INSTRUMENTATION FOR AVIATION SAFETY

THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP 2 NOVEL METHODS FOR REMOTE DETECTION OF DANGEROUS ATMOSPHERIC REGIONS THROUGH ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENTS FROM AIRCRAFT AND THE GROUND. THE PROPOSED DETECTION TECHNIQUESMAY BE BETTER THAN RADAR FOR DETECTING DANGEROUS TURBULENT AND ELECTRIFIED REGIONS UNDER SOME CONDITIONS (LITTLE OR NO RAIN), CAN SEE THROUGH CLOUDS WITH MUCH RAIN (WHICH BLOCK RADAR), HAS LONGER RANGE THAN RADAR, AND CAN BE MOUNTED ON AIRCRAFT AND HELICOPTERS WHERE THERE MAY BE NO NOSE CONE AVAILABLE FOR A RADAR ANTENNA. ELECTRIC FIELDS WILL BE OBSERVED WITH SIMPLE CORONA CURRENT INSTRUMENTATION SINCE AIRCRAFT CAN TRIGGER LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING WILL BE MAPPED WITH AN INTERFEROMETER. THUS, THE PREAND POST-LIGHTNING AS WELL AS THE LIGHTNING PHASES OF A STORM WILL BE COVERED. THERE WILL BE COCKPIT DISPLAYS FOR THE ELECTRIC FIELD VECTOR, LIGHTNING POSITION AND SFERIC RATE. PRELIMINARY TESTING OF A CORONA SYSTEM HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ON OUR UNIQUE ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRIC RESEARCH AIRCRAFT. THE LIGHTNING INTERFEROMETER HAS BEEN PROVEN FOR DIRECTIONAL SENSING ON THE GROUND; THIS PROGRAM WILL EXTEND THE TECHNOLOGY TO AIRCRAFT INCLUDING SINGLE-STATION-RANGING.