 This is time-lapse photography of a dangerous weather condition called wind shear, usually accompanied by intense downdrafts and heavy rain. In recent years, it has been linked to several aircraft disasters. NASA has been investigating these hazards in hopes of understanding their effect on aircraft performance so that safer procedures can be devised. Obstitute for under feet. Okay, we have wind shear warning. A joint wind shear research program between NASA and the FAA is concentrating on building avoidance procedures through pilot education with the use of simulators. This is a computer model of wind shear. Notice the effect of the downdraft. When a plane flies into this, the winds can force it down. NASA researcher Dave Hinton feels that simulator training is the key to teaching pilots how to deal with the problem. For example, this past summer, July 11th, 1988, four aircraft encountered a Michael Burst at Denver Stapleton Airport. That was every bit as strong as the Michael Burst that caused the crash of Dallas Fort Worth in 1985. Yet these four aircraft survived that encounter because of the training they had received, because of the training that the crews had received, because of early recognition of a threat and early initiation of go-around maneuver, a proper escape maneuver. Also at Langley, a heavy-range simulator has been devised by a group of aerospace technologists. At one end of a half-mile track is a tubular steel carriage, designed originally to test tires and landing gear, but specifically adapted to carry part of a full-scale aircraft wing section. The wing is oriented to represent takeoff for landing settings used by commercial airliners. Water, under extreme pressure, launches the sled down a track at 150 miles per hour. A field of over 1,500 miles creates a windstorm for the wing to fly through. In 10 seconds, the test is over. Sensors on the wing measure its performance. Looking at the test again in slow motion, an area of water turbulence can be seen over the front part of the wing. Wind tunnel studies have estimated that this turbulence causes a performance loss of 15 to 20 percent depending upon rain intensity. Aerospace technologist Gaudi Bezos. We are here doing a large-scale test to see if it's real. It's a realistic effect at large scale. NASA's research on the effect of dangerous weather conditions, preparing pilots for what mother nature has to offer. Thanks for watching.