Frequently Asked Questions
TAMDAR PROGRAM
What is TAMDAR?
TAMDAR (Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Report) is the result of several NASA sponsored aviation weather safety initiatives. The goal is to design, build, and fly an inexpensive instrument that would measure meteorological variables from commuter aircraft flying to small and medium size cities. It is anticipated that TAMDAR will result in more accurate weather forecasts and reduce aircraft accidents and delays.
Who is involved in this project, and what are their roles?
NASA has partially funded the design and testing of the TAMDAR instrument. Airdat LLC has contributed towards the design and testing, as well as satellite communications capabilities, quality control, etc. Mesaba Airlines is providing access to, and modification of, their aircraft to install the TAMDAR sensor. National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists will use the data as part of a six to nine month activity known as the Great Lakes Fleet Experiment, and provide feedback on data quality, availability, and application to various weather phenomena.
What is the Great Lakes Fleet Experiment?
The Great Lakes Fleet Experiment will involve NASA, AirDat, Mesaba Airlines, NOAA/National Weather Service, and NOAA/Forecast Systems Laboratory. AirDat will manufacture 64 TAMDAR units for Mesaba Airlines to install on their Saab 340 aircraft. AirDat will downlink the observations to AirDat, Mesaba Airlines, and the Forecast Systems Laboratory. AirDat and FSL will format the data into web pages. The FSL will also send TAMDAR data to NWS offices for display on AWIPS workstations. In addition, the FSL will use TAMDAR in retrospective runs of the Rapid Update Cycle model. NWS meteorologists in these offices will use TAMDAR data and report on its quality, availability, and usefulness in the forecast process. NASA is sponsoring the experiment, and will assist in the determination of whether TAMDAR is a cost effect source of upper air data, and whether TAMDAR will reduce aircraft accidents and delays.
Why was
Mesaba Airlines chosen?
The TAMDAR team was looking for a regional airline with a large prop-jet fleet,
flying in an area with many meteorological phenomena, that was willing to make
the committments necessary for a demonstration project. We were also looking for
airline destinations that coincided with NWS radiosonde locations, thus offering
an opportunity to compare TAMDAR to radiosondes. Mesaba was an excellent match
to these requirements.
Why was the
Saab 340 chosen instead of a regional jet aircraft?
The Saab 340 was chosen because it flies shorter flights at lower altitudes than
most regional jet aircraft. The fact that there are shorter duration flights
means that there are more takeoffs and landings, and therefore, more soundings.
The fact that they fly at lower altitudes is also important, as data from the
mid levels of the atmosphere is important for most meteorological processes.
This also compliments the large commecial jets that provide a significant amount
of ACARS/MDCRS data from the upper levels of the atmosphere. Even though TAMDAR
will initially be used on the Saab 340, it can be installed on most any
commercial aircraft, with FAA certification.
Who is
AirDat?
AirDat is a privately held company that has developed and patented the TAMDAR
instrument. They have worked with NASA, the FAA, the University of North Dakota,
as well as Old Dominion and Georgia Tech universities to develop, test and
evaluate the instrument, and build a business case for TAMDAR.
DATA ACQUISITION
Where will this data come from?
TAMDAR data will be retrieved from 64 Mesaba Airlines Saab 340 turboprop aircraft. Click here for details on the aircraft. It will be sent via satellite to Airdat LLC and NOAA’s Forecast Systems Laboratory, where it will be displayed on interactive web pages.
Who can receive TAMDAR data?
Access to TAMDAR will be unrestricted during the six to nine month Great Lakes Field Experiment that will begin in January.
Where can I get TAMDAR data?
Public access will be made via a web page sponsored by AirDat LLC. The address will be posted here soon. NWS, airline and university meteorologists may view TAMDAR along with other aircraft data at the FSL ACARS web page at http://acweb.fsl.noaa.gov. TAMDAR will also be available at NWS forecast offices on AWIPS.
What format will TAMDAR be made available in?
TAMDAR will be available on the public web page via a java web browser that will display flight paths, winds at different altitudes, and soundings near airports. The data can also be converted to plain text format. NWS, airline and university meteorologists can also get data in netCDF or BUFR formats.
How timely will the data be?
TAMDAR will be made available within fifteen minutes via the public web page.
DATA CHARACTERISTICS
Where will TAMDAR data be available?
TAMDAR equipped aircraft will fly over a good deal of the United States east of the Rockies. The greatest concentration is around the Great Lakes, Northern Plains, and Ohio Valley. To see a map of TAMDAR flight paths, click here.
When will soundings be available?
TAMDAR sounding times can be viewed at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/tamdar/sounding_map.php
Keep in mind that sounding times can change due to weather and air traffic delays.
How accurate will the data be?
Test flights indicate that TAMDAR temperatures are accurate within 1 deg C, humidity within 5%, wind direction within 5 degrees, and wind speed within 4 knots. For a complete table of sensor accuracy, click here.
What is the vertical resolution of the data?
Data should be available every 10 mb from the surface through the first 100 mb, and every 50 mb thereafter.
