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Jeppesen Adds Worldwide Lightning Maps

Dec. 5, 2007, Englewood, COLO – Jeppesen recently enhanced its full lineup of weather products by superimposing worldwide lightning data over its infrared and visible satellite imagery maps.

The World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) is an innovative technology developed jointly at the University of Washington (Seattle) and University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand) that allows for the detection of cloud-to-ground lightning using a network of 20-30 sensors around the globe. The sensors can detect lightning strikes up to 10,000 km away by measuring Very Low Frequency (VLF) radiation that emanates from the strikes. The lightning strike location accuracy is a few kilometers, and the detection efficiency is sufficient to detect a very high percentage of thunderstorms in real-time.

This additional data allows pilots to determine where convection and thunderstorms are located in worldwide areas, even where radar data is not normally available. This is especially useful over oceanic regions where only satellite imagery exists to depict clouds. Now pilots will know which systems are producing lightning, and make decisions based on real-time, accurate data.

Worldwide satellite maps are usually updated every one to three hours, and contain the latest 30 minutes worth of lightning strikes.

“Jeppesen is at the forefront of state-of-the-art aviation weather products and the first aviation weather company to make this lightning data available. The benefits for pilots are wide ranging, especially when radar information is not available,” said Mike Cetinich, product manager.  “We are committed and solely focused on aviation weather products that add value for our customers, and help them make more informed decisions.”

 For more than 70 years Jeppesen has made it possible for pilots and their passengers to safely and efficiently reach their destinations.  Today this pioneering spirit continues as Jeppesen delivers essential information and optimization solutions to improve the efficiency of air, sea and rail operations around the globe.  Jeppesen is a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, a unit of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Jeppesen product and corporate information is available online at www.jeppesen.com .