Summary
A study was conducted on six major U.S. airports with closely-spaced parallel (CSP) runways that become capacity-restricted during times of lowered cloud ceilings and visibilities. These airports were SFO, BOS, EWR, PHL, SEA, and STL. Efforts are underway to develop a feasible system for simultaneous CSP approaches, which would increase the capacity at these airports during restrictive weather conditions. When considering any new procedure, the wind conditions on approach are needed to understand the impact of wake turbulence transport. Wind observations from aircraft that are equipped with Meteorological Data Collection and Reporting System (MDCRS) capabilities were used to conduct a statistical analysis on wind characteristics at each airport. Data from January 1997 through December 1999 were used in each analysis. Data analysis techniques and the statistical results are presented in this report. This information is expected to support procedure and benefits assessment models.