Automating weather records for airports and aviation companies

Introduction

Aviation is crossed by weather constantly, as it affects flights from start to end. Pilots, technicians, airport workers, and everyone involved in this industry are alert to the weather forecast daily. At the airport, the weather is displayed on every screen.

What goes on in the sky above our heads is critical to air work. However, we always seem to be thinking of what will happen in the future. Is there a way to use and study past weather to perfect operations?

In this article, we'll dive further into how this phenomenon affects aviation and why tracking weather is essential for this field.

Why weather is important in aviation

A big part of the process of making planes go up in the sky and land at their destination is the weather.

Weather is one of the first things that pilots look at before flying, as it is directly related to safety incidents. Although human error is considered the direct accident cause, the weather is a primary contributing factor in 23% of all aviation accidents. 

Besides thunderstorms and wind, an essential aspect of weather is visibility. Pilots are meant to respect "Visual Flight Rules," which come down to "see and avoid." Weather is a crucial indicator in determining visibility.

When we think of planes and weather, our minds go to safety. But it's more than that: weather plays a huge role in aviation efficiency. For example, weather phenomena like hail or thunderstorms can close airports, reduce airport capacity, and hinder or stop ground operations. 

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the weather is the cause of approximately 70% of the delays in the National Airspace System (NAS). Deviating or changing a route results in huge operating costs and wasted passenger time.

Does the aviation industry need to track weather?

There is no doubt that weather report is vital for aviation. But why look back at previous weather reports?

A considerable part of weather tracking is enhanced predictions. Aviation weather forecasts help pilots and technicians plan to avoid potentially dangerous conditions. The more information you have, the more precise your predictions will be.

But predictions, of course, can fail. So records of past weather also help aviation companies, technicians, and airports better understand how certain phenomena develop and evolves. That allows you to be better prepared to face future occurrences and share that knowledge with new waves of pilots and technicians.

Keeping a record of weather conditions can help analyze how it impacts your airport performance. For example, looking back at a day with lots of delays, it was probably bad weather if it wasn't tied to a protest or internal technical failure. Having a record allows you to back specific incidents.

Creating a weather record for aviation with screenshots

Every airport has its weather measurements and databases. But what about other, more general and available public sources? Those are the ones they'll be checking when looking to put a case against your company.

The FAA has hourly weather observation and forecasts, usually trusted by pilots. The general public may also look at local weather sources like AccuWeather or The Weather Channel. Or are you looking for something more precise? Meteosat can help. To keep track of all those different sources, you can trust screenshots.

Stillio is an automated screenshot tool that helps you capture websites automatically whenever you want. You can set captures at the interval you need, and Stillio will take periodic screenshots of that website. It's great to create an automated record of the weather!

Captures are saved in your account so you can look for them when needed. For example, you can add a timestamp with the link, time, and date of the capture if you need them as proof in a case or forecast study.

Your weather site of choice has a huge cookie banner? Stillio will click and remove it for you for cleaner images. And with GEO IP locations, you'll be able to track weather sites worldwide as if you were there.

Conclusion

Weather isn't just about what happens now and in the next few days. It's a broad field of study that the aviation industry can look back at and learn.

Book a free demo with us to learn about all our features and put them into practice. Then, join other airports from all over the world in the screenshot community!