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STRIKE FINDER
APPENDIX F
Helpful Insight
The following are excerpts from Avionics Magazine, August 1988, with
permission from the publishers and author:
Electrostatic Charging In Flight
by: Jay D. Cline, Dayton-Granger, Inc.
It is widely known that electrostatic charging of aircraft in flight generates
radio frequency noise which disrupts navigation and communications.
Such charging results from several sources. For example, flight through
precipitation, electric crossfields and engine produced ionization. RF
noise is also generated by streamer currents on the plastic frontal area of
an aircraft during precipitation encounters and corona discharge between
airframe members.
This can affect almost all aircraft, from General Aviation through airline
transport and military supersonic. At ground speeds of two to ten nautical
miles per minute, loss of navigation or communication due to streaming,
corona or arcing noise can be serious, especially while maneuvering
near airports in instrument conditions.
Static Discharge Story
In the early days of aviation, flying was done primarily during daylight by
visual reference such as highways, railroad tracks and rivers.
Communication was done by signal lights and wing waggling.
As the reliability of aircraft improved, flying under all conditions became
practical, creating demands for improved communications and navigation
systems. However, during the early use of these systems, pilots quickly
became aware of a form of severe radio interference which hampered the
performance of the existing navigation and communication systems.
Experience showed a correlation between RF noise and flight through rain,
snow and clouds. Hence, pilots became very concerned because the
conditions which caused the most
occurred when navigation and communication needs were the greatest.
PILOT'S
GUIDE
DIGITAL WEATHER AVOIDANCE
"precipitation static" (P-Static)
61
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