NOAA approves funding for UAV flights into hurricanes

[Coredesat]

From Jeff Masters' blog:

"The 88th annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society, the world's largest gathering of meteorologists, has drawn to a close here in New Orleans. The biggest news ... was the announcement Tuesday of funding for a major project to fly remotely piloted aircraft into hurricanes. NOAA has approved a $3 million research program that will use these aircraft (also called Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs) for three purposes: to take measurements in the core of hurricanes, track how fast Arctic summer ice melts, and take observations of Pacific storms that represent a flood risk to the U.S. West Coast. One of the aircraft planned for the study, the aerosonde, successfully flew into the core of a hurricane for the first time this past hurricane season. An aerosonde penetrated Hurricane Noel on November 2, 2007, as the hurricane moved northward along the U.S. East Coast. The aerosonde spent 7.5 hours in the hurricane, recording winds as high as 80 mph at altitudes as low as 300 feet."

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Story at NOAA: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories200 ... craft.html

Starting this summer, unmanned aircraft will take instruments on research flights that are too dangerous or too long for pilots and scientists. NOAA, working with university and industry partners, will lead three test projects:

* Atlantic and Gulf Hurricanes: Between August 1 and October 31, small unmanned vehicles will fly into the eye of Atlantic and Caribbean hurricanes at low altitudes too risky for crewed aircraft. The data will help experts diagnose maximum wind speeds and storm physics to improve hurricane intensity forecasts.

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Very interesting stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of results the UAVs find. If refined I could see this as a possible, manageable replacement for QuikSCAT in terms of measuring winds near the surface.

[brunota2003]

Plus, they could possibly be used for Invests, instead of having to send a manned flight out into the storm, when the storm is close enough to the base...correct?

[cycloneye]

Very interesting all about this.If this works,then quickScat may only be used in systems that may be in the open waters that will not affect anyone.

[Coredesat]

Plus, they could possibly be used for Invests, instead of having to send a manned flight out into the storm, when the storm is close enough to the base...correct?

Depends on the UAV's range, but I imagine a UAV wouldn't necessarily have to be launched from a military base.

[brunota2003]

The one that flew into Ophelia in 2005 had a 700 mile range, I believe.

[RL3AO]

It would be interesting if they would spread them out. Give a few to Bermuda and the CV Islands. And of course the Caribbean Islands. Could cover a decent area of the Atlantic for invests.

[JonathanBelles]

It would be interesting if they would spread them out. Give a few to Bermuda and the CV Islands. And of course the Caribbean Islands. Could cover a decent area of the Atlantic for invests.

I agree with the above, but I'd like to add this: give a few to Guam and the Marianas or Japan and China to get some coverage over there too.

[brunota2003]

It would be interesting if they would spread them out. Give a few to Bermuda and the CV Islands. And of course the Caribbean Islands. Could cover a decent area of the Atlantic for invests.

I agree with the above, but I'd like to add this: give a few to Guam and the Marianas or Japan and China to get some coverage over there too.

I agree and disagree. Yeah, they probably need some over there, but wait a few years before providing them. That way we have time for penetrations here, so any bugs that occur can be found and worked out prior to being sent overseas.

[Coredesat]

Well, this is just a research project at this point. This is designed to determine the practicality and reliability of measurements taken from UAVs.

[Ptarmigan]

I like that idea. UAVs should be used in WPAC and NIO. They could really use them there. Also, we can get a direct measure and not relie on the Dvorak Technique.

[Coredesat]

Well, Dvorak has its uses; for instance, UAVs can't go everywhere unless they somehow have exceptionally long ranges. I imagine it wouldn't supplant recon or Dvorak entirely.

[MGC]

Perhaps a UAV could be developed that could be deployed from the AFR C-130J. Time on station could be increased......MGC

[Derek Ortt]

it is a very long way away before these become fully operational.

As of last year, the Aerosonde could ONLY be flown in the GOM or off of the EC of the USA due to FAA restrictions