HistoryHistory of the of the

Global AMDAR ProgrammeGlobal AMDAR Programme

Frank GrootersChairman of the WMO AMDAR Panel

Mexico City AMDAR Workshop, 8-10 November 2011

Aircraft begin collecting weather observations in 1919

“MODERN” INSTRUMENTS FOR OBSERVING TEMPERATURE

Weather Balloons Replace Aircraft in the Early 1940s

Aircraft soundings were discontinued in the early 1940s with the advent of the radiosondes.

Aircraft Weather Data Regains Popularity in the 1960sThe use of modern navigation and

communication systems in the 1960s and 1970s sparked renewed interest in the use of aircraft to measure and report meteorological data.

AIRCRAFT to SATELLITE DATA RELAY

• Automated Weather Observations by aircraft was first used to relay wind and temperature data in support of the Global Weather Experiment FGGE* in 1978-1979• Observing system called

(prototype-) ASDAR (USA)• 17 Systems installed in commercial and military US aircraft; later only in commercial aircraft also outside USA (KLM, LH)

*First Global GARP Experiment

(Global Atmospheric Research Programme)

AIRCRAFT to SATELLITE DATA RELAY (2)

• Data communication via Meteorological Geostationairy Satellites (Meteosat, GOES)• Large and heavy equipment• Cost for extra fuel consumption (weight and antenna drag)

AIRCRAFT to SATELLITE DATA RELAY (3)

• 1982: 10 WMO Member States • 1991: ASDAR Second Generation• Data communication via Meteorological Geostationairy Satellites (Meteosat, GOES, GMS)• Smaller and lighter equipment• 23 Units; 6 airlines world wide• Cost for extra fuel consumption (weight and antenna drag)• Last ASDAR unit decommissioned in 2007 (Air Mauritius)

AIRCRAFT METEOROLOGICAL DATA RELAY

Australian Bureau of Meteorology: 1985 ANSETT, 1990 Qantas• MDCRS: US Airlines early 90’s (American, Delta, Northwest, United)•Europe: 1993 KLM, 1995 Air France, 1998 BA and SAS, 1999 Lufthansa, 2010 Finland

Modern aircraft: Flight Management Computer and ACARS (ARINC, SITA) Software-only solution for AMDAR

Mexico City AMDAR Workshop 9

Trigger Level 1

part 1 Ascent

part 2 Ascent

Trigger Level 2

Typically every 7-10 min

Level flight phase Descentpart 1

Descentpart 2

Ascent Part 1: 5 or 10 hPa intervals 3 to 20 second intervals (default 6)

for first 100 hPa for 30 to 200 seconds (default 90)

Pressure Based Triggering Time Based Triggering

Ascent Part 2: 25 or 50 hPa intervals 20 to 60 second intervals (default 20)

above first 100 hPa for 490 to 1050 seconds (default 510)

Enroute: 1 to 60 minute intervals (default 7)

Descent Part 1: 25 or 50 hPa intervals 20 to 300 second intervals (default 40)

from TOD to last 100 hPa from top of descent to surface.

WHAT DOES ASDAR/AMDAR PROVIDE?WHAT DOES ASDAR/AMDAR PROVIDE?

Mexico City AMDAR Workshop 10

Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR)

• The only additional requirement to make AMDAR work is special AMDAR software installed in the Aircraft Avionics

•Use of Aircraft Communications System (ACARS) and might be the only operational costing factor for AMDAR

• No new hardware is required on the aircraft (existing sensors)

TYPICAL AMDAR INSTALLATION

FITTED WITH EXISTING SENSORS

+ AVIONICS HARDWARE

+ AVIONICS SOFTWARE

+ ACARS COMMUNICATIONS

AMDAR SOFTWARE+

Evolution in Aircraft/AMDAR DataGrowth in AMDAR Data

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

1986

1990

1993

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007D

aily

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f R

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Courtesy NCEP

Courtesy WMO

AMDAR Observing SystemA few Statistics on the current AMDAR Network

• 9 National and Regional AMDAR Programmes

•Australia/New Zealand/Nw Caledonia, Canada, China, E-AMDAR, Hong Kong China, Japan, S. Korea, S. Africa, United States (MDCRS)

• 40 Airlines

• more than 2800 Aircraft

• between 350000 and 400000 observations daily (incl. TAMDAR)

Future AMDAR Development

• SOFTWARE

• ARINC620 update Meteorological Block

• Generic Software Specification for AMDAR

• Harmonized BUFR Template for Data Distribution (GTS)

• AMDAR Parameters

• Water Vapor

• Turbulence (EDR)

• Icing

•Data Mangement

• Quality Management Framework

• Meta Data

•Optimization

WMO Global AMDAR Programme Coordination•1998: WMO AMDAR Panel

• Terms of Reference

• Technical Coordinator

• WMO Member States

• Associated members; Observers

• AMDAR Panel Trust Fund (coordination and technical support)

• Sub-groups (STSG, TrOSG)

• Technical and Scientific Workshops

• Feed Back to Airlines

•2007: Restructuring WMO (Cg-15)

• Transfer from Aeronautical Meteorology to CBS

•Technical Coordinator in WMO

• AMDAR under WWW => WIGOS/WIS (Harmonisation, Standardisation)

• Expert Team on Aircraft Based Observations (ET-AIR)

• ET-AIR and AMDAR Panel jointly until transfer complete

Gracias por su atención

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FROM ASDAR TO AMDAR

AIRCRAFT METEOROLOGICAL DATA RELAY

• Modern aircraft: Flight Management Computer and ACARS (ARINC, SITA)• Software-only solution: AMDAR•Australian Bureau of Meteorology: 1985 ANSETT, 1990 Qantas• MDCRS: US Airlines early 90’s (American, Delta, Northwest, United)•Europe: 1993 KLM, 1995 Air France, 1998 BA and SAS, 1999 Lufthansa, 2010 Finland