WEATHER MONITORING
SYSTEM
Introduction
Weather monitoring system provides information to
the pilots relating to the weather conditions that are
present ahead of the aircraft
It is important for the pilot to be aware of the weather
that he or she is flying towards in order to ensure the
safety of the aircraft and its occupants
Dangerous weather conditions account for 33% of all
aviation incidents
History
RADAR was first used for detecting enemy aircraft
and vessels during WWII
After the war ended, radar was introduced into the
civilian aviation industry
Once radar was introduced to the industry, it quickly
began evident that it could be used for weather
detection. Thus, airborne weather radar systems were
born
WEATHER MONITORING SYSTEM
Weather
radar
Lightning
detectors
RADAR
AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENT
Display of weather radar alerts, graphical representation of
weather or other hazards, and the expected pilot response to
information provided by the weather radar system should be
clear and unambiguous
The progression from green to amber/yellow to red represents
an increasing degree of threat, potential hazard, or need of
flight crew awareness or response. You should ensure the use
of color for display of weather radar system
AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENT
Weather radar system may interface with other systems
Weather radar system does not adversely affect the
functioning of, and is not adversely affected by, other
aircraft systems
You must document any areas where radar emissions
could be harmful to people or wildlife
LIGHTNING DETECTORS
The primary function of lightning detector is electrical
discharge detection / thunder storm
Detection & avoidance
LD use a radio receiver to sense the electrical
discharge & discharge readings are processed through a
computer and location displayed on a screen.
LIGHTNING DETECTORS
LD displays plot each stroke/discharge of lightning
over a period of time
Rate at stroke indications accumulate on the
display
It provide 360 degree view of thunder storm activity
PRIMUS LSZ 860
Major components
It can detects electrical discharges from
thunderstorms up to 200 nautical miles
away and displays the thunderstorm
locations relative to youre aircraft
It is Passive system so there is no
transmitter and no harmful transmissions so
the pilot plan before takeof
Antenna
This combined loop and sense antenna is
sealed in an aerodynamic flat-pack and
mounted on the outside of the aircraft
It detects electrical discharges associated
with thunderstorms.
The antenna is available in black or white.
Processor
This compact, tray-mounted computer
processor receives electrical discharge
information from the antenna, processes it
to determine range and azimuth
It forwards the information for presentation
on the cockpit display
The processor may be installed almost
anywhere in the aircraft
Display
The display provides control and display
functions for the processor
Functional block
Lightning Cause
The highest probability for lightning attachment to an
airplane is the outer extremities, such as the wing tip,
nose, or rudder
Lightning strikes occur most often during the climb
and descent phases of flight at an altitude of 5,000 to
15,000 feet (1,524 to 4,572 meters)
The probability of a lightning strike decreases
significantly above 20,000 feet (6,096 meters)