Vaisala Oyj
Airport Weather Systems and Software
Vaisala is a leading supplier of automated airport weather systems and software. Weather affects both the safety and the efficiency of many of the most central functions in airport operations. Having real-time, accurate and reliable weather information at hand, in easily understandable format through intuitive user interfaces for all different users at the airport, is of vital importance to cope with these weather related challenges.
Vaisala has during the last decades learnt to understand and solve these weather critical challenges at airports. Vaisala AviMet® Aviation Weather solution is developed to meet the level of reliability and accuracy that your airport requires to operate safely and efficiently in all weather conditions. The inbuilt modularity and flexibility not only enables the AviMet® solution to be built to perfectly fit your current airport operational needs, it also provides the foundation that is easy to modify or expand whenever your future development plans become reality.
Vaisala’s over 30 years of experience in building airport specific weather solutions has given us the needed professional competence to effectively manage the whole life-cycle of the solution, i.e. the design, delivery, installation, training, maintenance and finally modernization phases.
All Vaisala AviMet® aviation weather solutions are based on the AviMet® platform. These user-specific solutions are based on customer needs and requirements. Vaisala systems designed for airports are fully compliant with FAA, ICAO and WMO measurement standards, regulations and recommendations.
Company Profile
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AviMet® Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS)
Vaisala AviMet® Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) conforms to all relevant ICAO and WMO weather requirements and provides official weather for your airport.
The system provides continuous, real-time weather reports for pilots, airport operators and managers and is a fully configurable to cover airport needs of all ICAO categories.
The AWOS helps pilots and aviation personnel make critical decisions by providing continuous, real time information and reports on airport weather conditions.
Vaisala AWOS systems and solutions are designed to grow with your airport, making them the smart choice for long-term investment. All of our AWOS systems are scalable, with an open system architecture that makes upgrading and expansion easy. Vaisala offers the best resources and capabilities for tailoring a complete solution to any weather-related challenge. Our AWOS systems can be customized to incorporate sensors that detect runway condition as well as more problematic weather phenomena such as freezing rain, windshear and thunderstorms.
Vaisala can assist in all aspects of your AWOS project – from initial planning through maintenance and lifecycle support. We offer flexible configurations to meet the requirements of your airport and to minimize the installation costs. Features and benefits:
- Fully configurable and modular system
- Fully scalable to cover the needs from CATI to CATIII airports
- Superior data accuracy and consistency
- Guaranteed maximum data availability and reliability by duplicated central data units
- Seamless integration of meteorological data into other ATM systems
- ICAO compliant reporting format
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AviMet® Runway Visual Range System (RVR)
The Vaisala AviMet® Runway Visual Range System (RVR) is a fully automated runway visual range assessment and reporting system for airports. It provides calculated estimation of the distance a pilot can see down a runway. Prevailing weather conditions (e.g. fog, rain, snow, etc.) have the most impact on RVR, but ambient light levels and runway light settings are also an important part of the equation.
The Vaisala AviMet® RVR system is fully configurable to cover airport needs of all ICAO categories from CAT I to CAT III.
Vaisala AviMet® Runway Visual Range System comprises a visibility sensor, a background luminance meter and a computer that calculates the RVR values. The visibility sensor is offered in two forms: transmissometer or forward scatter meter. The RVR computer collects the visibility data the background luminance data and runway light setting data. Based on this data, it calculates the RVR values. RVR messages and alarms are distributed to output devices.
Vaisala AviMet® RVR is designed to interface with various output communication formats and to meet various communication standards and conventions. Furthermore, the data outputs are transmitted accurately via various communication media.
AviMet® RVR is part of the AviMet® technology platform. Other major systems based on the platform are: Vaisala AviMet® Low-Level Windshear Alert System (LLWAS) and Vaisala AviMet® Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS). Each of these can be easily and fully integrated together.
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AviMet® Windshear Alert System (LLWAS)
The Vaisala AviMet® LLWAS offers aviation authorities the ability to dramatically improve aviation safety, the landing minima, and all weather traffic density with a low investment budget.
The LLWAS is the first choice stand-alone windshear detection system for airfields where weather radars cannot be considered due to budget constraints. On the other hand, the system can be integrated with TDWR systems as well to provide the ultimate quality for windshear detection. According to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the highest quality windshear warnings are achieved by integrating the results of a Phase III Low Level Windshear Detection System and a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar. To achieve this integration, the Vaisala AviMet® LLWAS is able to output data to a radar system.
The Vaisala AviMet® LLWAS is the newest ground based Windshear Alert System that incorporates the latest version of the phase III windshear algorithm developed for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and patented by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Foundation (UCAR).
The vast research on the windshear and microburst phenomena results in reliable alerts and warnings conveyed unambiguously to the operator on the LLWAS numeric and graphic displays. To generate crucial windshear alerts and warnings, the LLWAS system retrieves constantly wind data from an array of wind sensors surrounding the runway. The wind sensor array is carefully positioned and aligned in accordance with the MIT, Lincoln Laboratories and the National Center for Atmospheric Research system design guidelines to provide the maximum system reliability.
The Phase III windshear system is the result of many years of development in microburst alert research and represents the best technology currently available. The increased detection capabilities coupled with the low false alarm rates makes the Phase III system a clear choice over the older Phase I and II systems. Not only does the Vaisala AviMet® LLWAS use the best available algorithms in the world, it is newly designed and built to provide the user with the most advanced and reliable information on low level windshear and microbursts.
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Runway Weather Information System (RWIS)
Accurate real-time weather monitoring is one of the most cost effective ways of improving airport safety. Winter weather presents challenging conditions, in the form of snow and ice. Keeping runways and taxiways clear of ice and snow is vital to ensure continuous, safe airport operations.
Vaisala RWIS is a fully integrated system that provides critical information to make informed decision about treating, clearing, and maintaining the airport surface. The system provides weather information and forecasts in such a way that the winter maintenance service engineer can decide if, when and where to provide de-icing treatments. This increases runway and taxiway safety whilst reducing the operational costs and environmental impact of winter service.
- Reduces runway maintenance costs
- Reduces chemical application based on reported conditions
- Improves decision making and makes critical decisions easier
