Optimal Flight Paths Through Microburst Wind Profiles

The problem of safe microburst wind shear encounter during the approach and climb-out flight phases is addressed using flight path optimization. The purpose is to investigate the physical limits of safe penetration and to determine control strategies that take full advantage of those limits. Optimal trajectories for both jet transport and general aviation aircraft were computed for encounters with idealized and actual microburst profiles. The results demonstrate that limits on control system design rather than on the aircraft's physical performance may be the deciding factor in an aircraft's capability for safe passage through a wide class of microbursts. The best control strategies involved responding to airspeed loss in an unconventional manner by raising the nose to maintain lift.