Major upgrade of Honeywell IntuVue 3-D Weather Radar helps increase pilot in-flight situational awareness

Honeywell has unveiled the latest updates to its IntuVue 3-D Weather Radar, which include new capabilities to detect turbulence, hail and lightning, up to 10 minutes in advance of approaching storm cells in the flight path of the aircraft. Previously, pilots could not readily anticipate which storms in their flight path had either hail or lightning, or which storms contained turbulence at a long range. With this upgrade, flight crews are now better equipped to avoid hail, lightning, turbulence and other severe weather to keep flights on time, passengers safe and comfortable, and avoid potential aircraft damage. According to the FAA, inclement weather accounts for almost 70% of all aircraft delays and cost the U.S. economy alone more than $18bn in 2008. Turbulence-related incidents cost airlines, on average, approximately $200,000 per incident according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.