The FAA's In-flight Icing Research Program: Status and Future

The FAA's Aviation Weather Research Program (AWRP) sponsor's in-flight icing research and the development of the Current Icing Product (CIP) and Forecast Icing Product (FIP). The original FAA In-Flight Aircraft Icing Plan published in April 1997 recommended that FAA continue their efforts toward improving the ability to forecast in-flight icing conditions including Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD). The AWRP also directs research in response to NTSB recommendations, NextGen requirements, FAA Flight Plan Goals, etc. Our intention is to provide a brief update of research completed thus far, to describe success to date, and to indicate the direction the FAA would like to take the research in the future. In addition, we will discuss challenges such as improving observations/verification of algorithms and integrating automated gridded products with manual forecasts. Finally, as we move forward some of the critical objectives are to work with the NWS to explore ways to utilize FIP-Severity to enhance AIRMET/SIGMETS and collaborate with the FAA's Aircraft Certification Service and Flight Standards Service to develop an Aircraft Management System. This system will be able to tailor an icing forecast to the unique character of the airframe's equipage, airspeed, altitude and flight profile.