Airport wind shear monitoring method and apparatus

An apparatus for detecting hazardous wind conditions in the low altitude flight path of an aircraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a. a plurality of tether anchor means secured to the ground at spaced locations along an approximate extension line from an aircraft runway end,
• b. a tether mast secured to each tether anchor, each combination of mast and anchor means constituting a tether fixture,
• c. a flexible tether line having one end thereof secured to each said tether fixture and the other end thereof secured to a windborne vehicle having known lift/drag flying characteristics,
• d. means to measure a resultant tether restraint force exerted on said respective fixture by each respective vehicle in tethered, windborne flight,
• e. means to measure the azimuth angle vehicle flight in a wind,
• f. means to coordinate the tether restraint force of each vehicle with respective flight characteristics to determine the velocity of wind acting on said vehicle, and
• g. means to coordinate the wind azimuth angle and velocity acting on one of said vehicles with azimuth angle and velocity of at least one other said vehicle to determine the safety of wind condition for aircraft operation.

A method of detecting hazardous wind conditions in the low altitude flight path of an aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:

• a. positioning a plurality of anchor means on the ground at spaced positions along an approximate extension from an aircraft runway end,
• b. securing a flight vehicle having known lift/drag flying characteristics to each of the anchor means with a tether line,
• c. maintaining the tether lines at different lengths for effecting flight of the vehicles at different altitudes near an aircraft approach path to said runway,
• d. measuring restraint force exerted by the flight of the tethered flight vehicle on each tether line,
• e. measuring the resultant azimuth angle of each tether line,
• f. coordinating the restraint force of each vehicle to its known lift/drag characteristics to determine the velocity of the wind acting thereon, and
• g. monitoring the wind velocity and direction of all the tethered flight vehicles to determine the safety of wind conditions within the approach path for aircraft operation.

An apparatus for detecting hazardous wind conditions in the low altitude flight path of an aircraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a. a plurality of flight vehicles having known lift/drag flying characteristics secured to respective tether lines at spaced locations along an approximate extension line from an aircraft runway end,
• b. the tether lines at at least two of the spaced locations having different lengths to effect flight of the vehicles at different altitudes near an aircraft approach path to said runway,
• c. means for measuring restraint force exerted by the flight of the tethered flight vehicle on each tether line,
• d. means for measuring the resultant azimuth angle of each tether line,
• e. means for coordinating the restraint force of each vehicle to its known lift/drag characteristics to determine the velocity of the wind acting thereon, and
• f. means for monitoring the wind velocity and direction of all the tethered flight vehicles to determine the safety of wind conditions within the approach path for aircraft operation.

A method of detecting hazardous wind conditions in the low altitude flight path of an aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:

• a. positioning a plurality of anchor means on the ground at spaced positions along an approximate extension from an aircraft runway end,
• b. securing a flight vehicle to each of the anchor means with a tether line,
• c. maintaining the tether lines at different lengths for effecting flight of the vehicles at different altitudes near an aircraft approach path to said runway,
• d. measuring the resultant azimuth angle of each tether line to determine the wind direction at the vehicles,
• e. determining the velocity of the wind acting on each of the flight vehicles, and
• f. monitoring the wind velocity and the wind direction for all the tethered flight vehicles to determine the safety of wind conditions within the approach path for aircraft operation.

An apparatus for detecting hazardous wind conditions in the low altitude flight path of an aircraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a. a plurality of flight vehicles secured to respective tether lines at spaced locations along an approximate extension line from an aircraft runway end,
• b. the tether lines at at least two of the spaced locations having different lengths to effect flight of the vehicles at different altitudes near an aircraft approach path to said runway,
• c. means for measuring the resultant azimuth angle of each tether line to determine the wind direction at the vehicles,
• d. means for determining the velocity of the wind acting on each of the flight vehicles, and
• e. means for monitoring the wind velocity and the wind direction for all the tethered flight vehicles to determine the safety of wind conditions within the approach path for aircraft operation.

An apparatus for detecting hazardous wind conditions in the low altitude flight path of an aircraft, said apparatus comprising:

• a. a plurality of tether anchor means secured to the ground at spaced locations along an approximate extension line from an aircraft runway end,
• b. a tether mast secured to each tether anchor, each combination of masts and anchor means constituting a tether fixture,
• c. a flexible tether line having one end thereof secured to each said tether fixture and the other end thereof secured to a windborne vehicle having known lift/drag flying characteristics,
• d. said anchor means including a reel drum and said one end of at least a portion of the tether lines is secured to the reel drum,
• e. means to measure the length of tether line deployed from said reel drum relative to a low set point position,
• f. reversible drive power means for the reel drum,
• g. said power means being controlled by means to coordinate the drive direction and rate of said power means to maintain a predetermined tether tension when a length of line is deployed from said reel drum between a high set point and said low set point,
• h. means to measure a resultant tether restraint force exerted on said respective fixture by each respective vehicle in tethered, windborne flight,
• i. means to measure the azimuth angle vehicle flight in a wind,
• j. means to coordinate the tether restraint force of each vehicle with respective flight characteristics to determine the velocity of wind acting on said vehicle, and
• k. means to coordinate the wind azimuth angle and velocity acting on one of said vehicles with azimuth angle and velocity of at least one other said vehicle to determine the safety of wind condition for aircraft operation.