ABSTRACT
Weather radar was introduced onto passenger aircraft during the 1950s for pilots to identify weather conditions and subsequently reroute for the safety and comfort of passengers. Extreme weather conditions are a major threat to the safe operation of an aircraft; flight crews need to be aware of these conditions and understand the consequences. There are three main technologies typically used in aircraft to detect weather conditions: on-board radar, lightning detection, and datalink services. The range of a weather radar system is typically 320 miles. Microwave energy pulses are reflected from the moisture droplets and returned to the radar antenna. The system calculates the time taken for the energy pulses to be returned; this is displayed as an image on a dedicated weather radar screen, or the image can be integrated with the electronic flight display system. Modern weather radar systems are able to detect the horizontal movement of droplets using Doppler shift techniques.
