Wireless-Based WLAN Technology on the NOAA WP-3D Research Aircraft

Frank Marks
NOAA/OAR/AOML Hurricane Research Division

NOAA's Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) and a consortium of Office of Oceanic Atmopheric Research scientists have used HPCC support to buy and install an off-the-shelf, single channel satellite communications transceiver on each of the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft, and set up air and ground based network servers to send email and data between the aircraft and the ground. Unlike any system now used by NOAA, this configuration allows for high band-width, near-realtime, two-way communications, between in-flight aircraft anywhere between 70° N to 70° S to an operations base anywhere in the world. Data is disseminated to users through the internet. This capability is of great use to a number of NOAA researchers and forecasters for programs investigating rapidly developing systems over remote regions, such as hurricanes and winter storms. This system was used by OAR/ETL and Western Region NWS for Pacific winter storms research during the Pacific Landfalling Jets Experiment (PACJET, http://www.etl.noaa.gov/programs/pacjet/), by NWS/TPC/NHC for hurricane surveillance and reconnaissance, and by OAR/HRD for hurricane research (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/HFP2001/).

Besides demonstrating Next Generation Internet (WLAN) technology for use in connecting mobile NOAA assets with the ground, this communications technology improves dramatically the availability of near real time observations and analyses produced on the aircraft to the forecast offices, particularly those in the Western Region during PACJET, and TPC/NHC during hurricanes. Examples of the information desseminated by the aircraft in near real-time from the aircraft will be presented. We will also discuss plans for future applications of the technology for transferring satellite data from the ground to the aircraft.

BIO - Frank Marks 1980 - Present : Hurricane Research Division Title : Meteorologist Job Description : Meteorological data analysis; particularly mesoscale phenomenon, using conventional data sets in conjunction with quantitative radar data. Awards and Honors 1997 : US Department of Commerce Silver Medal for performance as the Research Mission Manager for the NOAA High Altitude Jet procurement 1992 : US Department of Commerce Gold Medal for Hurricane Research Division's Performance in Hurricane Andrew (group award) 1989 : Distinguished Authorship Award, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Research Laboratories Professional 1971 - Present : American Meteorological Society Committees : 1984-1991 Committee on Radar Meteorology (Chairman 1987-1991) 1997 - Present : Fellow, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences 1997 - Present : Senior Fellow, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii 1997 : USWRP Landfalling Hurricanes Workshop Organizing Team (Co-Chairman) 1996 : USWRP Prospectus Development Team #5: Landfalling tropical cyclones, (Co-Chairman) 1996 - Present : North American Atmospheric Observing System (NAOS), Test and Evaluation Working Group 1996 : NSF Review panel for NCAR's Atmospheric Technology Division, (Chairman) 1995 : Committee of Visitors, Review of the NSF Division of Atmospheric Sciences' Lower Atmospheric Research Section 1993 - Present : Research Mission Manager for the NOAA mid-size jet procurement 1993 - Present : Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. 1992 - 1994 : Observing Facility Advisory Panel, NCAR/ATD (Chairman 1994) Education Sc.D. Meteorology : Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1981) M.S. Meteorology : Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1975) B.S. Meteorology : Belknap College (1973)

Conference Center - Paper Tuesday - 11:30 - 12:00 A.M.