Could There Be Less Turbulence in Our Flying Future?
A recently launched initiative aims to make it much easier for airlines to share real-time turbulence data, which will in turn help pilots better avoid and prepare passengers for those inevitable bumps and drops. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the data thats available to pilots right now is relatively subjective in nature, relying heavily on individual pilot reports. Those reports describe the severity of turbulence on a scale of light, moderate, or severe, which doesnt allow for much detail or precision. The current reporting system also often has a time lag and doesnt always offer the most precise location details. To improve on that, IATA is developing a new Turbulence Aware program, which aims to be the first global, real-time information resource for managing turbulence. By collecting data from multiple airlines and resources into a single database, Turbulence Aware hopes to give airlines and pilots better tools for avoiding and preparing for turbulence. For instance, the Turbulence Aware data will be based on a calculated estimate of the atmospheres turbulent state (not just individual aircraft reports). It will also include detailed information regarding altitude, aircraft position, wind, and temperature.