Weather Risk Management

Weather is one of the most unpredictable factors in aviation and constantly affects flight operations. Weather conditions such as thunderstorms, turbulence, sandstorms, dangerous crosswinds, heavy snow, hail, low-level wind shear, etc. pose a threat to the safety and performance of flight operations. IATA’s 2018 Safety Report revealed that despite the continued relatively low accident rate, weather continues to pose a significant threat to flight safety. Analysis shows that between 2014 and 2018, 46% of fatal aircraft accidents cited weather as a contributing factor – 33% of all accidents.

Weather has a significant impact on safety, air traffic management (ATM), fuel burn, and on-time performance. In the US, about 75% of delays are weather-related; costing billions of dollars per year. Besides delays, NASA’s Aviation Safety program estimates the cost to the airlines from encounters with turbulence runs more than $100 million USD per year, with one airline estimating that each encounter of severe turbulence costs an average of $750,000 USD. In addition to the direct costs, an encounter with adverse weather may result in flight deviations, increased fuel consumption, and passenger inconvenience.

Recent accidents in the industry, more often than not, highlight the need to improve how regulatory bodies, manufactures, Company senior management, and frontline operators manage the impact of adverse weather conditions on operations. Airlines must ensure they provide the necessary processes and procedures for managing weather-related risks; both proactive and recovery controls. As part of this, airlines must provide training to their pilots to ensure they have the ability to gather and accurately analyse weather information so as to reduce the risk of encountering (i.e., avoid) weather-related hazards and managing the impact of weather on the flight.

This course will provide an overview of upper level meteorology on an international level, review of aviation weather hazards and weather charts and information for flight planning and briefing purposes. It is designed to improve knowledge of meteorology and develop practical interpretation skills of traditional and modern products, including numerical weather prediction models, with an international focus. This course will also utilised several case studies, and scenario-based learning opportunities.

This five day (5 day) workshop is designed to provide delegates with an understanding of aviation weather hazards (e.g., turbulence, thunderstorms, tropical weather), weather-related decision making, and how pilots can develop briefing strategies to enhance weather situational awareness. This course will also provide a review of weather charts and MET information provided for international and domestic flight operations. Discussions will also include a practical analysis of the arrangements and products to be provided to support aviation operations at the international level. Armed with this knowledge, delegates will enhance their ability to use weather within their operation, and be more confident working to strengthen their input into the pre-flight briefing and analysis of weather during operations.

This course will also utilised several case studies, and scenario-based learning opportunities for advanced discussion.

To maximise the transfer of training to the line, the course will be a mixture of a brief review of theory and aviation weather hazards combined with and scenario-based weather events, case studies, and discussions. This course is aimed at providing a review whilst providing brief operational examples from different parts of the world.

Topics include:

• The Impact of Weather on Aviation Operations
  
• The Atmosphere (structure, effect of temperature on aircraft performance, tropopause)
  
• Jet streams and Clear Air Turbulence
  
• Thunderstorms
  
• Low-level wind shear
  
• Mid-latitude weather
  
• Weather in the Tropics
  
• Tropical Cyclones / Typhoons / Hurricanes
  
• Turbulence
• MET service for international air navigation per ICAO Annex 3
  

        - Review of MET messages and information

        - Aeronautical MET reports (METAR, SPECI)

        - Prognostic charts (e.g., SIGWX)
        - Aeronautical forecasts and warnings (TAFs, Aerodrome Warnings, Wind Shear Warnings, Area FCST)
        - Aircraft observations / Pilot reports (AIREPs/PIREPs)

• Numerical weather prediction model charts and data for flight planning
  
• Aircraft Icing
  
• Visibility and Fog
  
• Conducting Flight Weather Briefings - including self-briefings
  
• Weather Decision Making and Situational Awareness

Personnel from Civil Aviation Authority, air operator, airport, ANS provider, maintenance organisation, insurance or other operational professionals. 

- Safety Managers
- Safety Officers
- Compliance Managers
- Nominated Personnel (i.e., Postholders)
- Risk Assessors

Participants must have a firm meteorology knowledge level equivalent to that of an Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), ATC Licence or Military equivalent. 

Workshop Duration: 5 days (0900h to 1700h each day).

Location: Various locations – In-house available.

Fee: $1850.00 USD

Discount: 

10% Discount when 6 or more participants from the same company (on the same invoice) are registered.

 5% Discount when 3 - 5 participants from the same company (on the same invoice) are registered.

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