The primary goal of this project is to develop next generation aircraft flight planning software for use by noaas national hurricane center (NHC) and NOAA laboratories (e.g., aoml/HRD) that use NOAA…

Colorado State University's Sponsored Programs Division received a $726,268 Cooperative Agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Weather and Air Quality Research program (CFDA 11.459), awarded August 1, 2025, with a completion date of July 31, 2028. The primary deliverable is next-generation aircraft flight planning software designed for use by NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) and NOAA laboratories, including the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory/Hurricane Research Division (AOML/HRD). The software will address critical operational and research gaps by accommodating current and future NOAA aircraft platforms, including the NOAA G-550 and C-130 aircraft, thereby enhancing mission planning capabilities for hurricane research and operational forecasting activities.

The project directly supports NOAA's weather research and development objectives by modernizing legacy track software systems with limited capabilities. The work to be performed at NOAA's Fort Collins, Colorado location will transition existing flight planning processes into a contemporary software platform that meets both immediate operational needs and future aircraft requirements for NOAA's research and forecasting mission.

The primary goal of this project is to develop next generation aircraft flight planning software for use by noaas national hurricane center (NHC) and NOAA laboratories (e.g., aoml/HRD) that use NOAA aircraft to conduct research. Problem/opportunity statement: current track software used to plan operational and research NOAA missions have limited capabilities and do not include accommodation for future aircraft (e.g., the NOAA G-550 and C-130S). We aim to create next generation track software that addresses current and future needs for NOAA aircraft flight planning.