THERE
THERE IS
THERE IS TURBULENCE. TONIGHT, SKYTECH CONTINUES AS
BOEING LOOKS FOR A WAY TO WARN
US.
US.
US. IT
US. IT CAN FEEL LIKE THE PERFECT
DAY UP ABOVE THE CLOUDS BUT IT
IS WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE THAT IS
THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURIES
IN FLIGHT.
IN FLIGHT. >> WHOA!
>> WHOA!
>> WHOA! >> Reporter: WHEN AIRLINERS
AROUND THE WORLD ENCOUNTER
SERIOUS TURBULENCE.
SERIOUS TURBULENCE. IN SOME CASES, VIOLENT ENOUGH
TO SEND PASSENGERS AND DRINK
CARTS INTO THE CEILING.
YOU HAVE HEARD THE STORIES.
>> I HIT MY HEAD ON THE ROOF,
THE CEILING.
THE CEILING. THEN I FELL DOWN AND HIT IT ON
THE MONITOR IN FRONT OF ME.
>> Reporter: TURBULENCE CAN BE
EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED.
IN THE CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE
IS THE UNEXPECTED PART.
YOU CAN'T SEE IT BECAUSE IT IS
NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY
WEATHER.
WEATHER.
WEATHER. THAT IS WHY AIRLINES ASK YOU
TO REMAIN BUCKLED IN YOUR SEAT
WHEN YOU ARE NOT UP AND AROUND
THE CABIN.
THE CABIN. THIS IS BOEING'S LATEST
DEMONSTRATOR.
DEMONSTRATOR. A AAA FREIGHTER TURNED TEST
BED FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY.
MUCH OF THIS TECH FOCUSED ON
MAKING FLYING SAFER.
JAPAN'S SPACE AGENCY HAS
DEVELOPED A TECHNOLOGY ON
BOARD OUR AIRPLANE TO DETECT
WHAT HAS BEEN THE
UNDETECTABLE.
UNDETECTABLE. DESIGNED TO DELIVER A WARNING
UP TO A MINUTE IN ADVANCE OF
IMPENDING CLEAR AIR
TURBULENCE.
TURBULENCE. >> YOU HAVE YOUR NORMAL
PARAMETERS.
PARAMETERS. JUST A LITTLE INDICATOR
WARMING THE PILOTS WHEN THEY
ARE COMING UP.
>> Reporter: IAN MALLER IS THE
TEST DIRECTOR AND HOLDS WHAT
COULD EVENTUALLY BE INSTALLED
INTO COCKPIT DISPLAYS.
>> THERE WILL BE A LITTLE
POPUP HERE THAT HAS A
COUNTDOWN THAT SAYS SEVERE
TURBULENCE OR WIND SHEAR.
IT WILL CUT DOWN IN SECONDS
AND GIVE YOU A WARNING WHEN IT
WILL HIT.
WILL HIT.
WILL HIT. >> Reporter: ON THE LEFT SIDE
OF THE PLANE IS A FAIRING
CALLED A BLISTER WITH THE TINY
WINDOW.
WINDOW.
WINDOW. AND INTO THAT WINDOW IS THE
LASER.
LASER.
LASER. YOU CAN'T SEE THE BEAM,
BECAUSE IT IS INFRARED, BUT
IT'S THERE.
IT'S THERE. >> THIS IS THE LASER.
IT IS A LIQUID COOL LASER
FIRING OUTSIDE INTO A MIRROR
THAT IS OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE
TURNING THE BEAM FORWARD.
>> Reporter: IT IS FOCUSED
MILES AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE
DETECTING TINY PARTICLES IN
THE AIR LIKE DUST.
WHEN THE PARTICLES SEEM TAX
TO SLOW DOWN OR SPEED UP,
THAT'S THE WARNING.
IT IS NOT JUST A LASER, BUT A
LIDAR LASER.
LIDAR LASER. THE SAME TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY
FIRED OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF
SPECIAL AIRPLANES THOUSANDS OF
TIMES A SECOND TO CREATE
DETAILED PHOTOGRAPHIC LIKE
IMAGES OF THE EARTH.
IT IS USED TO FIND EARTHQUAKE
FAULTS ON LAND AND CAN ALSO BE
USED TO FIND WHAT ARE
ESSENTIALLY FAULTS IN THE AIR.
INCONSISTENCIES IN THE WAY THE
AIR MOVES.
AIR MOVES. TURBULENCE.
TURBULENCE. >> WE WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO
MAKE TURBULENCE PREDICTABLE.
>> Reporter: THAT WAS IN MARCH
OVER KANSAS.
OVER KANSAS. >> OVER KANSAS, OVER GARDEN
CITY KANSAS, WE FOUND AN
ALTITUDE OF 24 TO 27,000 FEET
WHERE THE WIND WAS JUST
TERRIBLE.
TERRIBLE.
TERRIBLE. BUT IT WAS SMOOTH BELOW AND
SMOOTH ABOVE.
SMOOTH ABOVE. SO, WE COULD GET DOWN BELOW IT
AND CLIMB AND SEE IT WAS AHEAD
OF US AND IT IS GOING TO QUIT.
>> DURING OUR TESTING WE
VALIDATED AND IT WAS
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE THAT WE
SAW IT GO FIVE, FOUR, THREE,
TWO, ONE.
TWO, ONE.
TWO, ONE. AND THE PEOPLE STARTED FEELING
THE BOUNCING.
THE BOUNCING. >> SO THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS.
>> Reporter: NOW THE JOB IS TO
MAKE THE SYSTEM SMALLER WHILE
MAKING IT LOOK FURTHER OUT.
WHERE IT IS HOPED IT WILL
BECOME A ROUTINE SAFETY TOOL
IN THE COCKPIT.
THE CAPTAIN SAYS THIS COULD GO
BEYOND WARNING PASSENGERS.
IF THE PLANE CAN PICK UP AS
LITTLE AS FIVE SECONDS OF
WARNING, THE SPOILERS ON THE
WINGS COULD DEPLOY HELPING TO
COUNTERACT SOME OF IT.
I WANT TO THANK SOME OF THE
FOLKS OF BOEING FLIGHT TEST
PHOTO FOR THE AIR TO AIR
SHOTS.
SHOTS.
SHOTS. >>
SHOTS. >> I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN THIS
FOR ME.
FOR ME.
FOR ME. WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE'S EYES?
>> IT IS A LIGHT DUTY LASER.
IT IS LIKE WHAT IS IN THE
GROCERY STORE.
GROCERY STORE. THOUGH IT GOES OUT ALONG WAY,
IT IS VERY LOW TOWERED SO THEY
DON'T THINK IT WILL CREATE EYE