Extreme sports are using meteorology to soar.
A lecture sponsored by the meteorology department on Feb. 1 allowed U students to see the application of their science in a real-world setting.
Olivier Liechti, president of Analysen & Konzepte (A&K), covered ideas and applications used in weather prediction for the World Glider Championship.
Liechti and the Swiss-based company A&K have developed a fully automated forecast system to allow the prediction of glider flight distance based on regional weather forecasts.
“We wanted minimum data and maximum information,” Liechti said.
The program, named TopTask, allows glider pilots to accurately predict the maximum flight distance, speed and optimal glider release height based on any given weather conditions.
TopTask will be used in the 2006 World Glider Championship in Sweden, marking the first availability of this type of technology in a world championship.
Typically, Liechti speaks to a group composed of glider pilots, but “for this lecture we had Dr. Liechti focus more on the application of meteorology instead of the actual flight,” said Dave Whiteman, a research professor in meteorology.
“I was impressed with the accuracy and validation of the science, especially in a competition,” Lance Avey, a graduate student in the department, said.
The recent advances in glider technology have allowed for greater distances to be traveled than ever before.
A smaller, foot-launched glider called an Archaeopteryx is allowing humans to approach glide characteristics found only in birds.
These smaller gliders perform just as well as big gliders when used in good weather, Liechti said.
A smaller design that doesn’t need the assistance of an airplane has allowed more people to experience the sport, which is known as “soaring.”
The success of TopTask has allowed accurate weather-based predictions for soaring with as little as 0 percent error.
“I’m impressed with the skill it takes to reproduce these results,” Brian Olsen, a graduate student in meteorology, said. “It’s great to see someone in meteorology succeeding.”
TopTask is likely to be used at future World Glider Championships in Sweden, Germany and France.