Jacques van Oene
July 20th 05, 04:08 AM
Elvia H. Thompson
Headquarters, Washington July 19, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1696)
Kathy Barnstorff
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
(Phone: 757/864-9886)
Kent Landers
Delta Air Lines, Atlanta
(Phone: 404/715-2554)
RELEASE: 05-190
NASA TECHNOLOGY HELPS SMOOTH BUMPY AIRLINE RIDES
Most airline passengers and flight crews have one thing in common: they
don't like turbulence. Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in
Hampton, Va., and AeroTech Research (USA), Inc., Newport News, Va., have
developed an automatic turbulence reporting system.
The Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) is being tested on more than 80
Delta Airlines passenger jets. Researchers say TAPS technology improves
aviation safety. When pilots know there's turbulence ahead, they can
maneuver to avoid it or ensure passengers and flight attendants are seated
and strapped in.
"TAPS automatically broadcasts turbulence encounter reports from aircraft
and allows other planes and people on the ground to use this information,"
said NASA's Turbulence Prediction and Warning Systems project manager, Jim
Watson. "Pilots describe turbulence encounters over their radios and by text
reports called Pilot Reports (PIREPS). They tend to under-report when they
encounter rough air, because they're busy trying to fly through or around
it," he added.
"TAPS provides real-time turbulence information that has never been
available," said Paul Robinson, President of AeroTech Research. "The beauty
of TAPS is, it is only software and uses equipment already on the aircraft,
making it inexpensive and easy to install."
Atmospheric turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to passengers and
flight crews in non-fatal airline accidents. Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) statistics show an average of 58 airline passengers are annually hurt
in U.S. turbulence incidents. Ninety eight percent of those injuries happen
because people don't have their seat belts fastened.
Turbulence encounters are hazardous, and they cost airlines money and time.
The encounters cause injuries, flight re-routing, late arrivals, additional
inspections and aircraft maintenance.
Delta Air Lines and ARINC, Annapolis, Md., have teamed with NASA and
AeroTech Research to evaluate TAPS. Since August 2004, the TAPS software has
been flying on more than 85 Delta Boeing 737-800, 767-300 and 767-400
aircraft.
TAPS' automatic, accurate and timely reporting of turbulence encounters is
almost immediately displayed on computers on the ground and received in the
cockpits of other aircraft. The system's processing of encounters takes into
account how various aircraft respond to turbulence. TAPS allows pilots to
see the reports for the area ahead of their aircraft; controllers to see
reports relative to air traffic and airline personnel to evaluate the impact
on their operations; all in real-time.
"From an airline standpoint, we see tremendous benefit from TAPS in
identifying areas of turbulence," said Bill Watts, the turbulence program
manager for Delta Air Lines. "In addition to its obvious safety benefits,
the system may potentially identify areas of airspace that would otherwise
be blocked from traffic because of the inadequate turbulence detection tools
that we possess today. TAPS gives us some much needed hard data that can
help us make better operational decisions."
The turbulence research was funded by the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate's Aviation Safety and Security Program in partnership with the
FAA, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and the Department of Homeland
Security.
For information about NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program on the
Web, visit:
http://avsp.larc.nasa.gov
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Headquarters, Washington July 19, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1696)
Kathy Barnstorff
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
(Phone: 757/864-9886)
Kent Landers
Delta Air Lines, Atlanta
(Phone: 404/715-2554)
RELEASE: 05-190
NASA TECHNOLOGY HELPS SMOOTH BUMPY AIRLINE RIDES
Most airline passengers and flight crews have one thing in common: they
don't like turbulence. Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in
Hampton, Va., and AeroTech Research (USA), Inc., Newport News, Va., have
developed an automatic turbulence reporting system.
The Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) is being tested on more than 80
Delta Airlines passenger jets. Researchers say TAPS technology improves
aviation safety. When pilots know there's turbulence ahead, they can
maneuver to avoid it or ensure passengers and flight attendants are seated
and strapped in.
"TAPS automatically broadcasts turbulence encounter reports from aircraft
and allows other planes and people on the ground to use this information,"
said NASA's Turbulence Prediction and Warning Systems project manager, Jim
Watson. "Pilots describe turbulence encounters over their radios and by text
reports called Pilot Reports (PIREPS). They tend to under-report when they
encounter rough air, because they're busy trying to fly through or around
it," he added.
"TAPS provides real-time turbulence information that has never been
available," said Paul Robinson, President of AeroTech Research. "The beauty
of TAPS is, it is only software and uses equipment already on the aircraft,
making it inexpensive and easy to install."
Atmospheric turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to passengers and
flight crews in non-fatal airline accidents. Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) statistics show an average of 58 airline passengers are annually hurt
in U.S. turbulence incidents. Ninety eight percent of those injuries happen
because people don't have their seat belts fastened.
Turbulence encounters are hazardous, and they cost airlines money and time.
The encounters cause injuries, flight re-routing, late arrivals, additional
inspections and aircraft maintenance.
Delta Air Lines and ARINC, Annapolis, Md., have teamed with NASA and
AeroTech Research to evaluate TAPS. Since August 2004, the TAPS software has
been flying on more than 85 Delta Boeing 737-800, 767-300 and 767-400
aircraft.
TAPS' automatic, accurate and timely reporting of turbulence encounters is
almost immediately displayed on computers on the ground and received in the
cockpits of other aircraft. The system's processing of encounters takes into
account how various aircraft respond to turbulence. TAPS allows pilots to
see the reports for the area ahead of their aircraft; controllers to see
reports relative to air traffic and airline personnel to evaluate the impact
on their operations; all in real-time.
"From an airline standpoint, we see tremendous benefit from TAPS in
identifying areas of turbulence," said Bill Watts, the turbulence program
manager for Delta Air Lines. "In addition to its obvious safety benefits,
the system may potentially identify areas of airspace that would otherwise
be blocked from traffic because of the inadequate turbulence detection tools
that we possess today. TAPS gives us some much needed hard data that can
help us make better operational decisions."
The turbulence research was funded by the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate's Aviation Safety and Security Program in partnership with the
FAA, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and the Department of Homeland
Security.
For information about NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program on the
Web, visit:
http://avsp.larc.nasa.gov
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info