An airborne windshear detection system for general aviation aircraft

Abstract

This work considers the requirements for a windshear detection system suitable for general aviation aircraft and evaluates a possible method for detecting windshear.

Initially, the phenomenon of windshear is introduced, and the hazard presented to aircraft by low-altitude windshear, and particularly by microbursts, is discussed. The work examines models for describing the various forms of atmospheric disturbances.

The existing ground-based and airborne techniques for detecting windshear are examined. General aviation aircraft differ from transport aircraft in the cost and sophistication of their on-board systems: the instrumentation commonly available on this class of aircraft and the sensors which could be used to measure the required aircraft parameters are discussed.

A method for estimating the wind acting on the aircraft using a minimum number of measurements of control inputs and aircraft parameters is presented. The technique is derived from the theory of observers and uses a linear, time-invariant model of the aircraft. The effect of model and sensor inaccuracies is considered.

The forms of wind which constitute a hazard are examined and used to derive algorithms to determine when the wind conditions constitute a dangerous windshear. The windshear detection system comprises the wind estimation and hazard evaluation stages, and the performance of this under various wind conditions is assessed. The operational requirements of the system are also addressed.

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