Cover Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 318 127 9
PDF Downloads 218 87 6
Article Type:
Research Article

supercooled fog dispersal for airport operations

W. Boynton BeckwithUnited Air Lines, Chicago, Ill.

Search for other papers by W. Boynton Beckwith in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMedClose
Print Publication:
01 Jun 1965
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477-46.6.323
Page(s):
323–327
Restricted access

The capability of dissipating supercooled fogs by aircraft seeding has been recognized since Schaefer experimented in 1946. Except for some localized application of this weather control and some side effects of research aimed at precipitation increase, no organized program of airport weather improvement was established in the United States until 1963. Seeding of supercooled fogs by dry ice was organized during two winters for the purpose of increasing airline schedule reliability at airports subjected to this cold fog. Better than 80% success was attained by this method, resulting in the operation of approximately 200 scheduled flights which would otherwise have been canceled. Typical examples of visibility improvement after less than an hour of seeding are illustrated. The direct benefits resulting from these programs outweigh the costs significantly and suggest that similar fog dispersal operations should be expanded to other areas of the United States which are subjected to supercooled fogs.

The capability of dissipating supercooled fogs by aircraft seeding has been recognized since Schaefer experimented in 1946. Except for some localized application of this weather control and some side effects of research aimed at precipitation increase, no organized program of airport weather improvement was established in the United States until 1963. Seeding of supercooled fogs by dry ice was organized during two winters for the purpose of increasing airline schedule reliability at airports subjected to this cold fog. Better than 80% success was attained by this method, resulting in the operation of approximately 200 scheduled flights which would otherwise have been canceled. Typical examples of visibility improvement after less than an hour of seeding are illustrated. The direct benefits resulting from these programs outweigh the costs significantly and suggest that similar fog dispersal operations should be expanded to other areas of the United States which are subjected to supercooled fogs.

Save