Method for Determining an Aircraft Route to Avoid a Thunderstorm Using the Shortest Path on a Graph

The article presents the results of developing a method for determining the optimal route for bypassing an aircraft (AC) of a temporally constant (stationary) zone of thunderstorm activity and heavy rainfall. The method is based on finding the shortest path on a graph. It takes into account the geometries of hazardous meteorological phenomena and the minimum safe distances to them. The authors compare strategies based on the use of convex and concave hulls in the formation of thunderstorm bypass zones. The analysis reveals a statistically significant difference in the central tendencies of the corresponding route lengths. It demonstrates that routes using concave hulls are on average 2% shorter, with possible absolute differences in lengths of up to several hundred kilometers. The main practical result of the work is that the proposed method for determining the optimal route to avoid a thunderstorm can be used as a tool to increase the situational awareness of aircraft pilots and optimize crew operations when flying in adverse weather conditions. It allows automatic thunderstorm avoidance using an autopilot and contribute to improved economic efficiency of flights by reducing fuel consumption through the selection of the optimal bypass routes.