During summer, marine stratus encroaches into the approach to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) bringing low ceilings. Low ceilings restrict landings and result in a high number of arrival delays, thus impacting the National Air Space (NAS). These delays are managed by implementation of ground delay programs (GDPs), which hold traffic on the ground at origination airports in anticipation of insufficient arrival capacity at SFO. In an effort to reduce delays and improve both airport and NAS efficiency, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funded a research effort begun in 1995 to develop an objective decision support system to aid forecasters in the prediction of stratus clearing times. By improving forecasts at this major airport, the scope and duration of ground and airborne holds can be reduced. The Marine Stratus Forecast System (MSFS) issues forecasts both deterministically and probabilistically. Following transition to NWS operations in 2004, the system continued to provide reliable forecasts but showed no significant improvement in delay reduction. Changes to the FAA GDP issuance procedures in 2008 allowed them to utilize the improved forecasts, leading to quantifiable reductions in ground and airborne holds for SFO equating to dollars saved. To further reduce delays, a refined statistically based model, the Ground Delay Parameters Selection Model (GPSM) for selecting an optimal ground delay strategy has been developed, utilizing the available archive of objective MSFS probabilistic forecasts and accompanying traffic flow data. This effort represents one of the first systematic attempts to integrate objective probabilistic weather information into the air traffic flow decision process, which is a cornerstone element of the FAA's visionary NextGen program.

The surface effect catamaran incorporates twin high length‐to‐beam cushions to support a low length‐to‐beam platform. The performance characteristics of the resulting vehicle, i.e., the resistance and head sea motions, are equivalent to a higher length‐to‐beam surface effect ship. The high lateral stability which results from the widely spaced hulls and cushions of the surface effect catamaran provides several advantages not inherent in conventional surface effect ship configurations. These advantages are manifested by high cross‐structure height and reduced structural loads without reduction in static or dynamic roll stability. For an 800‐ton ship the widely spaced cushions provide a capability of controlling off‐head sea types of motions and the virtual elimination of green water over the deck up through Sea State 6. Model tests have validated cushionborne and hullborne resistance computer prediction programs. Head sea motions tests have justified the use of high cross‐structure height to minimize high slam types of structural loads. Preliminary design and model tests indicate the potential for the surface effect catamaran to operate as an open ocean ship in smaller sizes than heretofore thought possible. In addition, its planform and large volume provides pay‐load capabilities of much larger ships.

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My long term goal is to develop a methodology for the determination of statistical forecast models, which includes data-determined nonlinear data scaling, which can be applied to data sets of moderate size, and for which the development process can be substantially automated.