By: Akshata for P3 Tech Consulting
In autonomous flights, where a pilot is absent, situational awareness becomes crucial for both weather and aircraft deconfliction. In a recent episode of the Dawn of Autonomy podcast, Dr. Christopher Zarzar, Director of Weather Strategy and Innovation at TruWeather Solutions, and Basil Yap, President of AeroX, discussed weather challenges for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the technology required for weather awareness for this advanced aviation and how they tackled both head on in a recent joint study in North Carolina (NC). The implications of their work reach far beyond one state, with lessons learned for all businesses across the world.
Separate Beginnings
Yap’s journey traces back to 2013 when he was at the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Aviation Division. At the time, the state experienced a rapid growth in drones, and with it, the need for laws to address privacy and safety. Being in the right place at the right time, Yap has played a pivotal role working with the legislature in establishing the state’s laws in 2013 and 2014. This led to his involvement in NC’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP), which achieved significant milestones: the first routine medical package delivery, a statewide UAS response to Hurricane Florence in 2018, and the establishment of routine drone delivery operations with industry leaders like Zipline and Volansi.
Following his position at NCDOT, Yap transitioned from his role in state government to setting up a nonprofit called AeroX, dedicated to advancing the UAS industry. It focuses on building a UAS traffic management system and has initiated a venture fund to make strategic investments in the sector.
TruWeather’s Dr. Chris Zarzar, with a background in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, became involved in UAS in 2015 as a result of his PhD dissertation using UAS mapping for coastal estuary flooding. This, in turn, prompted him to delve into research on local-scale weather modeling and ultimately catalyzed discussions with Don Berchoff, the CEO and Founder of TruWeather Solutions. Berchoff has been focusing on the critical gap in weather data for low-altitude operations, particularly in the UAS and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) industries.
Dr. Zarzar immediately appreciated the need for real-time data to enhance weather models and decision support tools. The technology developed by TruWeather, known as V360, provides a vertical 360 degree view of the atmosphere by integrating a diverse weather datasets from cost-effective sensors to high-end Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) deployments. Zarzar left academia to join TruWeather. “Don is very convincing,” he said. “I couldn't resist joining the TruWeather cause.”
Joint Efforts
In late 2021, AeroX secured a $5 million investment from the state legislature to bring such visions of a UAS traffic management (UTM) to life. As part of the UTM build out, AeroX has played a pivotal role in launching NC’s first Drones as First Responders (DFR) program for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FSCO). While setting that DFR program up, Yap has discovered great weather disparities across the state due to its diverse mountain, piedmont, and coastal plain regions with distinct weather patterns.
In NC’s mountainous western region, excessive rainfall, thunderstorm-related flooding, and prevalent fog create operational concerns for UAS. In the far eastern coastal plains, significant winds and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, influenced by sea breezes and hot air heating, present additional challenges. The formation of heat islands in the state's middle urban areas, caused by heat retention in paved surfaces, introduces specific weather conditions that also affect UAS operations. This necessitates the need for additional weather sensors beyond traditional AWOS coverage at airports.
Around the same time as Yap’s epiphany, he and Zarzar started swimming in the same circles. This led to coffees and strategic lunches, and ultimately, to a rich partnership between TruWeather and AeroX. Yap hypothesized that any viable UTM system would likely require accurate near-real time low altitude weather data. He decided to work with Zarzar to validate the market for the required tools (sensors, analytics etc.).
According to Yap, what he wanted to know was whether there was a real need for these weather tools. Were operators willing to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) using these tools? And so, the weather study began.
Sensors Provide Sensibility
The first step involved studying the placement of existing sensors, especially AWOS, at airports. These sensors, essential for safe takeoffs and landings, provide decreased accuracy for operations further away from the airport. The team found significant weather pattern deviations at distances as short as 5 to 7 miles from the Winston Salem airport. These initial findings validated that relying solely on expensive airport weather sensors is inadequate to capture critical localized weather variations.
In response to this challenge, TruWeather proposed a customized deployment of cost-effective weather sensors across NC to provide critical weather information such as temperature, visibility, winds, and ceilings around strategic locations.
According to Zarzar, some of these sensors are ground-based, positioned to provide detailed information. These sensors will serve as localized data points and offer precision in monitoring specific areas. Zarzar explained that they use another category of ground-based sensors that incorporated remote sensing technology, such as radar and LIDAR, to observe and analyze atmospheric conditions from a distance. They added to this mix, a flying weather lab, the Meteomatics AG Meteodrone, to monitor weather and collect real-time data along flight paths.
Local Findings With Global Significance
Combined, all of these advanced capabilities allow for a comprehensive assessment of wind patterns, cloud locations, and variations in wind speed at different altitudes that was never before possible. This key data contributes to both enhanced safety and operational viability. Ultimately, the AeroX - TruWeather study in NC highlights how the importance of considering microclimates and low altitude weather is crucial to UTM, UAS and eVTOL operations, not just in that one state, but everywhere.
Zarzar said, “North Carolina, with its diverse natural environments, served as an incredible natural laboratory that offered valuable lessons that can be extrapolated to many other regions.”
“As industry moves towards BVLOS operations, UTM becomes about much more than just tracking aircraft positions,” Yap added. “We proved that understanding potential weather impacts is equally crucial.”
The key message from both partners to UAS and eVTOL companies and the local governments that own the land across which they will fly: make weather a central part of your strategic planning. Because weather patterns undergo local changes everywhere, they said, work with experts to understand when, where, and why certain weather conditions happen. Armed with an understanding of local weather dynamics, then ensure investments in sensors, radar systems, and related technologies align with actual needs.
TruWeather continues doing just that with its ongoing work with AeroX in NC and in other states, such as Virginia, New York, Texas, Utah, California, Oregon, Alaska, and North Dakota. Zarzar noted, “We work with localities to strategically place sensors in different geographical locations to integrate weather models, obtain real-time data and enhance the overall system to capture specific weather conditions, with the aim of avoiding unnecessarily canceled or delayed flights.”
Like Zarzar, Yap has also become a believer in the value of integrating real-time weather data into operational frameworks. “Because of our work with TruWeather, in NC, I can confidently say that we are better equipped to make informed decisions to advance the industry safely.”
To learn more about how to integrate weather technology into your operations, contact TruWeather.
To learn more about plugging into North Carolina’s UAS ecosystem, contact AeroX.
Learn more from both Dr. Christopher Zarzar and Basil Yap on the 2024 Dawn of Autonomy podcast.
---
About Akshata:
Akshata, Production Manager at P3 Tech Consulting and Owner of Drone Script, is a mechanical engineer, freelance writer and a dedicated advocate of drone technology. She translates her passion for drones into tangible results. Akshata's ability to simplify complex concepts and inspire others positions her as a thought leader, bridging the gap between technology and its broader audience.
