AMERICANWAY

Gearhead Courtesy Ames ImAgIng LIbrAry system I If crystal balls really could predict the future, there would be one in every airliner cockpit and on the desk of every airplane dis- patcher. Storms are the number one cause for delays in air travel, but it's not good enough to know where the foul weather is right now. Airline personnel need to know where storms will develop so airplanes can avoid them. Fortunately for pilots and passengers, new technologies can determine where the bad weather will be, making it easier to avoid. It's not magic. It's the science of advanced radar and predictive software. A m e r i c a n r e c e n t l y b e g a n i n s t a l l i n g MultiScan ThreatTrack radar in its fleet of Boeing 737s, and it will soon upgrade its 777s. What makes this technology so effective: The radar scans horizontally and vertically on devel- oping convective storm cells, measuring them to predict which ones will develop and which will dissipate. Onboard software uses the radar data to predict the amount of turbulence, wind, lightning and ice the storm could produce. MultiScan ThreatTrack is the only type of radar that reveals a storm's potential inside and outside of its core. This analysis occurs from as far out as 320 nautical miles, more than triple the range of current radar. This radar system is a great tool for pilots, but it presents a unique challenge to aircraft dispatchers and air-traffic-control experts, those charged with creating flight plans in advance. Two years ago, NASA developed an au- tomated system that could help aircraft dis- patchers see optimized flight routes around bad weather. The system analyzes trajectories for flights and tries to find time-saving adjustments for the routes based on weather predictions and air-traffic congestion. The system, Dynamic Weather Routes (DWR), needed to be validated in a real-world environment, so in 2012 American volunteered to field-test it. After two years of testing, DWR has proven a success, and the Air Force and other carriers are showing interest. " We would not be where we are if not for American Airlines," said NASA chief administrator Charles Bolden during a visit to the Integrated Opera- tions Center in Fort Worth, Texas, to see DWR in action. "You've got to have a partner." DWR works by creating a tool that syn- thesizes a massive amount of information on one screen. For instance, as an undesirable weather system is forming to the east, the au- tomated system proposes a new route around it based on the storm's location at flight time. The dispatcher is able to see the new route on a screen and can adjust the route with a mouse click. Every change automatically updates the arrival time and fuel savings. The flight crew then evaluates the route and, upon agreement, requests the change from air-traffic control. "I've been the end user and have been able to see the benefits," says dispatcher Mike Steren- chuk. "We can use this tool to find the shortest route possible while safely avoiding weather." These new technologies, combined with dedicated personnel, vastly improve both safety and reliability on the ground and in the air. How Airlines See the Future Weather-tracking technology makes air travel safEr and MOrE rElIablE. J O E Pa P Pa l a r D O Senior Manager, Internal Communications American Airlines American Airlines dispatcher Mike Sterenchuk demonstrates the Dynamic Weather Routes system to NASA administrator Charles Bolden. 1 2 n ov e m b e r 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY

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