1 Introduction
Flight Hazard Forecasting Configuration
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 5 minutes to complete.
2 Detailed Explanation
Flight Hazard Forecasting Configuration
This module showcases the various methods employed when configuring the Flight Hazard Forecast Settings.
These settings include:
■ Airline Code Parameters
■ Aircraft Characteristics
■ PLAN UI.
Airline
Code Parameters
FHF Configuration
The primary
settings for Flight Hazard Forecasting are located in the
Airline Code Parameters interface.
The settings in
Airline Code Parameters will apply to all flights actioned under
that ALC, unless there are more specific settings, which will
supersede the Airline Code Parameters.
For example, if
a Severe Turbulence threshold is established in the Airline Code
Parameters, a threshold attributed to a specific aircraft, via Aircraft
Characteristics, will supersede the Airline Code Parameter
setting.
Click
the Airline Code Parameters hyperlink.
To begin the configuration, we must first access Airline Code Parameters and find the appropriate field.
Click
the Weather & Notam menu
item.
Click
the Edit button.
Click
the Wind Source dropdown
button.
Available Wind
Source options are UKM, NWS, and TEL.
UKM, equates to
UK Met Office winds.
NWS, equates to
National Weather Service winds.
The TEL option
combines global Flight Hazard data with the NWS wind data.
Click
the TEL list
item.
Click
the Default Hazard Source dropdown
button.
The Flight Hazard
Data associated with the TEL Wind Source is connected to the
GRIB import, which is done 4-times-daily.
N-FP also offers hourly
updates of a more granular hazard model for North America,
resulting in more accurate hazard data for flight planning.
Selection of a
hazard model will be triggered by the "Hazard Source" field
within the UI. The available options will be NONE, TEL, and DTN.
■ The "TEL" option will include the hazard data, communicated as part of the global GRIB, updated four times daily.
■ The "DTN" option will include the new hourly hazard data, valid for North America Only.
■ If the DTN option is selected, and the flight operates beyond North America, the base "TEL" hazard data will be considered.
■ If "NONE" is selected, the system will fall back to the Wind Source selection, where TEL will provide the existing GRIB based hazard data.
■ NWS and UKM Wind Source will not provide any hazard data to the system.
Click
the DTN list
item.
Click
the Turbulence EDR threshold input
field.
N-FP allows for
configuration of Hazard Thresholds, which are the values used to
identify required avoidance.
Additional
values exist for turbulence, to identify Light/Moderate/Severe
values, but these do not trigger avoidance.
Once the
"threshold" values are configured, the system can begin
automatic avoidance of the hazards.
The YES/NO drop
downs, for avoidance of each specific hazard, control whether the
system will automatically avoid these hazards by default.
Enter 0.4 into
the Turbulence EDR threshold field.
Click
the Avoid Turbulence dropdown
button.
Click
the Yes list
item.
By selecting "YES",
this configuration instructs the system to automatically avoid
Turbulence with an EDR of 0.4 or greater.
The avoidance
can be deselected in the Plan UI on a flight-by-flight basis.
Aircraft
Characteristics
FHF Configuration
The Aircraft
Characteristics interface allows for Flight Hazard Forecasting
settings for a specific aircraft.
The setting in
Aircraft Characteristics will supersede the Airline Code
Parameters configuration.
For example, if
a Severe Turbulence threshold is established in the Airline Code
Parameters, a threshold attributed to a specific aircraft, via Aircraft
Characteristics, will supersede the Airline Code Parameter
setting.
Click
the Aircraft Characteristics hyperlink.
Click
the Performance tab.
Click
the Avoid Turb EDR input
field.
Note that the option for default avoidance does not exist at the Aircraft setting level. That setting is made at the ALC level only.
Enter 0.20 into
the Avoid Turb EDR field.
Click
the Save button.
The new value, "0.20" will instruct the system that the turbulence threshold for this specific aircraft is 0.20. When avoidance is requested, the threshold for this aircraft will be significantly lower than the setting we entered in the Airline Code Parameters.
PLAN
UI
FHF Configuration
The PLAN UI allows
for final determination of Flight Hazard Forecasting on a
flight-by-flight basis.
Plan does not
have configurations for the FHF thresholds, but
does provide the ability
to turn avoidance on and off.
The Route
Builder also has these avoidance options, allowing for the
avoidance information to be integrated directly into the route
building process.
Click
the Route >> button.
Click
the Avoid Turb check
box.
Click
the Route menu
item.
Click
the New button.
Click
the Avoid turbulence check
box.
Click
the Generate button.
Click
the Apply button.