Aviation safety is a critical aspect of modern travel, with turbulence being one of the leading causes of weather-related flight incidents. Almost 75%1 of weather-related accidents occur due to turbulence, making accurate turbulence prediction a paramount challenge in the aviation industry. To address this challenge, SkyPath developed its Turbulence Nowcast—an AI-driven turbulence forecast now with up to 12 hours of prediction and 90% accuracy.
The Challenge of Turbulence Prediction
Turbulence has long been a major concern for pilots, airlines, and passengers alike. Turbulence is a complex and dynamic phenomenon, hard to predict and moreover, hard to predict accurately, influenced by a multitude of factors including atmospheric conditions, wind patterns, and flight altitude hence traditional methods of predicting turbulence have often fallen short.
What makes SkyPath Nowcasting unique?
Significantly more turbulence observations than ever before: SkyPath collects over 4 billion raw turbulence samples per year making for an unprecedented quantity of data upon which to build the forecast and more importantly, validate it.
Predicts Clear Air Turbulence (CAT): Real-time use of wide range of current turbulence and weather parameters, based on state-of-the-art physics and meteorological research.
Advanced Machine Learning model updates forecast on hourly basis for most accurate predictions.
SkyPath Nowcasting in the Field: Real-World Impact
SkyPath Nowcasting isn’t just a theoretical model; it has proven its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
A SkyPath analysis of 129 real world turbulence events ended with injuries, found that SkyPath had pre-existing information on 100 of the events (78%) across both observational and predictive SkyPath data sources. SkyPath Nowcasting had pre-existing information that could have potentially averted these incidents.
Some of these debriefs are presented here. Each of these events highlighted the accuracy and timeliness of SkyPath’s predictions, showing consistent hits on real-world turbulence events. The flight paths are presented in green, with the red pins marking the location of the accidents. Visible on the map are SkyPath’s predictions of moderate and moderate-occasionally-severe turbulence at each location.
21st August 2024
26th May 2024
Conclusion
SkyPath Nowcasting is more than just a forecasting tool—it is a leap forward in aviation safety. By combining AI with a vast and ever-growing dataset, SkyPath is setting new standards for predicting clear air turbulence. As this innovative solution continues to evolve, it promises to make air travel even safer and more reliable.