Mountain Wave Project Explained

The Mountain Wave Project (MWP) pursues global scientific research of gravity waves and associated turbulence. MWP seeks to develop new scientific insights and knowledge through high altitude and record seeking glider flights with the goal of increasing overall flight safety and improving pilot training.

Corporate history

Motivation

Wind movement over terrain and ground obstacles can create wavelike wind formations which can reach up to the stratosphere. In 1998 the pilots René Heise and Klaus Ohlmann founded the MWP, a project for global classification, research, and analysis of orographically created wind structures (e.g. Chinook, Foehn, Mistral, Zonda). The MWP is an independent non-profit-project of the Scientific and Meteorological Section of the Organisation Scientifique et Technique du Vol à Voile (OSTIV) and is supported by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).[1] [2]

The MWP was originally focused on achieving better understanding. of the complex thermal and dynamic air movements in the atmosphere, and using that knowledge to achieve ever greater long distance soaring flights. As MWP gained greater awareness of the power inherent to mountain wave-like structures in the atmosphere, and their strong vertical airflows, it became obvious that they presented great dangers to civil aviation in multiple ways.[3] Therefore, the focus of the MWP shifted to a more scientific approach to the airflow phenomena, with the goal of discovering new ways to increase overall aviation safety. Through the support of other scientists and cooperation partners the core group became more powerful and gained greater depth of knowledge. The integration of Joerg Hacker from the Airborne Research Australia (ARA) into the core group significantly enhanced the overall depth of knowledge of the group.

Airborne measurements

In order to learn more about the relevant physical process in the atmosphere, the MWP Team launched two expeditions in the Argentinean Andes in 1999 and 2006. For high altitude flights a modified Stemme S10 VT motorglider was used as a platform for airborne data acquisition and measurement. The pilots were assisted with life support equipment and physiological preparations by the renowned flight physicians of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and by astronaut Ulf Merbold.[4]

Thanks to the help of qualified scientists and state-of-the-art sensor technology, the MWP achieved its goal to gather and analyze wave structure data with impressive results at the operation in Mendoza in October 2006. Research flights and operations were completed in the region between the Tupungato (5.700 m) and Aconcagua (6.900m), which is very well known for its extremely treacherous turbulence.[5]

Record flights

Between 2000 and 2004 MWP team member Klaus Ohlmann further developed and expanded on the knowledge about wave systems gained in the Andes in 1999, and accumulated a wealth of experience. This educational process allowed him to win the OSTIV Kuettner Prize for the first 2000 km straight out wave flight, as well as completing the world's longest recorded soaring flight of 3,008 km. He was supported by his MWP teammates in Germany using internet communications to provide specific weather predictions using a new weather forecasting tool. In these flights, he provided crucial in-flight data, which in turn helped to improve subsequent weather predictions by the team in Germany.

Two MWP members participated in the 2006 field research campaign of the Terrain Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) which took place in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.A.). René Heise served as scientific reviewer for the National Science Foundation and contributed MWP wave forecasts to the data archive.[6] Wolf-Dietrich Herold documented activities in Boulder/CO and Bishop/CA and produced a TV-report of the project for the German TV station RBB.

Programming objectives

Expeditions

Project results

Awards

GEO-TV features

External links

Notes and References

  1. OSTIV-Website, retrieved 2010-12-15
  2. The OSTIV Mountain Wave Project, Soaring Magazine, p.30, June 2001
  3. Transmission – Magazine of Deutsche Flugsicherung 12/2007
  4. Scientific TV-feature (RBB-Station) „Rodeo in the Sky - Research for greater flight safety“
  5. Meteorological Calendar 2008, European Meteorological Society
  6. http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/TREX/documents/ASW0403.pdf, Air Safety Week, Vol.20, No.14, April 3, 2006
  7. Wave forecast in pc_met self briefing system of German Weather Service
  8. Weather Forecasting for Soaring Flight, World Meteorological Organization, WMO No. 1038
  9. Leewaves in the Andes Region, Mountain Wave Project (MWP) of OSTIV. Lindemann. C. Heise, R. . Herold, W-D. . July 2008. 32. 3. 93. Technical Soaring. 0744-8996.
  10. 14th National Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (AMOS)
  11. Ultsch, Heise, Data Mining to Distinguish Wave from Thermal Climbs in Flight Data, 34. Conference GfKl, Karlsruhe, 2010
  12. Aerokurier International April, 2000
  13. OSTIV-Website, retrieved 2010-12-15
  14. FAI Aviation and Space World Records, retrieved 2004-03-09
  15. Aviation Medicine - Mountain Wave Project, Aerospace Medical Association Meeting Phoenix (AZ), 2010
  16. Web site: OSTIV-information . Scientific and Meteorological Panel . 2003-11-30 .
  17. Web site: The SMA Jeff Myers Young Investigators Award- Finalists . Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine Vol.82, No.8 (Aerospace Medical Association, AsMA) . 2011-08-14 .
  18. Web site: The OSTIV Mountain Wave Project wins a European Meteorological Society Award . Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) . 2011-11-03 .
  19. Web site: Wellengang in der Luft- hinter Bergen entstehen gefährliche Luftwirbel . 3sat media center . 2011-11-03 .

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