Polarimetric Avionic Weather Radar for Increasing Flight Safety and Efficiency

Current avionic weather radars cannot give accurate information about the weather hazards. Pilots avoid the potentially dangerous area with a greater detour, but only thirty percent of “red echo” radar returns represent actually a threat. These detours involve a longer trajectory and a greater impact on the environment. Instead, a polarimetric radar, which can discriminate for instance between rain and hail, can enhance pilot situational awareness and support trajectory optimization. In the framework of KLEAN project funded by CLEANSKY Joint Technology Initiative, a customized knowledge-based Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) was developed. This EFB, other than being capable to show the map, the flight trajectory and information about surrounding environment, it also implements a polarimetric radar data processor aimed to the assessment of the risk level of the phenomena encountered en route.