Challenge
Pilots often face the challenge that the weather can change abruptly during a flight. This can lead to severe turbulence, which can endanger people and equipment. For pilots, it is sometimes difficult to recognize convective activity, because of the limitations of the on-board radar and the fact that conventional weather forecasts cannot predict the exact location and time of the occurrence of convection.
Solution
The company WxFUSION offers a solution with their Cb-global product. Cb-global uses satellite and lightning data to detect thunderstorms and convectively induced turbulence in near real-time and provides a forecast up to one hour based on these observations. This method is referred to as nowcasting and provides valuable information about the weather hazards beyond the limited view of the on-board radar and with high accuracy with regard to the hazard’s time of occurrence, location, and development.
Key features of Cb-global include:
- Early Warning: Cb-global provides a situational overview of thunderstorm and convective turbulence activity in real-time and informs pilots of significant thunderstorm and turbulence activity already 45 minutes beforehand. This information allows the pilots to take proactive measures.
- Detailed Real-Time Information: Continuous updates every ten minutes give pilots an accurate picture of the dynamic and rapidly changing convective cells along their flight route.
- Better Decision-Making: For example – with information from Cb-global, pilots can turn on the seatbelt signs in time or choose alternative routes to avoid turbulent areas.
Result
Cb-global can significantly reduce the risks posed by abrupt weather changes. Cb-global provides weather hazard analyses and nowcasts in real time with details that cannot be forecasted with traditional weather forecasting models. Its advanced technology offers the ability to accurately monitor and predict dangerous and dynamic convective weather conditions. This can greatly improve aviation safety by enabling pilots to decide on proactive measures in time.
Watch out: Cb-global will be soon part of Logipad EFB
Cb-global will soon be integrated into Logipad EFB, enhancing its capabilities with real-time weather information. This integration will provide pilots with timely alerts and detailed convective turbulence and thunderstorm nowcasts directly within their electronic flight bag. By combining advanced weather nowcasts with flight planning tools, Logipad EFB aims to significantly improve flight safety and operational efficiency.
