WASHINGTON, DC -  The Department of
Transportation`s Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) announced today
that it has added another key component
to its long-term modernization plan by
deploying advanced weather processing
systems at all 20 air route traffic
control facilities. The Weather and
Radar Processor - called WARP - allows
air traffic controllers to see more
accurate, timely weather information on
the same display that shows aircraft
position data. WARP reduces the
potential for weather-related accidents
and lessens the impact of bad weather
on airspace. 

“When it comes to weather delays,
controllers may not be able to fool
Mother Nature, but WARP can help them
steer clear of her,” said FAA
Administrator Marion C. Blakey. “We can
now see the same weather that the
pilots see and, as a result, make more
informed decisions about re-routing
traffic to reduce delays and increase
efficiency.”

Displayed on color monitors, WARP shows
precipitation at three different
altitudes. The system allows
controllers to concentrate on the
weather affecting a particular airspace
sector and see a more timely view of
local precipitation. By seeing both the
aircraft and the storm, where the
aircraft is going, and when and where
it will return to its original path,
the controller is able to move other
aircraft around more efficiently. 

The color-coded weather information is
shown as background graphics to the
aircraft data on the display.  The
system provides much more accurate and
localized information than earlier
sources of weather data and the system
it replaces.
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