THE AIRCRAFT WEATHER SYSTEMS, AND THE SAFETY OF AIR PASSENGERS

                           

 

                                        Facts to consider from Air-Asia:

Before take-off the pilot of QZ8501 had asked for permission to fly at a higher altitude to avoid the storm, but his request was not approved due to other planes above him on the popular route, according to AirNav, Indonesia's air traffic control.

In his last communication, the pilot said he wanted to change course to avoid the menacing storm system. Then all contact was lost, about 40 minutes after the plane had taken off.

- International search effort -

                                         Questions people ask?

1. Would the pilot have canceled the flight or waited for some time till the storm has passed, since being aware from ground?
2. are there other factors that influences the pilot decisions on safety?

They pilot will always have the final say in his decisions. This is not to blame someone, but to raise a voice for the safety of air passengers world wide. Flying remains the number one safest means of transport, especially with technologies like Airborne weather radar: a type of radar used to provide an indication to pilots of the intensity of convective weather. Modern weather radars are mostly Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to intensity of the precipitation.
Typically, the radar antenna is located in the nose of the aircraft. Signals from the antenna are processed by a computer and presented on a screen which may be viewed by the pilots. Droplet size is a good indicator of strong updrafts within cumulonimbus clouds, and associated turbulence, which is indicated on the screen by patterns, color coded for intensity.
Some airborne weather radar systems may also be able to predict the presence of wind shear.
As continuous effort are been made to recover the bodies of Air-Asia victims, it's our obligations as pilots, Airline management and aviators generally to reflect on issues of Air safety, especially over the Asia Pacific.