Investigation of airborne lidar for avoidance of windshear hazards

The present generalized windshear hazard index is formulated in terms of wind conditions at the given aircraft position and of remotely-sensed information obtained along the extended flight path. Overall system functional requirements are addressed by comparing microwave Doppler radar, Doppler lidar, and IR radiometry candidate techniques, giving attention to airborne CO2 and Ho:YAG lidar windshear-detection systems; these furnish pilots with data on the line-of-sight component of windshear threats over as much as 1-3 km, for a warning time of 15-45 sec. While the technology for a 10.6-micron, CO2 laser-based lidar is available, additional development is required for 2-micron, Ho:YAG laser-based systems.