I have never been particularly afraid of flying. Don’t get me wrong, sitting for seven or more hours in an economy class seat is hardly my idea of fun, however at least I don’t have to dwell on the physical or theological arguments as to whether man should be able to fly!
This confidence is no doubt borne from my belief in the expertise and professionalism of airlines, their pilots and engineers to operate a safe flight. However, most of all I have faith in the aircraft themselves. That confidence has only increased since I have worked at Honeywell and have a much greater understanding and appreciation of the incredible technologies and solutions Honeywell has developed to make flying both safer and more enjoyable.
So why do I hate turbulence so much? Why am I filled with a sense of dread at the slightest bump, break into a cold sweat at the sight of the seat belt sign illuminating and curse the pilot for not navigating around the invisible pockets of rising hot air as if he were Superman?
And though I draw little comfort from the fact, I am not alone. Recent surveys have found that a fear of turbulence is common amongst both passengers and crew! Airlines are not particularly fond of extreme weather either. Such weather is more than a minor inconvenience to airlines with turbulence incidents costing the airline industry more than $100 million a year. In fact, weather delays account for more than 52 percent of flight delays and cost the U.S. economy as much as $18 billion a year in lost time and productivity. On a more human level there were nearly 400 turbulence-related passenger injuries in the U.K. between 2009 and 2013!
Fortunately, and once again thanks to Honeywell, turbulence related incidents and injuries could be a thing of the past. The IntuVue® family of advanced 3D weather radar systems use the latest technologies to provide pilots with unprecedented view of the weather around them. IntuVue’s innovations include the use of volumetric 3D scanning and pulse compression technologies that provide vastly improved weather detection and unique predictive hazard warnings for lightning, hail, windshear and turbulence. Unlike conventional 2D radars, the IntuVue radar gives pilots the whole picture.
By rapidly and automatically scanning 160 degrees in front of the aircraft at many tilt angles, the system captures weather data vertically from 0 to 60,000 feet and ahead up to 320 nautical miles. IntuVue radars provide a clear view of weather conditions and potential hazards along and in the vicinity of the flight path.
Only IntuVue provides advanced weather detection through all stages of flight – from taxi to take-off and throughout the entire journey – even through to approach and landing. The first all-new radar concept in more than 30 years, IntuVue provides pilots with an unparalleled picture of the weather in front of, below and even behind the aircraft.
Thanks to Honeywell and IntuVue those nasty little bumps in the flight might just be a thing of the past.
The Author is Marketing Communications Manager, Honeywell Aerospace.
