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Aviation Forecast
Preparation System ver. 3.2 |
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[Return to AvnFPS Release Matrix]
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Installation Instructions
- Sample AvnFPS Install Log
- AvnFPS3.2 User's Guide
- Release Notes
- Test Procedures for ATAN 861 Sites
- AvnFPS3.2 Lessons Learned
- AvnFPS3.2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)/AvnFPS3.2 AvnFPS Troubleshooting
- Support
- AvnFPS ListServer
- Links to Other AvnFPS Builds
Introduction
Welcome to the AvnFPS web page.
AvnFPS is designed to ease monitoring, improve production, and
facilitate
Quality Control (QC) of Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs) and
Transcribed
Weather Enroute Broadcasts (TWEBs). The AvnFPS
monitoring capability gives forecasters quick and continuous feedback
on TAFs
as well as associated observations. This monitoring capability
consists
of a color coded scheme and is site configurable. The TAFs,
surface observations, and guidance are easily accessable either in text
or graphical form and can be enhanced to alert forecasters to weather
significant to aviation operations.
Installation Instructions
Installation instructions including post-install, and, if necessary, fall-back instructions to AvnFPS3.1 can be found here.Back to Table of Contents
Sample AvnFPS3.2 Install Log
AvnFPS User's Guide
The AvnFPS3.2 User's Guide is pretty much
complete. Please let us know if you find anything that
should be corrected or clarified.
- AvnFPS3.2 User's Guide (HTML Version)
- AvnFPS3.2
User's Guide suitable for downloading (HTML Version)
- AvnFPS3.2 User's Guide (PDF Version)
Release Notes
The Release Notes are divided into the four (4) sections listed below. These sections contain high level documentation regarding changes and new features in AvnFPS3.2. Additionally, the Release Notes contain information about problems fixed in this release and a list of known problems to be fixed in a future AnvFPS release.
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Section I: |
New Functionality |
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Section II: |
News You Can Use |
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Section III: |
Problems Fixed in AvnFPS3.2 |
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Section IV: |
Problems to be Fixed in a Future Release |
New Features
AvnFPS 3.2 introduces several new features. We have included specific WFOs to try them out.- Collaborative
Convective Forecast Product monitoring. See here
to enable.
- Airport
Impact QC check and here.
- Extended
30-h TAF. See here
to enable.
- New ceiling/visibility climatology tools
- New
wind rose tool
Forecasters Cammye Sims and David Hotz have provided a brief introduction of the new features in AvnFPS 3.2, here. More details on these and other features can be found in the links above.
Back to Table of Contents
Test Procedure for ATAN 861 Sites
An AWIPS Test Authorization Note #861 was approved to test the patch to various bugs found in the 3.2 (OB7.1) and 3.3 (OB7.2) releases of AvnFPS. The bugs are as follows:- Metar Viewer sorts by time when 'All' button
selected. The prior to 3.2, the 'All Metars' selection
sorted the observations by site first, then time. (OB7.1 & OB7.2)
- Scrambled ordering of Metars and TAFs in the TWEB Editor (OB7.1
& OB7.2)
- Missing runway attribute in Metar/Runway Crosswind rule can
potentially stop all monitoring functions of AvnFPS. (OB7.1)
WFOs Flagstaff, AZ (FGZ), Pocatello, ID (PIH), Green Bay, WI (GRB), and Valley, NE (OAX) are authorized to download and install the ATAN861.tgz file from the NOAA1 Server.
- Please follow installation instructions as outlined in the ATAN 861 document.
- For FGZ, GRB, OAX and PIH, your test procedure for ATAN 861 can be found here.
- Please report to MDL results of your installation, test procedures, and any unexpected side-effects.
Other WFOs not on this ATAN should petition their respective regional AWIPS Focal Point to obtain a maintenance release to fix these bugs.
AvnFPS3.2 Lessons Learned
- Monitoring sky and visibility from IFPS grids was inadvertantly disabled after installation of AvnFPS3.2. Fortunately this is easy to correct. Your ITO or aviation focal point should use the "Monitoring Rules" GUI from the AvnFPS Setup suite.
- Leave 'XXXX' in the Site Id text field.
- Select the 'grids' tab. The current set of monitoring rules for grids will appear in the text field below.
- In the 'Available methods' field, add the following rules to restore sky and visibility monitoring:
- Click on the VsbyCatDelta button.
- The Rule Editor fields update,
allowing you to customize your balloon message should visibility
categories differ by 'ncat' or more. When finished, press the
'Add'
button to include this rule when monitoring grids. The text field
above
should update, showing the new rule being added for monitoring.
- Click on the SkyMismatch button
- The Rule Editor fields update, allowing you to customize your ballon message should total sky cover differ by 'ncat' or more.When finished, press the 'Add' button to include this rule when monitoring grids. The text field above should update, showing the new rule being added for monitoring.
- Now press the 'Save' button to save your changes. The AvnFPS Monitoring GUI should be restarted for the changes to take effect.
- Press the 'Close' button to quit the
Rule Editor and 'File->Quit' to exit the AvnFPS Setup GUI.
AvnFPS3.2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)/AvnFPS3.2 Troubleshooting
Click on the appropriate link below to go to
either the
AvnFPS FAQs page or to the AvnFPS Troubleshooting page.
- AvnFPS
FAQs
- AvnFPS Troubleshooting
Support
The NCF, at (301-713-9344), provides 24x7x365 support for the AvnFPS software. For problems or questions regarding installation the NCF should foward your TT immediately to MDL for resolution.
AvnFPS ListServer
Click on the link below to access the avnfps ListServer. Once there, if you have not already subscribed to the avnfps ListServer, then do not type in any information in the login GUI. Rather, select the "All Forums" tab. Next, click the "subscribe" link associated with the avnfps ListServer. After that, simply follow the instructions for completing the subscription form. Once, your subscription is approved (usually in a matter of minutes), the ListServer system will send you an email message to which you must reply in order to activate your subscription membership.