Impact of Focused Forecaster Support on Air Traffic Management Decision-making in the Golden Triangle

Starting in 2009, Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) in New York, Atlanta and Chicago, began a process of focused product and procedure sharing to enhance customer support to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) en route and terminal facilities. The program, dubbed the “Golden Triangle Initiative,” covers the eastern one-third of the U.S., which is the heaviest traveled airspace in the country and the most sensitive to weather events. Concentrating effort on the Golden Triangle area has an even wider impact however, since weather affecting any one of these major terminals can result in significant delays throughout the system.

The Golden Triangle Initiative was a natural extension of an earlier, well-received experiment focused strictly on the New York area. The Golden Triangle Initiative expanded the area covered, demonstrated improvements in forecast timing and communication, and validated effectiveness of forecaster contributions to air traffic decision making at the tactical level.

This presentation describes the Golden Triangle Initiative and details successes and lessons learned from 2009 through 2010 of focused weather support using a mix of forecaster expertise and automated products. In addition, the presentation discusses design of metrics, and preliminary results.