The Anonymous Widower

How To Cope With Wind

I was alerted to this development by a report in The Times entitled Airport Technology Signals End Of Delays In High Winds.

This is said on the NATS web site in a page entitled Air Traffic Partners Win Innovation Award.

The accolade was in recognition of ‘Time Based Separation’, an aviation world-first introduced in March to cut delays at Heathrow.

During strong headwind conditions, aircraft fly more slowly over the ground resulting in extra time between arrivals and delays for passengers. Time Based Separation, developed by NATS and Lockheed Martin with support from Heathrow and British Airways, uses live wind data to dynamically calculate the optimal safe spacing between aircraft in order to maintain the landing rate.

Its introduction is on course to halve headwind delays at Heathrow and thereby significantly reduce the need for airlines to cancel flights. The judging panel described it as an “outstanding achievement.”

As someone who many times has landed light aircraft in high winds, and in one case where the aircraft in front had problems, this is more significant than you might think.

And it looks like the problem has been solved, by applying some clever methods in the calculation of plane separation.

It is one of those developments, that will have all sorts of different positive effects, for passengers, airlines and even local residents.

The latter could benefit, as one thing you don’t want to be under, is a large jet airliner, that has to perform a go-around, caused by a less-than-perfect approach.

May 31, 2016 - Posted by AnonW | Computing, Transport/Travel | Flying, Technology