Bristol Industrial & Research Associates Ltd (Biral)

Bristol Industrial & Research Associates Ltd (Biral) was established in 1975 and is a global supplier of meteorological sensors for aviation. Our scope includes visibility and present weather sensors, and thunderstorm detectors. We also offer sensors to measure wind speed and direction, pressure, temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation.

Biral’s SWS and VPF range of visibility and present weather sensors are used throughout the world as part of aviation ground control and meteorological monitoring systems. These sensors along with the ambient light sensor form the core of RVR monitoring systems used to control the safe landing of aircraft in reduced visibility conditions. Our present weather sensors provide automated precipitation classification and monitoring that forms a vital part of the METAR signals broadcast to aircraft.

Smaller airfields without the need for RVR may cluster a set of sensors around a met-tower whilst larger airports have sensors at both ends of a runway. The largest applications can have three sets of sensors per runway in addition to a dedicated set for meteorological observation and forecasting. The Biral sensor range is perfectly suited to the varying needs of all these installations.

Biral visibility and present weather sensors have a range of features that reduce maintenance to a minimum. All Biral sensors have simple to use field test and calibration kits, allowing the operator to maintain a high degree of confidence in the measurements without the disruption and expense of removal for offsite calibration.

The detection and reporting of thunderstorms is important in the aviation industry, supporting both the safety of ground operations and the provision of meteorological data to aircraft and forecasting authorities. Our Thunderstorm Detector  has been developed to be compliant with FAA regulations for lightning detection systems used at airfields.

The BTD-300 Thunderstorm Detector is a standalone sensor that reliably detects the presence of all forms of lightning to a range of 83km. The distinctive quasi electrostatic operating principle gives the detector a very low false alarm rate and the ability to warn of the risk of overhead lightning, which network systems are not able to do.

To view our range of meteorological sensors for aviation visit https://www.biral.com/acat/aviation-meteorology/