Aviation weather researcher honored for education, outreach
A weather expert AOPA credits with “tireless education efforts” and advocacy for continued research has won an education and outreach award from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
Bruce Carmichael, director of NCAR’s Aviation Applications Program, and an instrument-rated commercial pilot of 32 years’ experience, was recognized in December with an Outstanding Accomplishment Award “for his sustained efforts to educate students, air traffic controllers, pilots, and the general public about aviation meteorology and the need for improved weather awareness,” said an announcement from NCAR, a federally funded research-and-development center devoted to service, research, and education in the atmospheric and related sciences.
In a letter supporting his nomination, AOPA Director of Airspace and Air Traffic Rune Duke noted that Carmichael has for many years led the Friends and Partners in Aviation Weather forum, overseeing many significant user-focused developments such as the creation of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Tool.
“He has brought much needed attention to key topics like weather accessibility in the cockpit and space weather. General aviation in particular has benefited from his outreach on topics like NEXRAD and NextGen weather,” Duke wrote.
Duke added that Carmichael’s outreach on the increasing need for weather research “has had lasting effects in many of the weather products we reference today. The aviation industry looks to Bruce as the subject matter expert on weather and it has greatly benefited from his tireless education efforts.”
“One of his passions is educating users on ceiling and visibility products, which happens to be one of his key successes in terms of collaboration. His expertise on this topic has been noted in many forums and is why AOPA looks to Bruce as the weather expert,” the letter added.
According to Carmichael’s NCAR staff biography, he has worked with the aviation industry for 32 years, and has 43 years of experience including university teaching, commercial research, government service, consulting, and academic research, including current service as chairman of the Weather Subcommittee of the National Business Aviation Association, and as a member of the RTCA Task Force on Midterm NextGen Implementation, among other initiatives. Carmichael holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of New Mexico, a master's degree in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland.
