xie, Longyan Fu, Kaijun Zhang, Aimei Shao, Yi Yang and Xuwei Ren
Atmosphere 2020, 11(12), 1342; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11121342 - 11 Dec 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2343
Abstract
Doppler wind lidar has played an important role in alerting low-level wind shear (LLW). However, these high-resolution observations are underused in the model-based analysis and forecasting of LLW. In this regard, we employed the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and its three-dimensional [...] Read more.
Doppler wind lidar has played an important role in alerting low-level wind shear (LLW). However, these high-resolution observations are underused in the model-based analysis and forecasting of LLW. In this regard, we employed the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and its three-dimensional variational (3D-VAR) system to investigate the impact of lidar data assimilation (DA) on LLW simulations. Eight experiments (including six assimilation experiments) were designed for an LLW process as reported by pilots, in which different assimilation intervals, assimilation timespans, and model vertical resolutions were examined. Verified against observations from Doppler wind lidar and an automated weather observing system (AWOS), the introduction of lidar data is helpful for describing the LLW event, which can represent the temporal and spatial features of LLW, whereas experiments without lidar DA have no ability to capture LLW. While lidar DA has an obviously positive role in simulating LLW in the 10–20 min after the assimilation time, this advantage cannot be maintained over a longer time. Therefore, a smaller assimilation interval is favorable for improving the simulated effect of LLW. In addition, increasing the vertical resolution does not evidently improve the experimental results, either with or without assimilation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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26 pages, 12025 KiB  
Article
Air-Traffic Restrictions at the Madeira International Airport Due to Adverse Winds: Links to Synoptic-Scale Patterns and Orographic Effects
by Margarida Belo-Pereira and João A. Santos
Atmosphere 2020, 11(11), 1257; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11111257 - 22 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3072
Abstract
The Madeira International Airport (MIA) lies on the island’s south-eastern coast and it is known to be exposed to wind hazards. A link between these adverse winds at MIA and the synoptic-scale circulation is established using a weather type (WT) classification. From April [...] Read more.
The Madeira International Airport (MIA) lies on the island’s south-eastern coast and it is known to be exposed to wind hazards. A link between these adverse winds at MIA and the synoptic-scale circulation is established using a weather type (WT) classification. From April to September (summer period), five WTs prevail, cumulatively representing nearly 70% of days. These WTs reflect the presence of well-established Azores high, with some variations on location and strength. Although with a low frequency of occurrence (<5%), this anticyclone occasionally strengthens and extends towards Iberia, inducing anomalously strong NNE/NE up to 3–5 km over Madeira. The most severe and longer-lasting wind conditions at the MIA, with a higher frequency of gusts above 35 kt, are driven by this synoptic-scale pattern and are more common in summer. An episode of adverse winds at the MIA is analysed, illustrating the occurrence of upstream stagnation, flow splitting, and lee wake formation. The upstream conditions include a low-level inversion, strong NNE/NE winds near and above the inversion and a Froude number less than 1. The AROME (Application of Research to Operations at Mesoscale) model predicted the occurrence of downslope winds, in association with a large-amplitude mountain wave. At this time, the strongest wind gusts were registered and one aircraft executed a missed approach. The wind regime in different places of the island suggests that these conditions are relatively frequent, mostly in summer. Finally, objective verification of AROME wind forecast, for a three-year period and from June to August, is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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20 pages, 3587 KiB  
Article
Acceleration-Based In Situ Eddy Dissipation Rate Estimation with Flight Data
by Zhenxing Gao, Haofeng Wang, Kai Qi, Zhiwei Xiang and Debao Wang
Atmosphere 2020, 11(11), 1247; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11111247 - 19 Nov 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2405
Abstract
Inducing civil aviation aircraft to bumpiness, atmospheric turbulence is a typical risk that seriously threatens flight safety. The Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR) value, as an aircraft-independent turbulence severity indicator, is estimated by a vertical wind-based or aircraft vertical acceleration-based algorithm. Based on the [...] Read more.
Inducing civil aviation aircraft to bumpiness, atmospheric turbulence is a typical risk that seriously threatens flight safety. The Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR) value, as an aircraft-independent turbulence severity indicator, is estimated by a vertical wind-based or aircraft vertical acceleration-based algorithm. Based on the flight data of civil aviation aircraft, the vertical turbulence component is obtained as the input of both algorithms. A new method of computing vertical acceleration response in turbulence is put forward through the Unsteady Vortex Lattice Method (UVLM). The lifting surface of the target aircraft is assumed to be a combination of wing and horizontal tail in a turbulent flight scenario. Vortex rings are assigned on the mean camber surface, forming a non-planar UVLM, to further improve the accuracy. Moreover, the neighboring vortex lattices are placed as close as possible to the structural edge of control surfaces. Thereby, a complete algorithm for estimating vertical acceleration and in situ EDR value from Quick Access Recorder (QAR) flight data is proposed. Experiments show that the aerodynamic performance is computed accurately by non-planar UVLM. The acceleration response by non-planar UVLM is able to track the recorded acceleration data with higher accuracy than that of the linear model. Different acceleration responses at different locations are also obtained. Furthermore, because the adverse effects of aircraft maneuvers are separated from turbulence-induced aircraft bumpiness, the new acceleration-based EDR algorithm shows better accuracy and stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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19 pages, 6236 KiB  
Article
An Analysis of Fog in the Mainland Portuguese International Airports
by Pedro M. P. Guerreiro, Pedro M. M. Soares, Rita M. Cardoso and Alexandre M. Ramos
Atmosphere 2020, 11(11), 1239; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11111239 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2672
Abstract
An analysis of 17 years of half-hourly aeronautic observations (METAR) and special observations (SPECI) in the three international airports of mainland Portugal indicates strong variations in fog properties. Fog is a rare event at Faro, a winter phenomenon in Lisbon and mainly a [...] Read more.
An analysis of 17 years of half-hourly aeronautic observations (METAR) and special observations (SPECI) in the three international airports of mainland Portugal indicates strong variations in fog properties. Fog is a rare event at Faro, a winter phenomenon in Lisbon and mainly a summer process at Porto. At both Lisbon and Porto, fog is favoured by specific synoptic circulations, here classified into a set of weather types, compatible with the strict requirements of fog formation. At the same time, however, a detailed analysis of the distribution of fog, and the classification of its onset processes, reveal a crucial dependence on local wind. This suggests that the advection of moist air from nearby sources, from the Tagus estuary at Lisbon and from the ocean at Porto, is the dominant process at both locations, despite the large differences found in the timing of those fog processes. The observational data (METAR) prior to the fog formation is used to classify the fog generation mechanism for 96.9% of the fog events at Porto, and 98.9% at Lisbon. Among the five fog types identified using a classification algorithm, cloud base lowering is the most common one at both locations, gathering half of the classified fog events, followed by advection, precipitation, and radiation. No fog event of the evaporation type was detected at both airports. The analysis of the observed horizontal visibility during the fog events revealed that cloud base lowering and radiation fog are the most intense events. The median of the minimum horizontal visibility of these two types of fog varies between 150 and 250 m, as the average ranges between 217.8 and 312.9 m. The study results have revealed a promising prefog diagnosis tool to be explored in detail in further operational context studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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7 pages, 521 KiB  
Article
Helicopter Pilots Encountering Fog: An Analysis of 109 Accidents from 1992 to 2016
by Alex de Voogt, Hilary Kalagher and Andrew Diamond
Atmosphere 2020, 11(9), 994; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11090994 - 17 Sep 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2371
Abstract
Helicopters have the ability to make maneuvers or precautionary off-airport landings to avoid flights into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) such as fog. Flight accidents in which fog was encountered as well as inadvertent and intentional flights into fog were examined to understand their [...] Read more.
Helicopters have the ability to make maneuvers or precautionary off-airport landings to avoid flights into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) such as fog. Flight accidents in which fog was encountered as well as inadvertent and intentional flights into fog were examined to understand their occurrence. A 25-year period in the United States using the National Transportation Safety Board online database was used to collect 109 accident reports of which 73 (67%) were fatal. Pilots flying intentionally into IMC were more likely to be a part of a fatal accident than those who did so inadvertently. Those pilots who were reported as being under pressure when encountering fog conditions were also more likely to be in an accident. The findings confirm a high prevalence and an added danger to intentional flights into IMC. In addition, decision-making under pressure when encountering IMC conditions is now linked to a higher proportion of fatalities, emphasizing that helicopter pilots should be made aware of these specific decision-making circumstances in their operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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17 pages, 10401 KiB  
Article
The Distribution of Aircraft Icing Accretion in China—Preliminary Study
by Jinhu Wang, Binze Xie and Jiahan Cai
Atmosphere 2020, 11(8), 876; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11080876 - 18 Aug 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3129
Abstract
The icing environment is an important threat to aircraft flight safety. In this work, the icing index is calculated using linear interpolation and based on temperature and relative humidity (RH) curves obtained from radiosonde observations in China. The results show that: (1) there [...] Read more.
The icing environment is an important threat to aircraft flight safety. In this work, the icing index is calculated using linear interpolation and based on temperature and relative humidity (RH) curves obtained from radiosonde observations in China. The results show that: (1) there are obvious differences in icing index distribution in parameter over various climatic regions of China. The differences are reflected in duration, main altitude, and ice intensity. The reason for the differences is related to the temperature and humidity environment. (2) Before and after the summer rainfall process, there are obvious changes in the ice accretion index in the 4–6 km altitude area of Northeast China, and the areas with serious ice accretion are coincident with areas with large rainfall estimates. (3) In the process of snowfall in winter, the ground snow has an impact on the ice accumulation index in the east of China. When it is snowing, ice accumulation in low altitudes is serious. The results of this study offer a theoretical basis for prediction and early warning of aircraft icing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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Review

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31 pages, 2404 KiB  
Review
Radiation in the Atmosphere—A Hazard to Aviation Safety?
by Matthias M. Meier, Kyle Copeland, Klara E. J. Klöble, Daniel Matthiä, Mona C. Plettenberg, Kai Schennetten, Michael Wirtz and Christine E. Hellweg
Atmosphere 2020, 11(12), 1358; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11121358 - 14 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6880
Abstract
Exposure of aircrew to cosmic radiation has been recognized as an occupational health risk for several decades. Based on the recommendations by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), many countries and their aviation authorities, respectively have either stipulated legal radiation protection regulations, [...] Read more.
Exposure of aircrew to cosmic radiation has been recognized as an occupational health risk for several decades. Based on the recommendations by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), many countries and their aviation authorities, respectively have either stipulated legal radiation protection regulations, e.g., in the European Union or issued corresponding advisory circulars, e.g., in the United States of America. Additional sources of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, e.g., due to weather phenomena have been identified and discussed in the scientific literature in recent years. This article gives an overview of the different generally recognized sources due to weather as well as space weather phenomena that contribute to radiation exposure in the atmosphere and the associated radiation effects that might pose a risk to aviation safety at large, including effects on human health and avionics. Furthermore, potential mitigation measures for several radiation sources and the prerequisites for their use are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weather and Aviation Safety)
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