UAS DC Participants Meeting No 9
WMO UAS DC Participants Meeting No 9 - Preeliminary results and follow-up discussion
This call will focus on the post-campaign report and preeliminary results from operators.
Date and time: 28 April 2025 – 14:00UTC (16:00CEST)
Agenda:
- Welcome to the participants
- WMO report about finalization of WMO UAS DC || presentation - pdf
- Preliminary results by operators (10min each):
- Dr James Pinto (NCAR) || presentation - pdf
- Dr Sheng Hsiang (Carlo) Wang (NCU) || presentation - pdf
- Dr Matthias Piot (Meteomatics) || presentation - pdf
- Follow-up actions
- Any other business
Link: Recording of the meeting
Summary notes:
The WMO UAS Demonstration Campaign (UAS-DC) Post-Campaign Report for Operators highlighted the successful evaluation of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) for meteorological observations under the WIGOS Global Basic Observing Network (GBON). Conducted from March 2024 to March 2025, the campaign collected over 12,000 atmospheric profiles globally, with significant contributions from the US, Europe, Japan, and Taiwan. Key achievements included the adoption of standardized data formats (NetCDF/BUFR) for NWP assimilation and the demonstration of UAS as a sustainable alternative to helium-dependent radiosondes. However, challenges such as airspace restrictions—particularly in congested regions like the UK—were noted, prompting shifts to less regulated areas like Iceland. The campaign underscored the need for regulatory adjustments to facilitate broader UAS deployment in meteorological operations.
Looking ahead, the next steps include NWP impact studies through collaborations with ECMWF, NOAA, and the UK Met Office to quantify forecast improvements using UAS data. The WMO plans to propose UAS integration guidelines to ICAO by 2026, leveraging campaign findings to advocate for regulatory harmonization. A final report, expected by late 2025-early 2026, will provide detailed recommendations for operationalizing UAS under WIGOS.