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ACRP
AIRPORT
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
REPORT 8
Sponsored by
the Federal
Aviation
Administration
Lightning-Warning Systems
for Use by Airports
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ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE* TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2008 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
James Wilding CHAIR: Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
Independent Consultant VICE CHAIR: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
VICE CHAIR
Jeff Hamiel MEMBERS
MinneapolisSt. Paul
Metropolitan Airports Commission J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
MEMBERS John D. Bowe, President, Americas Region, APL Limited, Oakland, CA
Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
James Crites
DallasFort Worth International Airport
Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation,
Richard de Neufville Norfolk, VA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology William A.V. Clark, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
Kevin C. Dolliole David S. Ekern, Commissioner, Virginia DOT, Richmond
UCG Associates Nicholas J. Garber, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia,
John K. Duval Charlottesville
Beverly Municipal Airport Jeffrey W. Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
Steve Grossman
Oakland International Airport Edward A. (Ned) Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
Tom Jensen Will Kempton, Director, California DOT, Sacramento
National Safe Skies Alliance Susan Martinovich, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
Catherine M. Lang Michael D. Meyer, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of
Federal Aviation Administration Technology, Atlanta
Gina Marie Lindsey Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington
Los Angeles World Airports
Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
Carolyn Motz
Hagerstown Regional Airport Pete K. Rahn, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
Richard Tucker Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Huntsville International Airport Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR
Rosa Clausell Rountree, Executive Director, Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority, Atlanta
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
Sabrina Johnson C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Linda S. Watson, CEO, LYNXCentral Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
Richard Marchi Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
Airports Council International--North America
Laura McKee EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Air Transport Association of America
Henry Ogrodzinski Thad Allen (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
National Association of State Aviation Officials Joseph H. Boardman, Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT
Melissa Sabatine Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
American Association of Airport Executives Paul R. Brubaker, Research and Innovative Technology Administrator, U.S.DOT
Robert E. Skinner, Jr. George Bugliarello, Chancellor, Polytechnic University of New York, Brooklyn, and Foreign Secretary,
Transportation Research Board
National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC
Sean T. Connaughton, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
SECRETARY
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the
Christopher W. Jenks Interior, Washington, DC
Transportation Research Board Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
John H. Hill, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials, Washington, DC
Carl T. Johnson, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
J. Edward Johnson, Director, Applied Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS
Thomas J. Madison, Jr., Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Nicole R. Nason, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
James S. Simpson, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT
Robert A. Sturgell, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
Robert L. Van Antwerp (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of June 2008. *Membership as of September 2008.
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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ACRP REPORT 8
Lightning-Warning Systems
for Use by Airports
Lawrence Heitkemper
Ronald F. Price
MDA FEDERAL INC.
Rockville, MD
David B. Johnson
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
Boulder, CO
Subject Areas
Aviation
Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2008
www.TRB.org
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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM ACRP REPORT 8
Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in trans- Project 04-02
portation of people and goods and in regional, national, and inter- ISSN 1935-9802
national commerce. They are where the nation's aviation system ISBN: 978-0-309-11752-4
connects with other modes of transportation and where federal respon- Library of Congress Control Number 2008908760
sibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects
with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most © 2008 Transportation Research Board
airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems,
to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to
introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Coopera- COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
tive Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions
written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
to meet demands placed on it. published or copyrighted material used herein.
The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport
Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study spon- Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
sored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The ACRP carries understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB or FAA endorsement
out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the
agencies and are not being adequately addressed by existing federal material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate
research programs. It is modeled after the successful National Coopera- acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of
tive Highway Research Program and Transit Cooperative Research Pro- the material, request permission from CRP.
gram. The ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in a
variety of airport subject areas, including design, construction, mainte-
nance, operations, safety, security, policy, planning, human resources, NOTICE
and administration. The ACRP provides a forum where airport opera-
tors can cooperatively address common operational problems. The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Airport Cooperative Research
Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the
The ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing
100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary partici- Board's judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the
pants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP purposes and resources of the National Research Council.
Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S.
The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review
Department of Transportation with representation from airport oper- this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration
ating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry organizations for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions
such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and
the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not
Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), and the Air Transport necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or
the Federal Aviation Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Association (ATA) as vital links to the airport community; (2) the TRB
as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to
(3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive
Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.
contract with the National Academies formally initiating the program.
The ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of airport The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research
professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, Council, and the Federal Aviation Administration (sponsor of the Airport Cooperative
Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers'
equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research orga-
names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and
nizations. Each of these participants has different interests and respon- completeness of the project reporting.
sibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort.
Research problem statements for the ACRP are solicited periodically
but may be submitted to the TRB by anyone at any time. It is the
responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by iden-
tifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and
expected products.
Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel,
appointed by the TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and
research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport pro-
fessionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels pre-
pare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and
provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the
project. The process for developing research problem statements and Published reports of the
selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooper- AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP
are available from:
project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the Transportation Research Board
Business Office
intended end-users of the research: airport operating agencies, service 500 Fifth Street, NW
providers, and suppliers. The ACRP produces a series of research Washington, DC 20001
reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other
interested parties, and industry associations may arrange for work- and can be ordered through the Internet at
shops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
results are implemented by airport-industry practitioners. Printed in the United States of America
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR ACRP REPORT 8
Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Charles W. Niessner, Senior Program Officer
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
ACRP PROJECT 04-02 PANEL
Field of Safety
Allen D. Parra, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Chair)
Vincent J. Cardillo, Massachusetts Port Authority, East Boston, MA
Parker W. McClellan, Jr., Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Orlando, FL
Lawrence Smith, Odessa, FL
Mark Weber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thomas Mai, FAA Liaison
Christine Gerencher, TRB Liaison
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FOREWORD
By Charles W. Niessner
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
This report provides a quantitative means to assess the operational benefits associated with
delay reductions that lightning detection and warning systems can generate. The report will be
of particular interest to airline and airport personnel responsible for aircraft ramp safety.
Air carriers and airports are concerned with the potential hazards of lightning. Safety
policies and practices require that ramp operations be discontinued when the potential for
lightning exists. Ramp closures significantly affect all facets of airport operations, including
landside, terminal, and airside operations, and the National Airspace System. The severity
of these effects could be reduced if current airport lightning-warning systems were
enhanced to more precisely identify the periods when ramp closures must be in effect. For
example, this could be accomplished by integrating measurements from other weather-
observing systems, such as radar, into the lightning-warning systems. Research is needed to
determine appropriate methodologies and expected improvements in warning capability.
Under ACRP Project 04-02, "Lightning-Warning Systems for Use by Airports," re-
searchers at MDA Federal Inc., developed a quantitative means to assess the operational
benefits associated with delay reductions that lightning detection and warning systems can
generate. It enables an assessment of whether such systems are cost-beneficial on an indi-
vidual airport or airline basis.
The researchers reviewed and evaluated existing/developing technologies for the mea-
surement and prediction of lightning hazards, conducted a survey of selected airports and
airlines to identify capabilities and limitations, assessed users' satisfaction with existing
warning systems, and performed a cost analysis of operational costs resulting from airport
ramp/apron closures. The current state of the industry for airport lightning detection and
warning systems appears to be effective. However, there are a number of ways to refine and
improve the systems by making better use of the currently available weather observations
through the development of "smarter" software and analysis algorithms. These changes
have the potential to further minimize the number and duration of ramp closure events and
enhance ramp worker safety decision making.
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AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
MDA Federal Inc. was the prime contractor for this study, and the National Center for Atmospheric
Research was a subcontractor. Authors of this report are Lawrence Heitkemper, Vice President, MDA
Federal; Ronald F. Price, Program ManagerAviation Services, MDA Federal, who also served as the
Principal Investigator; and David B. Johnson, Ph.D., Research Applications Laboratory, National Center
for Atmospheric Research.
The project benefited from an expert panel organized by the Transportation Research Board. The panel
was convened to review the working papers prepared during the course of the study and to meet with the
MDA Federal team as we began to assemble our final report. The panel provided helpful and responsive
feedback that enhanced the utility of the study research.
The authors also wish to express appreciation to the various staff of the airports and airlines surveyed
as part of this study. They provided information concerning the lightning detection and warning systems
that they employ and the processes and procedures they follow in managing the utilization of the aircraft
ramp and personnel that are assigned to outdoor activities. These included representatives from the
following airports and airlines:
· Airports
· Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, North Carolina
· Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, Illinois
· Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, Texas
· Denver International Airport, Colorado
· Orlando International Airport, Florida
· Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona
· Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania
· Tampa International Airport, Florida
· Airlines
· American Airlines
· Northwest Airlines
· United Airlines
· United Parcel Service
The authors also acknowledge the assistance and support of Dan Breed and Frank Hage from the
National Center for Atmospheric Research, as well as background discussions with Don MacGorman,
NOAA National Severe Storm Laboratory (NSSL); Bill Beasley, University of Oklahoma; and Steve Good-
man, NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS). During the
course of our study we visited Vaisala's Tucson Operations Center in Arizona and the offices of Weather
Decision Technologies in Norman, Oklahoma. During our visits and in subsequent interchanges, we
received valuable support and a wealth of information from Nick Demetriades, Martin Murphy, Ron
Holle, Nic Wilson, and Geoff Bing (all from Vaisala), and from Mike Eilts, President and CEO of Weather
Decision Technologies, Inc. We also received detailed product information from Jim Block (DTN/
Meteorlogix) and from Mark Miller, Peter Neilley, and Kim Rauenzahn (all from WSI). Our appreciation
is also extended to the American Meteorology Society, which permitted us to reprint definitions of
lightning terms from their Glossary of Meteorology.
Finally, the authors express their sincere thanks to ACRP Senior Program Officer Charles Niessner for
his assistance throughout the project and to Adrienne Blackwell, Senior Program Assistant, for facilitat-
ing the panel meetings and other aspects of producing the final research report.
NOTE
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the
Federal Aviation Administration (sponsor of the Airport Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse
products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are consid-
ered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting.
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CONTENTS
1 Summary
7 Chapter 1 Background
7 Lightning Properties, Behavior, and Terminology
11 Lightning Detection Technologies
15 Review of Current Airport Lightning Detection Technologies
19 Lightning Prediction Technologies
25 Chapter 2 Airport and Airline Surveys
25 Introduction
25 Survey Results
32 Survey Observations
33 Conclusions
34 Chapter 3 Cost Analysis
34 Introduction
34 Airport Operations During Lightning Events
34 Specific Impacts and Costs of Suspending Ramp Operations
35 Approach to Cost Savings Analysis
36 Analysis of Costs
36 Case Studies
42 Shorter Duration Events
43 30/15 Analysis
43 Findings
45 Chapter 4 Conclusions
45 Current Systems
46 Smart Algorithms and Software
47 Integrating Technologies for Improved Performance
48 Predicting Lightning Hazards
48 Making Use of Existing Data Integration Systems
49 Additional Issues
49 Looking Toward the Future
50 Summary and Recommendations
52 References
54 Abbreviations
55 Appendix A Lightning Events Data
63 Appendix B Glossary of Lightning Terms
