Introduction 

Flight Hazard Forecasting Route Building Functions 

Description of the functions of DTN Flight Hazard Forecasting, and how the N-FP system integrates with that information. 

We estimate that this will take 4 minutes to complete.

Detailed Explanation 

Flight Hazard Forecasting Route Functions

The Flight Hazard Forecasting functionality within N-Flight Planning is integrated with our route building options. This allows the system to automatically avoid hazards based on user settings.

In this module, we review those settings, and demonstrate the automatic avoidance. We demonstrate this using the Storm Hazard, but the functions are the same for all three hazards.

This demo environment is configured to automatically generate an optimum route when no saved routes exist.

In this case, the automatically generated route is not considering any hazards.

Reference the route to the left, and note that the optimum route crosses a forecast thunderstorm hazard.

Click the Route menu item.

To generate a route that avoids the hazard, we will access the route builder.

Click the New button.

Select the "Avoid thunder storms" check box to generate a route avoiding the hazard.

Click the Avoid thunder storms check box.

Click the Generate button.

Note: the newly generated route (blue) automatically avoids the storm hazard.

Click the Apply button.

Right-click: Storm.

Click the Storm list item.

When triggered by a Right Click, the map provides the information for the hazards.

Storm avoidance is based upon Vertical Velocity threshold.

Clear this flight, and we will review the settings which will allow for automatic hazard avoidance by default.

Click the Clear button.

As noted in the Flight Hazard Forecast Configuration module, the settings for default avoidance are located in the Airline Code Parameters.

Click the Maintenance menu item.

Click the Airline Code Parameters hyperlink.

Click the Weather & Notam tab.

Click the Edit button.

The "Max thunderstorm vertical velocity" field sets the threshold for storm avoidance. The system will automatically try to avoid any areas of forecast vertical wind velocity higher than this value. 

Click the Avoid Thunderstorms dropdown button.

The Yes, or No dropdowns for Avoidance instruct the system whether, or not avoidance should be done by default.

Click the Yes list item.

Click the Save button.

Now that the default has been set, click the CYDP-KORD flight, and the optimized route generated by the system will automatically avoid storms.

Click the CYDP to KORD list item.

Click the Plan menu item.

Note that the route displayed is the "Opt" route, signifying it as the automatic optimized route run when no saved routes exist.

As you can see, route automatically avoided the storms by default.

 Expand the Route Group for more information.

Click the Route >> button.

Note: The Avoid Storm (Storm Avoidance) is automatically checked.