Friends & Partners in Aviation Weather 2017 Fall Meeting

Members of the aviation weather community gather annually at NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) to discuss weather tools, share information on what works and discuss what can be expanded, improved or replaced. The following education sessions will address a wide variety of topics within aviation weather forecasting, reporting and technology.

Wednesday, October 11

Kickoff

1:00 p.m.

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenters: Bruce Carmichael, NCAR; John Kosak, NBAA; Heidi Williams, NBAA; Steve Brown, NBAA

FPAW History Review from Our Historian

1:15 – 1:30 p.m.

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenter: Warren Qualley, Southwest Airlines

Special Session on Big Data in Aviation Weather Applications: Crowd Sourcing, Automated Data from Aircraft, Down-Linking of Data Relevant to Weather

1:30 – 5:00 p.m. (To include a 15-minute break)

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenters: Steve Darr, Dynamic Aerospace Inc.; Ernie Dash, AvMet; Randy Bass, FAA; Bruce Holmes, Smartsky Networks; Matt Tucker, NATCA

The downlink of weather-relevant information from aircraft has evolved from a dream to reality. During this FPAW special session, the panel members will explore the current state of the art and the likely future directions of this technology. There will be discussion on future concepts enabled by broadband data link access and its impacts on commercial aviation, business aviation, general aviation and drones. The speakers will also present information on automated, near-real time reporting of aircraft-based observations contained in a new RTCA standard on Aeronautical Information and Meteorological Data Link Services. This session will include a stakeholder panel discussion on a wish list for future capabilities, and audience interaction and Q&A are encouraged.

Thursday, October 12

Cockpit Weather: Existing Capabilities vs. Future “Must Haves”

8:00 – 9:45 a.m.

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenters: Gary Pokodner, FAA; John McCarthy, Retired; Rune Duke, AOPA; John Uczekaj, Aspen Avionics; Mark Phaneuf, ALPA; NBAA Pilots, Weather Vendor Representatives.

Meteorological information is critical to the pilot in the cockpit for operational decision-making. This session will focus on the availability and utility of vendor supplied meteorological information in the cockpit. Beginning with a short description of capabilities currently available, the session will continue with a look at current requirements from the viewpoint of pilots. A discussion about the advantages of real-time weather for pilots vs. current practices will close out the session, which will include time for audience participation.

The focus of the discussion will be to gain perspective on what weather support technology is coming in the next five to 10 years based on each group’s (Part 121, industry, GA) perception of must-haves, wants, and research, and to provide some insight on how their must-haves were determined. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of where industry, research and users align and where further alignment is possible.

Break

9:45 – 10:15 a.m.

NextGen Weather User Forum

10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenters: Alfred Moosakhanian, FAA; John McCarthy, Retired; Le Jiang, IMSG; Wilson Carter, Gulfstream; Judith Reif, JR Flight Services; Matt Tucker, NATCA; Corporate Pilot;, Deborah Sutor, Association of Flight Attendants; Warren Qualley, Southwest Airlines;

This session will review developments in the NextGen Weather Program and application of NextGen weather information to flight operations, to include commercial and corporate aviation, dispatch and air traffic control, as well as cabin management safety from a flight attendant’s perspective. A panel discussion including representatives from the corporate and commercial aviation industry, flight attendant unions, airline dispatch and air traffic control will highlight unmet needs as well as recent developments.

Lunch

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Update on Weather Evaluation Team (WET) Activities in Support of Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) and Traffic Flow Management (TFM)/Update on Demonstration with NWS at the Atlanta TRACON

1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenters: Kevin Johnston, FAA; Kevin Stone, NWS

Representatives from FAA and NWS will provide feedback on the Traffic Flow Management Convective Forecast (TCF) for the 2017 convective season, as well as on a demonstration of on-site NWS meteorologist at the Atlanta TRACON from April through June of 2017. A question and answer session will provide aviation users an opportunity to interact with government representatives.

Break

2:15 – 2:30 p.m.

CONUS Area Forecast (FA) Transition

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenters: Kevin Johnston, FAA; Kevin Stone, NWS

Government representatives will provide feedback on the three-month transition period where flight service specialists and pilots used graphical and digital forecast products in preparation for the retirement of the legacy text CONUS FAs.

Break

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Status of Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA) and the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM)

3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N101/102

Presenters: Joshua Paurus,MSP Airport; Charles Enders,FAA; Tom Lahovski,FAA

Last fall, the FAA implemented the new Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA) procedures and the use of the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM) process for reporting the condition of runways during winter weather operations. This meant significant changes to flight crews and airport operators. This session will discuss the successes and failures of the first year of the new system, and look at changes implemented for the second year.