Delta Air Lines Meteorology
Department Information
• Began in 1960
• 12 Meteorologists
• 2-3 Meteorologists on-shift
• every hour, every day
• 1 Surface Forecaster
• 1-2 Upper Air Forecasters
• Weather data from WSI and the NWS
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Primary Customers
• Flight Control and OCC
• Flight Operations
• In-Flight
• Stations
• De-Icing Operators
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Upper Air
Products
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Upper Air Hazards
Metro Alerts include:
• Turbulence
• Mountain Waves
• Thunderstorms
• Low Level Turbulence/Wind Shear
• Tropical Systems
• Volcanic Ash
• Icing
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Upper Air Turbulence Chart
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Upper Air Turbulence Chart
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Metro Alert Example
SE1 031908-041500
******* SOUTH CENTRAL REGION ******
OVR MS-GA-SC-NC..FM SJI-MCN-CAE-RDU..
100NM WIDE LINE OF LGT-MDT TURBC AT FL340-
390/TROP MOVG SE 10KTS.
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Flight Planning Message Example
** NORTH ATLANTIC EBND FLT PLANNING MSG - 14 NOV 08 **
/
1. COLD TEMPS..ERN TRACKS-EUROPE (FL370-390)..SEE MAP
/
2. RTES/FLS..
COASTAL NEW ENGLAND: SUGG AOB FL320..NBFL LOWER.
OVR SERN CANADA: SUGG FL340-360..NBFL HIGHER.
TRACKS/SRN RANDOMS (32-20W): SUGG FL310-340..NBFL HIGHER.
OVR WRN EUR: MIN COST..NBFL HIGHER.
SCANDINAVIA/ERN EUROPE/WRN RUSSIA: SUGG 270-340..NBFL HIGHER.
/
3. ETPS..
YYT/YQX/YJT/YYR..USEABLE. KEF/TER..USEABLE.
DUB/GLA..USEABLE. TRD/OSL..USEABLE.
LIS..USEABLE.
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Sigmets
BICC 071315 BIRD SIGMET 02 VALID 071315/071615 BIRK- BIRD
REYKJAVIK CTA MOD OCNL SEV TURB OBS AT 1300Z AND FCST WI N61
W026 - N61 W018 - N6230 W018 - N6230 W026 FL290/350 MOV E 25KT
NC
RESPONSE
METR-3
**REFERENCE BIRD SIGMET 02**
/
PIREPS: NO REPORTS OF SEVERE TURBC RCVD..
/
BASED ON LATEST DATA..SEVERE TURBC NOT XPCD W/I SIGMET AREA
..OCNL MDT PSBL W/I FLS 290-340 THIS AREA THRU THE PERIOD
/
(FRASCA/1328Z)..
M33 9EE020 071350 FRASCA
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Current Text Distribution
Meteorologist
types forecast
Main Frame
Dispatcher Flight’s Metro
Queue Briefing Message
Flights
Affected
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Upper Air Meteorologists
Monitors:
PIREPS – for icing and turbulence
Volcano Activity
Suggests:
Smoothest Flight Levels
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Surface Desk
Normal Operations:
• 12 hour shifts
• 3 Shift change briefings with stations
• Dispatcher Briefings
• Planning briefs for the week/weekend
• TAFs
• 3x daily conference call w/NWS(FFC), CWSU
Irregular Operations (IROPS):
• Provide additional products for
• Tropical activity
• Major snow storms
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Surface
Products
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TAF Cities
LGA, BOS
JFK,
EWR
SLC
CVG PHL
DELTA TAF CITIES
DCA,
LAX IAD,
ATL BWI
MCO
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Delta TAF Example
TERMINAL FORECAST
ATL DL 231405 AMD 02 VALID 231405-240400 UTC
FM231400 09010KT 2SM -RA FG OVC003 TEMPO 1SM -RA FG
FM232000 17010KT 2SM -RA FG OVC008
FM232200 29010KT 5SM -RA OVC010
FM240000 31012KT 7SM OVC015
DISCUSSION – LOW CIGS WILL IMPROVE AFTER FRONT MOVES
THRU AND WINDS BECOME WESTERLY.
• Extra fuel and alternates are needed when
clouds are below 1000ft or visibility is below
2SM or thunderstorms are forecast.
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TAF Exemption - 8575
- Reduces requirement for destination alternate
- Ceiling and visibility requirement of 1,000ft and 2SM
- Must maintain at least CAT I or CAT II approach capability
ATL
FM131100 VRB03KT 7SM SCT250
FM131600 15005KT 7SM BKN200
FM132300 16005KT 7SM OVC080
FM140300 16006KT 5SM -RA OVC040
FM140700 17006KT 3SM -RA OVC015
FM141400 21006KT 4SM -RA OVC018
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Crosswinds - DCA
Runway 04/22: 4911 feet
Runway 15/33: 5204 feet
Runway 01/19: 6869 feet
Our aircraft fleet generally prefers 5500ft.
Leaves operation on Runway 01/19
Strong winds from the west or east cause
crosswind issues.
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DCA
Runway 01/19
Wind Max winds to stay below
Max Cross Wind Direction 29kt Cross Wind
MD88/90 30 360 60+
B737-800 36 040 51
B737-800 W 33 090 29
B757-200 29 140 41
B767 29 180 60+
B777 38 220 51
270 29
310 35
KDCA
130539Z 1306/1406 30015G30KT P6SM SKC
FM131200 30014G25KT P6SM SKC
FM131500 31016G30KT P6SM FEW050
FM132100 32014G22KT P6SM SCT050 SCT090
FM140000 34010KT P6SM SCT090
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Deicing Chart
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Deicing Chart
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Hurricane Chart
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Deicing Chart
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Long Range Planning Forecast – Day 1- 5
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Delta Meteorology Provides:
Flight Planning System uses GFS Wind forecast.
Back-up source is UKMO.
Also Supply:
• Radar
• Satellite
• Lightning
• Charts
• Text Data (METARS, TAFS, SIGMETS, etc)
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AFDs
Other products used:
• Clickable map
• Used in planning forecasts • MOS guidance
• 3 day/5 day long range • ADDS page (java METAR display)
• Verbal briefings • CCFP discussions
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Common Questions
My weather radar/decing became inop. Can I
continue to my destination?
Will that broken line of thunderstorms become solid?
What does that unusual code in the TAF/METAR
mean?
What is the best alternate?
What do you think about the SIGMET?
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Northwest Meteorology
• Provides weather support for the following customers: Continental,
Southwest, KLM, Alaska, Mesaba, Pinnacle, Compass, Micronesia
and ExpressJet.
• Products for internal and external customers include:
• 40-45 Scheduled TAFS
• TAFS on request
• Graphical Charts
• Turbulence Warnings
• Verbal Briefings with Dispatchers
• Deicing Charts
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