- Physicists Help Planes and Passengers Dodge Weather Delays with Computer Software
February 1, 2009
Using principles from operations research, physicists designed software that helps air traffic controllers find alternate flight paths around bad weather. The Route Availability Planning Tool (RAPT) uses departure route geometry and weather forecasts of the height and intensity of storms along a flight path in order to determine if the route will be clear. For the four airports currently using the technology in the New York/New Jersey region, RAPT can save 2,000 hours of departure delays over the course of one year.
HOW DOES RAPT WORK? RAPT, short for Route Availability Planning Tool, is a computer model that displays information about inclement weather conditions for air traffic managers. It compiles weather information from satellite and radar systems, then provides a color-coded map showing which areas are fit for flying, and estimates of how pilots flying through different conditions would react. Without RAPT, managers must compile a mental image of complex, variable weather information while keeping track of flights in the air. This system provides managers with the type of information that helps them maintain even a limited schedule of take-offs and landings, reducing flight delays by a significant amount.
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