Early Warning of Clear Air Turbulence by Photometric Measurements

This paper deals with techniques of photometric measurements of starlight variations which propagate along a line of sight coincident with the flight profile of a jet aircraft. Thus, a CAT “volume” intersecting this flight path may be detected at some prior point in time and compared to non-turbulent measurements. A star tracker will produce information which by statistical processing will establish a threshold for advanced warning of CAT.

Recommendations are presented for night time feasibility tests to be made with operational hardware under controlled conditions. Daytime tests requiring the measurement of weak bodies in high ambient conditions poses severe problems.