Aviation Weather Considerations for Advanced Air Mobility

Aviation weather products currently in use were originally designed and implemented for operations involving crewed vehicles in higher altitudes, who are trained on using and interpreting them. Although some of these products are also useful in advanced air mobility scenarios, such as surface winds and gusts, temperature, and precipitation, advanced air mobility applications have specific requirements of weather that have not yet been addressed. Developments in advanced air mobility mean that aviation weather now has more stakeholders who will need to obtain weather information pre-flight and during flight, but also provide weather information, preferably autonomously.

DRONEREPs are designed to both take advantage of the availability of non-traditional weather data and to provide weather information to accommodate the newer users of the national airspace. Traditionally, aviation weather products measure and report information on weather phenomena at specific locations and altitudes. For example, winds and temperatures aloft are forecast and reported at 3,000 ft intervals at stations around the United States. These forecasts mainly use small expendable radiosondes on balloons released twice a day to gather the required data, with additional data collected from commercial aircraft and wind profiling radars. The provided information is adequate and appropriate for aircraft that are navigating long distances at a pre-selected altitudes. However, the large altitude step does not provide the required precision for slow or low-flying vehicles. Enhanced weather products and additional information, if presented well, can improve decision making and safety for all operations. Being able to use UAS to obtain weather information will help other UAS operators but also all of AAM and the broader aviation community.