The chairman of the SWD ITS research, Dr Melania Suweni MMT with the Balitbang Team Relation Ministry of Transportation of Republic of Indonesia. (Source: airspace-review.com)

ITS Campus, ITS News — in the aviation world, security and safety factors have become a pulse in every activity. To improve the factors, together with Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), the Agency for Research and Development (Balitbang) Relation Ministry of Transportation Indonesia has completed the Water Altitude detection tool on the runway Flight.

The aviation world is always identical with safety, safety, and comfort. This three factor has always been a concern, especially when the weather is bad like rain. Because, there is a puddle of water on the runway that can trigger the occurrence of hydroplaning, which is an imperfect braking condition due to the plane reflection from the surface of the runway.

Therefore, the cooperation between Balitbang and ITS to overcome the problem of hydroplaning. As a result, through the cooperation that has been running since 2018 then this creates innovation in the form of a Standing Water Detector (SWD) under the coordination of Dr Dra Melania Suweni Muntini MT, the chairman of SWD ITS research.

Reported from Airspace Review, a member of aviation sector of the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), Masruri, said that airline safety supporting devices such as SWD is indispensable for achieving safety Flight. Therefore, a number of flight accidents in Indonesia are due to a puddle that exceeds the flight safety limit.

“With this tool, before landing the aircraft, the pilot already has information that there is no puddle on the runway that can cause incident or accident,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Melania, who also doubles as deputy head of the Sustainable Energy Research Center, says, SWD will quickly calculate the rise of water on the runway in the event of rain. When exceeding 3 millimeters, the indicator in the system will be red. While not reaching that height, the indicator will show other colors.

“This tool is later installed in a number of points on the edge of the runway. Through ITS software algorithm system, the water level can be monitored through the computer, so that airport officers do not need to go down directly to check, “said this department of Physics lecturer.

To get the accuracy data from the installation at each airport, he added, the data profiling of about 300 airports in Indonesia will be included one by one. Because, each airport always has different data related to the foundation profiling, tool installation position, and the number of sensors needed. Up to now, SWD has been tested at several airports, such as at Trunojoyo Airport Sumenep and at Yogyakarta Airport or New Yogyakarta International Airport (NYIA).

“Currently SWD still requires a follow-up test until it is expected to get a certification to be used at airports in the country,” he said.

Head of Puslitbang Air Transportation Center Balitbang Relation, Capt. Novyanto Widadi SAP MM in the opening greeting of SWD Monday (9/3) and then in Workshop “Runway Safety Go-Team” in Makassar, South Sulawesi said, this tool is a form of best effort Balitbang with ITS to improve flight safety.

“What we (Balitbang, red) provide is a system of best predictive approaches. With ITS We do research together, strive to develop aviation innovations to achieve the highest level of aviation safety, “he concluded. (Mad/Anjani/Rur)

Group photos with the SWD researcher and research team (source: airspace-review.com)