Aircraft icing is a known hazard in the aviation field that results from supercooled liquid water in clouds impacting aircraft surfaces. Detecting icing conditions is an important step in keeping aircraft out of harm's way. However, detecting icing conditions aloft can be difficult. In this study... Show moreAircraft icing is a known hazard in the aviation field that results from supercooled liquid water in clouds impacting aircraft surfaces. Detecting icing conditions is an important step in keeping aircraft out of harm's way. However, detecting icing conditions aloft can be difficult. In this study, data from a Lufft CHM15K ceilometer were analyzed to determine if the sensor could detect icing conditions aloft. A CNR1 solar radiation sensor was used to determine cloudy days and a GEONOR 600mm precipitation gauge was used to identify precipitation events on the cloudy days. Each case identified from these sensors was categorized into the days considered for the precipitating, non-precipitating and null case events for this study. PIREPs (pilot reports) are used to provide air traffic control and other pilots with a variety of information including encountered weather type, icing severity, altitude, and date/time of occurrence. The raw signal return data from the ceilometer was plotted as a function of time and compared with the relevant information from the PIREPs to determine if there was any information in the signal that might indicate icing conditions in the atmosphere. The time period analyzed was from 1 August 2015 to 12 June 2017. It is evident that the CHM 15k ceilometer has some potential skill in detecting icing conditions but more research is still needed. Show less
