The Prototyping and Aviation Collaboration Effort (PACE), located at the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center/Center Weather Service Unit (ARTCC/CWSU), is designed as an operational test bed for demonstrating the effective employment of developing science, technology, and computer communication interfaces in providing weather support for the ARTCC Traffic Management Unit (TMU). The primary goal of PACE is to establish procedures to generate automated guidance products, share common data sets among operational units, and demonstrate how the employment of collaborative forecasting methodologies can lead to improvements in aviation forecast products.

FX Connect (FXC) is a real-time meteorological display system with collaborative capabilities, and is a main component of the PACE prototyping environment. A unique feature of FXC is that it can accommodate the interaction of forecasters at different locations through a graphical user interface and internet connections. When connected to an AWIPS server, FXC allows the display of D2D data and imagery over which graphics may be created, manipulated, and viewed by remotely located collaboration participants. Although the AWIPS data base is the primary and most extensive source of data, FXC can also obtain data (in image form) from Web servers and integrate data from other sources.

FXC will be used in PACE to explore methodologies for promoting an efficient exchange of meteorological information and collaboration in the development and production of new briefing products for TMU decision makers. Progress in these areas will be reported and initial results will be demonstrated.