HOW DOES RAPT WORK? RAPT, short for Route Availability Planning Tool, is a computer model that displays information about inclement weather conditions for air traffic managers. It compiles weather information from satellite and radar systems, then provides a color-coded map showing which areas are fit for flying, and estimates of how pilots flying through different conditions would react. Without RAPT, managers must compile a mental image of complex, variable weather information while keeping track of flights in the air. This system provides managers with the type of information that helps them maintain even a limited schedule of take-offs and landings, reducing flight delays by a significant amount.
The American Meteorological Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, and the Mathematical Association of America contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.