For as long as airplanes have flown, weather has affected the conduct of safe flights. With weather a contributing factor in many aircraft accidents, accurate weather information is vital to those involved in aircraft operations. Historically, various government agencies have had a role in providing weather information and in conducting the research needed so the right information gets to operational users. The missions of the National Weather Service, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration include aviation weather but it is important to have effective interaction and coordination between the agencies as well.
The first step in improving aviation weather services is to find out what is needed; i.e., develop requirements. In the early 1990's, user's forums were held and reports were written but it was not until the release of the National Research Council's Report, "Aviation Weather Services, A Call for Federal Leadership and Action" in 1995 that a coordinated effort was started to improve aviation weather services. In 1996 the National Aviation Weather Program Council, part of the Office of the Federal Coordinator's interagency coordinating structure, tasked the Aviation Weather Joint Action Group to develop a strategic plan for aviation weather services. The subsequent Plan, published in April 1997, was an interagency effort involving the aviation community. The Plan established the vision of a safe and efficient National Airspace System with agencies working together to provide accurate and reliable weather information so decision makers can make the right decisions about the conduct of flights.
Following the publication of the Strategic Plan, the next step was to move from a strategic vision toward achievable initiatives which when implemented will change the way we do business. The result of the follow-on work by the Joint Action Group is the National Aviation Weather Initiatives to be published in the fall of 1998. These initiatives will provide the focus needed for public-private teams to design services which leverage resources and produce weather information which meets the needs of the aviation users.
This presentation highlights the progress which has been made in aviation weather services planning through the interagency coordination process. The roles played by the Office of the Federal Coordinator as well as the agencies involved in the joint planning will be highlighted. Equally important are the roles of the wider aviation community which includes the airline industry, associations, manufacturers, and academia in designing services that provide users the information needed to make intelligent decisions
The 8th Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology