The wake vortex warning system at Frankfurt airport

The wake vortex warning system, WVWS, at Frankfurt airport, in particular the so called glide-path extension is now technically completed. The system shall enable a reduction of the wake turbulence separation using predictions of the wake vortices´ motion between the two closely spaced parallel final approach paths for runways 25L and 25R up to 5000 ft above ground level. The glide-path extension of the WVWS comprises a wind-temperature radar with a radio acoustic sounding system, WTR/RASS for real-time measurements of wind and temperature profiles. Every two minutes the wind profile is measured and fed into a wind forecast algorithm which produces estimates of the wind up to 20 minutes ahead. This information is used to determine whether wake transport between the two neighbouring glide paths can be excluded with high confidence.