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Besides
contributing to the safety of the aircraft on takeoff, in transit and landing,
the weather information also contributes significantly to the economic operation
of the airline industry. Surface wind data is used to locate the orientation of
runways. Aircraft pilots try to land and takeoff into the wind as much as
possible to enhance the lift of the aircraft. It is the relative motion of the
air across the wings, which enable the planes to fly. The stronger the wind is
blowing across the wings, the less ground speed the plane needs to takeoff and
consequently the less fuel the plane has to expend. Aircraft try to avoid taking
off and landing in crosswinds. This makes the aircraft unstable and above a
certain wind speed threshold, pilots are not allowed to land or takeoff
depending on the type of aircraft. So the orientation of the runways can
contribute significantly to the profitable operation of an airline and an
airport.
The
air temperature and the humidity of the aerodrome are also important for
aircraft operation. The warmer the air is and the more moisture it has, the less
dense the air becomes and the less lift the air provides when flowing over the
wings of the plane. Aircraft operators use the forecast air temperature and
humidity to determine the amount of cargo with which the planes can safely
takeoff. The lower the temperature and humidity, the more cargo the plane can
carry. Therefore, accurate forecasts of these parameters contribute to the
economic operation of the airline and airport. Once on route, the patterns of
wind aloft and the weather conditions determine how quickly the airplane can get
to its destination. Depending on the distance of his/her destination, a pilot
can save considerable time and consequently fuel on his/her journey. With a
strong tail wind a pilot can shorten his time across the Atlantic by two hours.
By knowing ahead of time where severe weather is located the pilot can avoid
costly diversions by proper flight planning. If a pilot can shorten his expected
flying time, he does not have to fill up his tanks. His plane weighs less and he
can add on more cargo. Again this can contribute to the profitable operation of
an airline.
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