The present disclosure is of an atmospheric characterization system that has a central processing board that has a first and a second communication interface. Further, the atmospheric characterization system further has a first precision temperature sensor that is communicatively coupled to the central processing board via the first communication interface and positioned a distance from a first side of the processing board, wherein the precision temperature measures a first temperature and transfers data indicative of the first temperature to the central processing board. In addition, the atmospheric characterization system has a second precision temperature sensor that is communicatively coupled to the central processing board via the second communication interface and positioned the distance from a second opposing side of the processing board such that the first precision temperature sensor and the second precision temperature sensor are equidistance from the processing board and a distance between the first precision sensor and the second precision sensor is a predetermined distance, r, and the second precision temperature sensor measures a second temperature and transfers data indicative of the second temperature to the central processing board simultaneously with the transferring of the first temperature. Additionally, the atmospheric characterization system has a processor that receives the first temperature and the second temperature and calculates a value indicative of atmospheric turbulence based upon the first temperature and the second temperature, wherein the value indicative of the atmospheric turbulence is used for designing, modifying, calibrating, or correcting an optical system.

An apparatus for forecasting weather related threats aboard an aircraft includes a computer for sending and receiving meteorological data to and from other aircraft in a self-organizing mesh network of aircraft. The computer isolates meteorological sensor data originating from the other aircraft in a region along the flight path of the aircraft and uses that data to forecast weather related threats along the aircraft's flight path.

A device, system and method is provided for obtaining and processing turbulence data via communication devices located on-board airplanes. Turbulence data obtained by a plurality of communication devices may be received during flights on-board respective ones of a plurality of airplanes. Turbulence map data may be generated by super-positioning the turbulence data received from the plurality of communication devices onto a single tempo-spatial frame of reference. The turbulence map data may be distributed to one or more of the communication devices. A device, system and method is also provided for generating turbulence map data that may reduce or eliminate false positive turbulence events. A device, system and method is also provided for communicating with on-board communication devices operating in a flight crew mode or a passenger mode.

Exemplary practice of the present invention provides an air vehicle and at least one interferometric double-path fiber optic sensor connected with the air vehicle. Each fiber optic sensor includes a pair of optical fibers, viz., an optical sensing fiber and an optical reference fiber, in a parallel and propinquus relationship. The paired optical fibers of each fiber optic sensor are attached to the air vehicle either (i) circumferentially around the fuselage or (ii) lengthwise along the fuselage or (iii) span-wise along the wings and across the fuselage, and are configured whereby the sensing fiber is exposed to the atmosphere and the reference fiber is not. Each fiber optic sensor senses atmospheric infrasound but does not sense atmospheric wind noise, which is negated by incoherency associated with design lengthiness of the optical fiber pair. Noise and strain due to temperature, vibration, and propulsion are neutralized via interferometric common mode rejection.

A method is disclosed for detecting atmospheric turbulence including aircraft induced wake turbulence and/or wind shear within an aperture associated with an aircraft approach or departure corridor around an airport. The method comprises transmitting into the aperture acoustic signals having a waveform suitable for pulse compression and receiving backscattered acoustic echoes of the acoustic signals from the atmospheric turbulence and/or wind shear. The method further includes processing the acoustic echoes in a matched filter receiver to provide a measure of the atmospheric turbulence and discriminating the aircraft induced demise time, being a time taken for the aircraft induced wake turbulence and/or wind shear to fall below a set threshold at least in the aperture. A system for detecting atmospheric turbulence including aircraft induced wake turbulence and/or wind shear associated with an aircraft approach or departure corridor around an airport is also disclosed.

An air turbulence analysis system and method includes an air turbulence control unit that is configured to receive a position signal from an aircraft within an air space. The air turbulence control unit determines a location of air turbulence within the air space based on the position signal. In at least one embodiment, the position signal is an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) signal.

An air turbulence analysis system and method include an air turbulence control unit that is configured to receive motion signals from one or more motion sensors of a plurality of aircraft within an air space. The air turbulence control unit determines locations of air turbulence within the air space based on the motion signals.

A method of presenting weather data, representing weather events, on a graphical user interface (GUI). The weather data is received. At least one of the weather events is present in at least one of several altitude zones for a physical area centered on a reference point. A corresponding intensity rank is assigned to each of the weather events. Each of the altitude zones is divided into a corresponding grid defined for the physical area. Each corresponding grid has corresponding sectors defined by corresponding lines and vertices. A corresponding highest intensity ranking weather event extant in the corresponding sectors is assigned to each of the corresponding sectors in the altitude zones. A selection of a selected altitude zone is received from among the altitude zones. A rendered image is generated by rendering the corresponding grid for the selected altitude zone. The rendered image is displayed on the GUI.

Improved mechanisms for collecting information from a diverse suite of sensors and systems, calculating the current precipitation, atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric liquid water content, or precipitable water and other atmospheric-based phenomena, for example presence and intensity of fog, based upon these sensor readings, predicting future precipitation and atmospheric-based phenomena, and estimating effects of the atmospheric-based phenomena on visibility, for example by calculating runway visible range (RVR) estimates and forecasts based on the atmospheric-based phenomena.

A system includes a detector and a computing device communicatively coupled to the detector. The detector detects spatial or temporal spectral features of a light beam after transmission of the light beam through a turbulent or aberrated medium and generate a measurement signal indicative of the spectral feature. The computing device receives the measurement signal and a comparative signal indicative of a spectral feature of the light beam prior to or after transmission of the light beam through the medium. The computing device compares the measurement signal and the comparative signal and determines, based on the comparison of the measurement signal and the comparative signal, one or more values related to variations in refractive indices of the medium.