The December Flight International article entitled "MultiScan will help Airbus pilots avoid weather hazards" discusses the recent certification of Rockwell Collins' hazard weather detection system on the A320, A330 and A340.  This now enables Rockwell Collins to install the advanced Multiscan functions on single- and twin- aisle Airbus aircraft.  The article also discusses that AeroTech's Enhanced Turbulence Detection Algorithms are being evaluated as a 2007-8 upgrade to the WXR-2100 Multiscan Radar.  The Enhanced Turbulence Detection Algorithms will increase Pilots' situational awareness of the turbulence hazards to their aircraft. 

AeroTech Research announces the award of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract from NASA to develop an integrated turbulence hazard decision aid for cockpits.    Aircraft encounters with turbulence are the leading cause of injuries in the airline industry and result in significant human, operational, and maintenance costs to the airline community each year. During this Phase II contract, AeroTech will develop a prototype of the integrated, graphical turbulence hazard decision aid and evaluate it in both a PC simulation and a flight simulator using commercial airline pilots.   With better knowledge of the turbulence hazards' severity and location, pilots will be able to either avoid turbulence encounters or prepare for them by having all occupants seated with seatbelts on, thereby avoiding injuries.

The recently released FAA Advisory Circular AC 120-88 entitled "Preventing Injuries Caused By Turbulence" clearly recognizes the value of real-time turbulence information to airlines' efforts to avoid turbulence and prevent cabin injuries.   The Advisory Circular goes on to state that an automated turbulence reporting system is a promising way to capture and convey this real-time turbulence information.   The Advisory Circular recommends that air carriers “commit to the installation of the Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS)” and that air carriers should support implementation of emerging technologies by retrofitting “current predictive wind shear equipped aircraft with enhanced turbulence detection radar” and by considering “graphical onboard turbulence display systems”.   AeroTech’s Enhanced Turbulence Radar algorithms and TAPS are ready to provide pilots, dispatchers, and other flight operations personnel the real-time turbulence information they need to make decisions regarding turbulence avoidance and to assist in the prevention of cabin injuries.

AeroTech's TAPS and Enhanced Turbulence (E-Turb) radar technologies are the subject of a just released Flight International article entitled "How real-time weather data can help."  The article describes the technologies, the current evaluation with Delta Air Lines, and the future dates when the TAPS and E-Turb products will be available.  For more information on TAPS and E-Turb click these links.

As part of the TAPS evaluation under the NASA Turbulence Prediction and Warning System (TPAWS) program, the Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) algorithms have now been installed on over 100 Delta Air Lines aircraft.  This includes 71 B-737-800s, 20 B-767-300s, and 14 B-767-400s.  TAPS reports are being transmitted by these aircraft and are being graphically displayed on an evaluation ground station.  For more information on TAPS, click here or contact AeroTech at (757) 723-1300.

NASA Langley Research Center has issued News Release 05-190 on the development of the Turbulence Auto PIREP System (TAPS) by AeroTech under the NASA Turbulence Prediction and Warning Systems (TPAWS) element of the Aviation Safety and Security Program (AvSSP).  The article provides a brief description of the problem, of how TAPS works to improve pilots awareness of turbulence, and of the testing being done on over 80 Delta Air Lines aircraft.   It also contains some testimonials on the benfits of TAPS for the airlines and aviation.  For more information on TAPS, click here.

AeroTech Research announces the award of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract from NASA to develop a real-time turbulence hazard cockpit display.    Aircraft encounters with turbulence are the leading cause of injuries in the airline industry and result in significant human, operational, and maintenance costs to the airline community each year. During this Phase I contract, AeroTech will investigate the feasibility of developing an integrated, graphical cockpit display of turbulence hazard information scaled to the specific aircraft.    With better knowledge of the turbulence hazards' severity and location, pilots will be able to either avoid turbulence encounters or prepare for them by having all occupants seated with seatbelts on, thereby avoiding injuries.

AeroTech is an acknowledged leader in the field of turbulence detection for airliners. AeroTech is currently evaluating its turbulence detection technologies on Delta Air Lines aircraft with ARINC, Rockwell Collins and NASA.

The Internet Science and Technology Fair (ISTF), part of the University of Central Florida, challenges students to use information technology tools to discover and explore the future of science and engineering; provides science, math and computer teachers with a means to integrate the Internet and research methods into their curriculum; and offers scientists and engineers working within corporations, federal/state agencies and academic research centers an opportunity to invest their time on-line as technical advisors who become "digital mentors."

AeroTech Research was selected by Team 901 from Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, to participate as their Technical Mentor for their project entitled "Have a Coke Your Whole Flight ...". The Team's approach will focus on turbulence prediction and control for commercial flights, a National Critical Technology previously identified by the White House Office of Science and Technology. Team 901, with AeroTech's guidance, will work on developing ways to avoid turbulence encounters and/or mitigate them to create a smoother flight for the flight crew, passengers, and cargo.

NASA Langley Research Center has issued News Release 04-035 announcing the upcoming operational evaluation of the Enhanced Turbulence Mode Radar on a Delta B737-800 aircraft.  The article provides a brief look into the Enhanced Turbulence Mode Radar project and its operational evaluation under the NASA Turbulence Prediction and Warning Systems (TPAWS) program.  The online news release also has some background on the early development of the system and a nice Quicktime movie showing early flights of the system on the NASA B757-200 ARIES Research aircraft.  For more information on the Enhanced Turbulence Mode Radar project, click here.

On May 1, AeroTech officially opened the doors at its new office at 11836 Fishing Point Drive, Newport News, Virginia. The office located in the Oyster Point section of Newport News offers ATR a greater expansion capability and places it in the heart of the Newport News business district.

AeroTech, under the NASA Turbulence Prediction and Warning Systems (TPAWS) program, has been funded to evaluate their Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) on commercial aircraft.  Delta Air Lines has agreed to provide the aircraft for the evaluation.  Over the next year, the TAPS system will be installed and evaluated on seventy-one (71) B-737-800 Delta aircraft.  To learn more about the project, click here.

AeroTech, under the NASA Turbulence Prediction and Warning Systems (TPAWS) program, has formed a government/industry team to develop and evaluate an enhanced turbulence radar.   Rockwell Collins has agreed to integrate AeroTech's turbulence hazard algorithms into one of their Multiscan® radars and Delta Air Lines has agreed to install the enhanced radar on one of their B-737-800s.   The enhanced turbulence radar will be used and evaluated in revenue service for 9-12 months.   To learn more about the project, click here.

"Tracking Down Turbulence" - discusses the efforts of the NASA Turbulence Prediction and Warning System (TPAWS) team, of which AeroTech is a key member, to develop and test an enhanced turbulence detection radar for commercial aircraft that is capable of detecting "severe storm-related and clear-air turbulence 30 seconds to two minutes before an encounter."

Working with a team of experts, AeroTech's engineers developed turbulence detection technologies that will significantly improve aviation safety, and reduce the turbulence accident rate. These technologies were based on radar and in situ measurements.