Aviation Weather Center seeks pilots for summer experiment

The experiment, scheduled for Aug. 19 to 23, is an annual demonstration of new technologies and experimental products built to support planning in the National Airspace System. It provides pilots with an opportunity to give feedback directly to product developers, and to learn more about the Aviation Weather Center.

The experiment will be conducted Aug. 19 through 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Aug. 23 from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. All-day attendance is not required. Only an hour or two of time is requested from each volunteer on a given day. Pilots who cannot travel to Kansas City but are interested in participating remotely may be able to do so.

This year’s offerings will include evaluating the expanded and improved Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) tool; experimental model guidance to decipher cloud layers for forecasting; and possible mid-range convective guidance products. The GFA has undergone several changes since last year's experiment, including an updated menu of map options. The Aviation Weather Center will also be seeking feedback on coverage of Hawaii and Alaska.

The Aviation Weather Center is also interested in receiving pilot feedback on the update of its Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Tool’s gridded ceiling and visibility analysis.

For more information, please visit the Aviation Weather Testbed website and select Summer Experiment 2019 under the experiments menu. Pilots can also email the Aviation Weather Center for details or to sign up.