The provision of meteorological products and services in support of low level flight

1
The provision of meteorological products and
services in support of low level flights
operation in Ukraine
2
Introduction

• In Ukraine low level flights below FL100 are
  conducted in the airspace of the G (GND-5 000 ft
  AMSL) classe.
• The G class is the uncontrolled airspace, UkSATSE
  is provided only with flight information service
  by 7 FICs.

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• VFR operations as well as IFR operations are
  conducted in both classes

4

• Nowadays more than 300 aircrafts and 38 airlines
  are registered in Ukraine, which conduct aerial
  works. These airlines operate mainly in airspace
  of the class G.
• Some airlines and private pilots conduct general
  aviation operations. An average density of the
  operating traffic is more than 200 flights per
  month, but it has a tendency to the increase
  during the last years.

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• The flight operations, air traffic service and
  meteorological service are provided in accordance
  with the appropriate national rules created on
  basis of the ICAO SARPS.

6
MET Service provisions

• The GAMET/AIRMET conception in support of the LLF
  operations was implemented in Ukraine in
  September, 2004 instead of obsolete procedures of
  the serving LLF operations of former USSR.
• The MWO of UkSATSE is responsible for issuing and
  distributing of GAMET forecasts, AIRMET and
  SIGMET information. There are five MWOs serving
  flight operations within the airspace of five
  FIRs, including the airspace below FL100.

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• The MWO delivers GAMET, AIRMET and SIGMET to the
  adjacent FIC via the AFTN network. The prescribed
  aerodrome meteorological offices of the NHMS
  deliver routine messages METAR/SPECI and TAF
  forecasts of selected aerodromes to the
  appropriate FICs.
• The prescribed aerodrome meteorological offices
  are also responsible for supplying to FICs of
  some notifications concerning significant weather
  phenomena and conditions within the area of
  responsibility of the appropriate FIC, deriving
  from the synoptic stations of the NHMS.

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• The list of criteria for issuing of such
  notifications includes convective phenomena, the
  reduction of the visibility and height cloud base
  as well as freezing precipitation. This is
  provided, mainly, by voice communication means.
• The NHMS is also responsible through its
  aerodrome meteorological offices, for the
  preparation of flight documentation and
  briefing/consultation of the flight crew members
  at the adjacent aerodromes.

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• GAMET and AIRMET are a mandatory part of the
  flight documentation for LLF. METAR/SPECI and TAF
  are included to the flight documentation folder,
  if available.
• Nowadays the SIGWX charts for LLF are not applied
  in Ukraine.

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• Aerodrome Met Offices have the possibility of
  preparing of an individual en-route forecast in
  abbreviated plain Russian or English language
  (form TA) for the separate flight on request of
  operators or flight crew members. This forecast
  is provided to the pilot instead of other
  meteorological products (GAMET, AIRMET etc.).

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• GAMET area forecasts and AIRMET information are
  issued by UkSATSE MWOs for adjacent FIRs in
  compliance with the ICAO Annex 3 templates.
• GAMET forecasts are issued four times a day
  (forecast validity 00.00-00.06 06.00-12.00
  12.00-18.00 and 18.00-24.00 UTC) with a lead time
  (time of issuance) one hour before the forecast
  takes effect.
• The reason for the issuing of GAMET, covering the
  night time of the days, is a support of LLF
  operations in a D class.

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In addition to ICAO provisions the
following data are included to the SEC I

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• The direction of the wind and the gusts of the
  wind speed are included to the SFC WIND group if
  relevant, e.g. SFC WIND 12/15 330/12G17MPS
• In cases of reduction of visibility to less than
  5000 m the intensity of precipitation,
  descriptors SH and FZ are included to the SFC VIS
  group according to the MET REPORT format if
  relevant, e.g., SF? VIS 08/12 3000? FBL FZRA N
  ?F N49

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• Specifying of the area of the predicted impact,
  likely occurrence of such elements of the
  forecast as a surface wind, visibility,
  convective clouds, significant weather phenomena,
  mountain waves, icing and turbulence, as to
  whole area of FIR, are provided by using

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• an abbreviation ISOL spatial covering lt50
  of the area of the predicted effect of those
  elements
• OCNL 50 - 75 spatial covering, that are
  inserted before the description of the relevant
  element, e.g., TURB 12/15 OCNL MOD BLW 500? AGL
  the abbreviation FRQ spatial covering gt 75
  is not used

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• When the local reduction of the cloud base height
  is expected, for example, in radiation fogs or in
  showers within FIR boundaries, it is reported in
  the SIG CLD group referring to the phenomenon,
  which had generated that reduction. For example,
  SIG CLD
• BKN 090/150M AGL IN SHRA, or SIG CLD OVC
  060/150M AGL IN FG, or SIG CLD OVC 060/150M AGL
  IN FG VAL (VALLEYS).

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• When the impact of the forecasting element
  concerns the separate part of the FIR, one of
  the abbreviations from the abovementioned list
  including the abbreviation FRQ is input into
  GAMET before the description of the one, and
  after that the expected geographical location of
  such an area within the boundaries of FIR is
  inserted as well, e.g., SIG CLD
• BKN 150/600 M AGL ISOL CB 600/ABV 3050M AGL S OF
  N46

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• In addition to ICAO provisions the following data
  are included to the SEC II

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• Besides the description of pressure centers and
  fronts, a few other features of baric field are
  used for the description, e.g.,
• PSYS rear part of cyclone

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Two new groups of meteorological elements are
added

• The forecast of direction and speed of surface
  wind with values less than 15 MPS (30KT), e.g.,
• SFC WIND 06/09 180/05MPS 09/12 240/08G13MPS
• The forecast of minimum surface temperature
  within the FIR boundaries, e.g., MNM SFCT PS15

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Some features of the included into GAMET and
AIRMET significant weather phenomena

• If one or more valid SIGMET messages contains
  information about en-route weather phenomena
  hazardous to LLF, then the description of those
  significant weather phenomena is included into
  GAMET forecast.
• If SIGMETs phenomenon(a) has a widespread
  extension of FIR area (spatial covering gt75),
  then the phenomenon(a) with less intensity is not
  included into GAMET forecast.

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• When SIGMETs phenomenon(a) covers only a part of
  FIR area (spatial covering lt75 or lt50), the
  phenomenon(a) with less intensity, which is
  prescribed for entering into GAMET, could be
  included into forecast if it concerns the other
  part of FIR.
• If there is a confirmation of the first detection
  of the thunderstorm activity within the limits of
  FIR, AIRMET information is issued on the
  phenomenon ISOL TS or OCNL TS irrespective of
  thunderstorms were predicted in GAMET forecast
  and/or AIRMET information or not.

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Conclusion

• UkSATSE as a Met Service provider has a little
  experience in the field of supporting of LLF
  (less than one year)
• However, before the beginning of Met Service
  activity we have made, first of all, an essential
  modification of GAMET forecast mostly reported
  above
• We regard the further improvement of procedures
  of LLF operations serving

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• Thank you for attention!