AIRA - Aircraft Icing Research Alliance
Alliance Icing Research Study (AIRS)
Overview
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The Alliance Icing Research Study (AIRS) was a multi phase, collaborative effort involving several Canadian and U.S. research agencies and Universities.
The main objectives of the project, in order of priority, were:
- To improve our ability to remotely sense aircraft icing regions using satellite, aircraft or ground based systems.
- To obtain additional data to characterize the icing environment which might be used in a revision of "Appendix C," the criteria used to certify aircraft for icing conditions.
- To improve our ability to forecast icing conditions and to understand how these conditions develop.
- To obtain measurements of aircraft performance within icing conditions and shapes of ice accretion that might be used in verification of icing model codes or in wind tunnel studies that simulate icing conditions.
Status
AIRS I
- Winter 1999-2000
Airs II - Building On Our Success
- Winter 2003-2004
- Extensive planning phase
- 23 Agencies - 3 Aircraft
- Improved Ground and Air Sensing Systems
- Two integrated remote icing detection systems
Benefits
- Alliance field study allowed leverage of resources, funds, and technical expertise. Significant increase in data and scientific information compared to any single organization’s ability.
- Increased high-quality, in-flight icing cloud characterization database.
- Expanded the evaluation and assessment of more sensing instruments and processing techniques for remote detection of icing clouds — increased new technology examination for commercial applications.
- Data obtained has helped lead to the successful development of remote sensing systems that detect hazardous icing conditions. These systems will increase aviation safety by enabling aircraft to avoid potentially hazardous in-flight icing conditions.
Partnerships
NRC Convair-580 and NASA Glenn DHC-6 Twin Otter
Partnerships between Canadian and U.S. government agencies.
Principle sponsors:
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Meteorological Service of Canada
- National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration National Research Council
- Transport Canada
Ground based remote sensing systems, including multi-band radars, radiometers, and lidars, sampled the clouds above Mirabel Airport near Montreal, Quebec, while NASA and NRC icing research aircraft flew in the same clouds to obtain in-situ measurements of the cloud environment.
More Information
- Alliance Icing Research Study website
- A Description of AIRS II and Preliminary Results (PDF, 2.69 MB)
Photos
