Weather drone

Lore & Background

The first recorded UAV for measuring atmospheric parameters was in 1970, when a small radio-controlled aircraft was used as a measuring platform, supported by the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory and NASA, Wallops Station. The second milestone was the Aerosonde prototype built by University of Colorado researchers in 1993, sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, aimed at enabling data collection in remote regions. Further developments occurred in Australia in 1995 by Environmental Systems and Services Pty Ltd., with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and Insitu Group as subcontractors. By 1999, operations were undertaken by Aerosonde Ltd., which became part of Textron Inc. in 2007; by 2016, the Aerosonde had become primarily an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, with weather data collection secondary. In 2009, the American National Research Council emphasized the need for better vertical mesoscale observation methods than radiosondes. Since then, research programs have increased, with the University of Oklahoma's Center for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling being the most active group, developing the CopterSonde and the 3D Mesonet concept. In 2022, NOAA deployed the Area-I Altius-600 into Hurricane Ian, flying at 900 m to 1.3 km inside the eye and eyewall. Commercially available weather drones are scarce; Swiss company Meteomatics AG has supplied Meteodrones since 2013, and British company Menapia entered the market with MetSprite in 2020. In 2025, new ultralight rotary-wing platforms for boundary-layer sounding appeared, supporting automatic profiling and balloon-assisted high-altitude deployments. Fixed-wing weather drones were first used, allowing long flight hours and large area coverage. Rotary-wing drones are more popular due to versatility, ease of operation, and suitability for vertical profiles. In 2019, the WMO organized a workshop with Météo-France, concluding that weather drones close data gaps and improve numerical weather prediction accuracy, but barriers include lack of drone-specific regulations, limited automation, and the need to resolve in-flight icing and excessive wind resistance. Meteomatics developed the first deicing system in 2016, heating rotor blades when icing risk is detected.

Reader's Guide

The significance of weather drones lies in their ability to collect in-situ measurements from the boundary layer, closing a data gap that improves numerical weather prediction accuracy, as concluded by the 2019 WMO workshop. However, their legacy is currently limited to scientific research and industry operations, as they are not yet used by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services due to unresolved airspace regulations and technological hurdles. The 1970 demonstration showed feasibility, and the Aerosonde prototype in 1993 advanced remote data collection, but the 2022 NOAA deployment into Hurricane Ian marked a notable operational milestone. The 2009 National Research Council report highlighted the inadequacy of radiosondes for vertical mesoscale observation, driving increased research. Commercial availability remains scarce, with Meteomatics and Menapia as key suppliers. The development of deicing systems in 2016 addressed a critical safety issue that had caused many aircraft losses since the 1990s. The 2025 introduction of ultralight rotary-wing platforms for boundary-layer sounding represents ongoing innovation, but widespread adoption awaits regulatory and automation progress.

Did You Know?

• The first recorded weather drone was a small radio-controlled aircraft used in 1970, supported by the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory and NASA.
• The Aerosonde prototype, built in 1993, was sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research and aimed at collecting data in remote regions.
• Swiss company Meteomatics developed the first deicing system for weather drones in 2016, heating rotor blades when icing risk is detected.