History of the Global AMDAR Programme Frank Grooters Chairman 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 1960s The 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 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 Workshop9 Trigger Level 1 part 1 Ascent part 2 Ascent Trigger Level 2 Typically every 7-10 min Level flight phaseDescent part 1 Descent part 2 Ascent Part 1: 5 or 10 hPa intervals3 to 20 second intervals (default 6) for first 100 hPafor 30 to 200 seconds (default 90) Pressure Based Triggering Time Based Triggering Ascent Part 2: 25 or 50 hPa intervals20 to 60 second intervals (default 20) above first 100 hPafor 490 to 1050 seconds (default 510) Enroute: 1 to 60 minute intervals (default 7) Descent Part 1: 25 or 50 hPa intervals20 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 Workshop10 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 Data Courtesy NCEP Courtesy WMO

AMDAR Observing System A 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 and 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

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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