Design and Implementation of Weather Forecasting Package for Aviation Industry (a Case Study of Imo Airport (Sam Mbakwe Airport)
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of this research work are as follows:
- To help aviation meteorologists issue accurate weather forecast.
- To enable aviation meteorologists issue weather forecast with minimum delay.
- To enable Aviation industry to make decision on flight control based on information given.
- To study and use advance programming language as logical tool for forecasting weather conditions.
- To make sure of effective analysis, design implementation, and also provide solution to state problems in Aviation weather forecast.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The review of this project will constitute the historical background of Aviation, definitions of weather forecasting and its classifications methods; and meteorological data, its users and uses and sources / methods of compiling meteorological statistics. Also discussed in this chapter are weather elements, its measurement and impacts it has on Aviation operations; and meteorological elements of weather that aid weather forecasting. (Lawson Robert. H. (1999).
HISTORY OF AVIATION
Aviation has been the dream and fascination of humankind dating back to the stoneage, scholars says so (varanal, 2005) men who watched birds flying in the skies strengthen their imagination and imitated the eagle’s flight. They achieved their feet. Sometime successful, others with tears, with joy and times with blood and finally arrived as one more happy conquest of men who still continue until today. (Christopher Wickens .D. 1908).
As history unfolds, the conquest of the sky is a long and tedious affair, it was only after the (Wright brothers) of the U.S on Dec 17 1903, and only at kitty Hawk beach near Dayton, Ohio when Wilber and Orvillie Wright made their heavier than air craft and had a successful take off from the ground. Though it made only 59 seconds to a height of 852 feet from the ground at best, it made history that heavier than air crafts are possible.
In 1912, the airplane was used for the first time in war the Balkans War. Here, it was proven that supremacy of the air can determine victory. The U.S and most countries in Europe invented much for the development of their Air force soon the aircraft was utilized for transport. The first non-stop commercial flight to China across the Pacific Ocean took place on a pan American airways plane which took – off over the waters of the Sam Francisco Bay on Nov. 22, 1935. (Vernal 2005) Wright Brothers Dec 6 (1916)
Nigeria Aviation (Mary Martins (2005). The history of aviation in Nigeria dates back to the end of the second world war- when the British overseas Airways corporation (BOAC) started flight operations into Nigeria with small slow flying DC3, Tudor, sky master, York, Argonaut and later towards 1948, stratocruiser Britannia and Comet. As a result of these operations by the BOAC to Nigeria and the rest of the British West African colonies the need for a local feeder service was established and this resulted in the formation of the west African Airways corporation (WAAC). The corporation operated between Nigeria, Gold coast (Now Ghana), Sierra Leone and the Gambia using Dove Aircraft. At this stage, the control and administration of civil Aviation was vested in the Directors of public works of these countries who applied United Kingdom colonial Air Navigation orders as their legislative Authority.
Increase in air activities in Nigeria necessitated the establishment of the base for a Nigeria civil administration. Squadron leader Brilliant H.C (1990) who was appointed controller of civil aviation and three other British, who was appointed controller of civil Aviation and three other British officials were assigned to set up an organization to facilitate the control and administration of civil aviation throughout West Africa. At the same time, the department of post and telegraphs was assigned to provide more air navigation aids in addition to the existing Second World War installations.
The level of air transportation gradually increased involving Airlines such as Air France, Sabena, KLM, BOAC, Alitalia which used aircraft such as comet and electra. By independence in 1960, Kano and Lagos Air ports had major international air terminal and the need for national organization for the purpose of control and administration of civil Aviation became imminent. In 1958, Nigeria established an airline of its own – Nigerian Airways which was carved out of the former WAAC. It started operations with a DC3 craft. With this development, aviation activities gradually increased. Today aviation activities have undergone tremendous expansion in Nigeria to the extent that over 7 million fair paying passengers were flown within Nigeria in the mid 1980s. (Nigerian Encyclopedia and directory of government establishments, 1996)
Our skies and terminal buildings are relatively becoming crowded. The air transportation industry is also becoming very dynamic in a fast changing world. Thus, there is need for an efficient organization to ensure safety speedy and efficient air transportation system in Nigeria which will serve as a catalyst to the economy social and political development of Nigeria.
CHAPTER THREE
SYSTEM ANALYSIS
SYSTEM METHODOLOGY
This stage is the methodical study of the system it’s current and future required objectives and procedures in order to form basis for systems design and implementation.
The existing or made of operation of the case study in forecasting weather conditions is about 80% – based on manual method. When data (Meteorological data) are taken from various instrument used in the measurement of weather elements, entering of data is done manually using daily weather register. The inputs of observed data are entered into the NIMET daily weather register manually after the computation of relative humility and pressure tendency (P24 P24) After entering the observed data in the register, the chief inspector is expected to review the data to ensure the computation is error proof.
CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
SYSTEM DESIGN
The design of the new system can be conveniently divided into the following elements
- User interface
- Outputs
- Inputs
- Data base components
- Procedures and program
THE USER INTERFACE
The design of the screen would be easy to understand and comfortable for the user. The forms of modules and all the controls used are clearly planned and specified.
CHAPTER FIVE
IMPLEMENTATION METHOD
Implementation process involves converting the old system or manual system into newly designed system and the monitor the new system to ensure their successful operation planning for implementation cover the following.
CHAPTER SIX
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
As weather affect the being of our everyday life, so it is necessary to forecast weather conditions especially for daily operations of Aviation industry. Knowledge of weather elements and it effects is important in weather forecasting as this would aid accurate forecast. The package developed as a result of this project work is based on the normal operations of the Nigerian meteorological Agency, Owerri aimed at automating all the activities of operations. The project provides easy and effortless retrieval and storage of records.
CONCLUSION
The design and implementation of this weather forecasting package will make forecast of weather conditions faster, accurate and reliable. This package will no doubt bring raid changes in the recording, dissemination, processing of weather information and the preparation of weather forecasts for aviation operations and other uses.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the research carried out, the researcher recommends this package for aviation industry and to ensure efficient implementation the industry should as much as possible ensure that:
- Each of their offices should have its own computer with appropriate software to run this program.
- Each of their offices computers should be networked to another for processed information and also to same time.
- There should be backups for files for security reasons.
REFERENCES
- BBC Georgraphy Weather and Climate. Bitesizerevision: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/weather/index.shmtl
- Clapp, F. (1996). Weather. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of science and technology. 19 (tow – zyut) 8th Edition. pg 455. Science Encyclopedia. (1997). Revised Edition, vol 5
- Gaffen,J. (2008,March). Radiosonde Observations and their use in SPARC-Related investigations. http:www.aerojusseiu.fr/~sparc/News12/Radiosondes.html.
- Elements of weather. http://www.scalloway.org.uk/adobe/1weat.pdf.
- Federal Ministry of Transportation, Air. http:www.fmt.gov.ng.
- Kulesa,J. Pace, J. Fellner, L., Sheets, E., Travers, S., and Kirchoffer, J. (1997). Improving Aviation Weather forecast: The Federal Aviation Administrative’s to enhance Air safety and efficiency. Federal Aviation’s Administration, Washington D.C.
- http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/69571.pdf.
- Glossary of meteorological terms. http://www.mw-weathernet.com/wx_ terms.htm# A
- http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(GH)/guides/mtr/fcst/sfc/dfrnt.rxml
- Willson, J. (2007, April). Skywatch Signs of the Weather. http://www.wilstar.com/skywatch.hym# clouds.
