Newsletter No. 3, February 2024
Newsletter Spotlight
WMO RA-IV ET-AVI Aviation Workshop
– San Jose, Costa Rica, November 27th
– December 1st, 2023
 ET-AVI held its first in-person aviation workshop in San José, Costa Rica during the last week in November 2023. The WMO workshop was organized by the ET-AVI co-chairs and members with assistance from the WMO member services and development department of the WMO RA IV. It was co-hosted with The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) of Costa Rica. The workshop was a great success with 30 in-person participants representing 16 countries and approximately 80 online participants representing at least an additional 9 countries.
The workshop focused heavily on Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) advisories and collaboration between Meteorological Watch Offices (MWOs). The first three days covered Volcanic Ash (WV) SIGMETs, Tropical Cyclone (WC) SIGMETs, and other en-route weather phenomenon (WS) SIGMETs. The fourth and fifth days covered site-specific products such as terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAF), trend forecasts, and aerodrome warnings, as well as topics in QMS.
Highlights from the workshop:
- Among the participants were representatives of the aviation authorities of Barbados, Cuba, Honduras, El Salvador, and Central American Air Navigation Services Corporation (COSESNA).
- 17 instructors participated (5 on-site and 15 remote, including two representatives from Caribbean Airlines and Delta Airlines).
- There was remote participation from
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) (NESDIS) Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC),
- The NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS) National Hurricane Center (NHC),
- The NOAA Aviation Weather Center (AWC),
- The University of Wisconsin, and
- The ICAO North American, Central American, and Caribbean (NACC) Air Transit).
- The collaboration of ICAO NACC was fundamental to have a more widespread participation and review of critical issues for ICAO members.
- Priority-identified topics for RA IV were addressed including: SIGMET, Coordination with the VAACs, MWOs, and State Volcano Observatories (SVO), Tropical Cyclone Advisory (TCA) preparation, updated Caribbean/South American (CARSAM)-SIGMET guidance, aviation hazards, TAF, trend type forecasts, and Quality Management Systems (QMS).
Presentations and recordings are available on the ET-AVI page on the WMO RA IV website. If you participated in the workshop or viewed the recordings later, we encourage you to fill out a brief online survey. Your responses will help us plan future activities!
To review the workshop agenda, please visit the link below and click on “Meeting Documents” in the center of the page. The agenda is available in English and Spanish.
https://community.wmo.int/en/meetings/ra-iv-aviation-workshop
For more information, please contact Heather Smith or Mike Graf (co-chairs of ET-AVI)
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Quality Management in Practice: A Tour of Implementation in Costa Rica.
Submitted by Evelyn Quirós
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirement for member states is to implement a Quality Management System (QMS), preferably certified under ISO 9001:2015. The clear objective of the QMS is Customer Service and Continuous Improvement, beyond that as providers of an aeronautical meteorological service that has been for years of quality, the objective of the National Meteorological Services (NMS) is to demonstrate that the quality provided over the decades is supported through the implementation of a QMS.
Like other states, Costa Rica has taken on the task of advancing in the implementation of its QMS, with a scope in aeronautical meteorology. The following is a summary of the key steps taken mainly by the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) to advance implementation:
- Leadership and commitment: The general management (DG), in particular, has organized the institution's personnel to ensure that the QMS has key elements for its implementation and maintenance.Internal structure: The Quality and Internal Control Unit has been established within the institution to act as the QMS administrator. In other words, this unit is in charge of the QMS Documentation System, planning internal audits, and plays the important role of interacting with the DG to review implementation progress. In addition, the IMN has trained a group of staff to become internal auditors.
- Establishment of a working group: To move forward a QMS requires a quality culture and this is only achieved by involving the staff, this is why it was established in conjunction with the QMS Administrator, a commission that works on the development of quality activities associated with the macro processes of the system, while a team of forecasters and observers serve as quality officers, Their task is to perform quality control of aeronautical products and services, including METAR, SPECI, TAF, Aerodrome Notices, data, and queries. This team works on cross-checks between the different airports to identify errors that may affect the quality of the services provided.
- Support from the Aviation Authority: understanding that the QMS requirement is for each state, therefore this deficiency corresponds to the state as a whole, and this makes it of such importance for the Civil Aviation Authority (Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DGAC of Costa Rica), assuming its part in supporting the IMN, providing guidance and advice, as it has been with the monitoring of the implementation phases through Checklists based on Doc. 1100 of OMM and ISO 9001:2015, the experience of the DGAC in this topic allows guiding its supplier in vital steps such as internal audits, performing simulated audits based on ISO, reviewing procedures and documentation to see if it has sufficient evidence and monitoring progress, although it is clear that the DGAC cannot certify, it is an ally that allows the IMN to get closer to being ready.
- Ensure the traceability of measurements: a fundamental aspect of a good service is the quality of its data, therefore the DGAC has ensured that the supplier of meteorological data provided through AWOS has the appropriate training to maintain them and has also made an effort to calibrate the equipment that needs calibration and to follow up with the IMN the equipment that requires verification and traceability. There is still a lot of work to be done in this area, but little by little agreements are being established so that this area can be developed in an organized manner among suppliers. COCESNA, who acts as a support provider to AWOS, has guaranteed the quality of these as part of its QMS, which is already certified in ISO 9001:2015.
- Support from the academia: two students are currently preparing their final graduation papers in contributing parts of the QMS implementation work, two topics are mainly addressed under these university studies: a. Risk Analysis and Quality Control. And b. Implementation of a QMS and the investment to maintain it.
With these steps, Costa Rica has managed to bring the implementation of the QMS from 10% at the beginning of 2023 to close to 60% at present (point 9 of the illustration). With a good expectation of completing the implementation by July 2024 and from there on to the successful path of achieving certification. However, beyond certification, the most important achievement is the creation of a culture of quality in the staff and management, an action created throughout this process.
Evelyn Quirós Badilla works for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Costa Rica, in the Department of Operational Safety, Air Navigation Supervision Unit as an ANS-MET Inspector, her training as a meteorologist, her specialty in weather forecasting and her master's degree in hydrology have allowed her to approach meteorology from various fields. She has also taught at several university training centers and has designed and taught courses in aeronautical meteorology.
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RECAP: 3rd meeting of the Standing Committee on Service for Aviation - 12-14 September, 2023
Submitted by Jennifer Stroozas
The third meeting of the Standing Committee on Service for Aviation (SC-AVI-3) was held in Exeter, UK, hosted by the UK Met Office 12-14 September, 2023.
The committee received updates from the following relevant groups and coordinators:
- Advisory Group on Volcanic Sciences for Applications (AG-VSA)
- Expert Team on Education, Training and Competency (ET-ETC)
- Expert Team on Weather and Climate Science for Aviation Applications (ET-WCS)
- Thematic Coordinator on Gender Mainstreaming
- Thematic Coordinator on Communications and Outreach
- Thematic Coordinators on Capacity Development
- Thematic Coordinator on Strategy and Governance
- Task Team on the Long-Term Plan for Aeronautical Meteorology (TT-LTP)
Additionally, SC-AVI focused on relevant technical regulations and supporting guidance materials affecting the committee. There was also discussion regarding the coordination and collaboration with aviation stakeholders such as ICAO panels and committees.
And lastly, the group discussed risk management and organizational structures, including succession planning with SC-AVI and its subsidiary bodies.
With WMO SERCOM-3 slated for March of 2024, the Exeter meeting was a great forum to discuss and prepare expected timelines and milestones that are quickly approaching.
Jennifer Stroozas is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the US National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center located in Kansas City, MO focusing on outreach, education, and partner liaison work. Her expertise is in aviation weather, fire weather, interagency collaboration, customer service, and decision support services.
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Member Article - Observation, the Starting Point
Submitted by Nelson Vásquez Castellar
Any meteorological analysis prior to a forecast has as its starting point an observation stage. From this argument, it can be concluded that a successful forecast is based on the accuracy and the highest possible frequency with which this stage is carried out.
Since time immemorial, when the logical and orderly process of generating knowledge, called the scientific method, began to be carried out, it has been palpable that everything begins with the patient, exhaustive, constant, and systematic phase of observation. Under the determined and contemplative gaze of an observer, a whole series of possible results are directed that converge in the construction of a truth, of a refutable and verifiable knowledge, not absolute. Once the phenomenon (process, system, etc.) of interest to be studied has been determined, it is necessary to give way to curiosity in order to perceive as accurately as possible its occurrence, the circumstances under which it occurs, and the characteristics that define it.
In aeronautical meteorology, the observatory process must necessarily meet these requirements in order to contribute to the achievement of the primary goal of safe and reliable aeronautical navigation. For this purpose, it is essential to count on the assistance of qualified personnel for the development of a sensory and instrumental analysis to identify, in the light of their knowledge, the prevailing atmospheric conditions at all times, the possible tendencies of change, and the implications they have for the operation of aircraft, both in flight and on the ground.
The repeated, meticulous, and rigorous manner in which the observation is carried out will make it a valuable input for the analysis and verification process prior to the forecast. The ability to foresee and anticipate with the highest level of probability the occurrence or presentation of weather conditions depends on it. Therefore, the preparation, the mystique, and the adequate visual position of the observer also mark, above all, an item without which it is impossible for the results of one stage to have a positive impact on the other.
A weather observer is a person with optimal sensory and interpretative capabilities who is aware of the evolution of atmospheric weather; that is, those atmospheric conditions that are present at a given time, in a given place (in this case, an aerodrome), and that are susceptible to continuous changes. To do so, they must constantly record and analyze the behavior of meteorological variables, such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind direction and speed, humidity, etc., through appropriate instrumentation. In addition, it must perceive as accurately as possible the types, quantities, and heights of clouds, the presence or absence of phenomena, and the reduction or not of horizontal visibility that this may entail.
Nowadays, in addition to this work on the ground (airfield), it is necessary to add an accurate analysis of satellite images or remote sensing images, especially in terms of nephanalysis; in other words, the analysis of clouds captured in such images. Being able to identify cloud conglomerates especially convective clouds that could potentially affect operations in the short term in an airfield or in its vicinity, is essential to generate more concise and useful information for the users of aeronautical services. For this reason and more, the work of a meteorological observer is fundamental for the optimal development of air navigation operations.
With the technological development and the consequent generation of more and more sophisticated instruments and equipment, the work of the meteorological observer has been in decline, although this does not mean that its importance has been reduced; in fact, it is even more important today, given the growing needs of meteorological products by the aviation industry. Despite this, the absolute reliance on automation and the growing popularity of new technologies is leading to a progressive reduction of human influence in the determination of prevailing atmospheric conditions, especially at aerodromes.
The work of observation has a lot of vocation, mysticism, and motivation. Since ancient times it has been developed under an esoteric, spiritual, and mysterious aura but with the passage of time, the need to record has gradually changed this vision. First, the anecdotal support of the most shocking meteorological events and then the numerical recording of the behavior of the atmospheric variables measured with conventional instruments were the prelude to the accumulation and automatic analysis of the information. Despite the level of precision and the speed of response that technology can provide, one misses the natural identification that humans dedicated to these science experiences with the weather, that relationship difficult to explain, where the atmospheric environment becomes a natural extension of their own limbs. However, beyond technological advances, human competition cannot be completely eradicated. Software will never be able to match the intelligent, argumentative, and associative analysis that only a person dedicated to the love of this science and this profession can perform.
Meteorological observation goes beyond numbers. They constitute the fundamental input of the analysis and enrich the interpretation of the results, but the association and relationship between the elements of an atmospheric observation to communicate in a clear and familiar language can only be developed by a person. But not just any person. To be a meteorological observer requires the adoption of a series of competencies ranging from academic to experiential, including attitudinal.
Currently, there is a lack of meteorological knowledge in the aeronautical field in general, and the observer must be the lighthouse that sheds light on this deficiency; therefore, there must always be a suitable person according to the required competencies. Logically, the forecasters must also be qualified, especially when it comes to integrating the information generated in the observation stage into their analysis tree prior to the prediction.
Academic knowledge in specific areas such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistics, systems, etc., analytical skills, proactivity, service attitude, but, above all, love for the profession, which is palpable when their work results in a neat, orderly, honest and accurate work to the meteorological reality are, among many others, some of the skills and attitudes that a meteorological observer should possess today.
A good start, undoubtedly, enhances the probability of a good end. Thus, in this way or under this argument, a good observation will project the realization of an accurate forecast.
Nelson Vasquez Castellar (Colombia) is a member of ET-AVI and works for the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) of Colombia in the field of aeronautical meteorology as a forecaster at the Ernesto Cortissoz Airport in Barranquilla. He is also a teacher at several aeronautical training centers in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia, and is in charge of the training personnel working in this field.
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Feedback for ET-AVI
We want to hear from you! What can ET-AVI do for you and your organization? If you have feedback to share; suggestions for activities related to services for aviation; newsletter articles or future webinar topics, please fill out this short questionnaire.
Link to the survey form: https://forms.office.com/r/Cis0vEpst6
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The RA-IV ET-AVI team plans to host two webinars each year with specific aviation topics the team would like to see more information about. Below are links to the most recent webinar materials. For access to more archived materials, please see the link in the Resources section below.
November 2023 Costa Rica Meeting
July 2023 QMS Webinar materials
December 2022 Webinar materials
July 2022 Webinar materials
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Reminders & Coming Events
- 27 February - 1
 March 2024 - Second Meeting of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Working Group (NACC/WG) Aeronautical Meteorology (MET) Task Force (TF) (MET/TF/02). For more information, please contact Mr. Luis Sánchez, Regional Officer, Aeronautical Meteorology and Environment or his Assistant Mrs. Yolanda Terrazas, at the following e-mail nacc-met@icao.int.
- 27 June 2024 - Regional Webinar - 1600Z-1800Z
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Resources
WMO Regional Association IV (RA-IV) Website - Highlights all WMO activities for North America (RA-IV)
WMO RA-IV ET-AVI Website - The official WMO website for the RA-IV Expert Team on Services for Aviation (ET-AVI). It includes the Terms of Reference (ToR) which steers the activities undertaken by our team.
Archive of Previous RA IV ET-AVI Newsletters (English and Spanish)
WMO Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) Site
WMO Aviation Training Moodle Site - This Moodle training portal is provided and maintained by the Expert Team on Education, Training, and Competency (ET-ETC) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI). The ET-ETC comprises aeronautical meteorology experts from around the world nominated by WMO Member States and Territories.
WMO Long-term Plan for Aeronautical Meteorology (2019) - The long-term plan for aeronautical meteorology (LTP-AeM) is intended to provide a framework upon which aeronautical meteorological service providers (AMSPs) of WMO Members in particular, and the broader meteorology and aviation communities in general, can plan a progressive transformation from a conventional “product-centric” approach to a modern “information-centric” approach to service provision for aviation through to 2030 and beyond.
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RA-IV Expert Team on Aviation Services
Co-Chairs: Mike Graf - US NOAA National Weather Service
Heather Smith - Environment and Climate Change Canada
Editor: Lora Wilson - US NOAA National Weather Service |
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