Lidar Ceilometer CL61 for Aviation Improving airport operations with precise vertical profiling data and innovative precipitation and particulate differentiation. Enabling informed, safer airport operations To protect people and maintain operational continuity, modern airports depend on detailed, accurate insights about atmospheric conditions. Increased weather severity and flight frequency make these insights more crucial than ever.Vaisala’s Ceilometer CL61 enables airports and other aviation stakeholders to detect much more than cloud height, amount, and vertical visibility. Its advanced depolarization capabilities detect other important phenomena that can impact aviation safety and efficiency:Icing layers aloftDust, smoke, and volcanic ashNowcasting the onset of snowfallSupercooled cloud layer detection EXPLORE AVIMET The depolarization difference CL61’s unique depolarization capability provides outstanding benefits unavailable with any other ceilometer:Differentiates liquid and solid cloud and precipitating particles Detects the melting layerAllows tracking of dust, sand, and volcanic ash layersMore accurately resolves mixed aerosol layers in the boundary layerImproves general understanding of atmospheric conditionsTo do this, CL61 uses attenuated backscatter profiles measured in two polarization directions to calculate the depolarization ratio. Its optical system allows for a high signal-to-noise ratio and enables reporting of detailed vertical profiles for the full range, up to 15.4 km (9.6 mi).Today, CL61 is widely trusted and used for some of the most innovative aviation applications, including real-time monitoring of ongoing volcanic activity and comprehensive windshear solutions. DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC Resources Product Spotlight Ceilometer CL61 for aviation Get comprehensive profiling data 24/7—even in the harshest weather conditions—that goes beyond standard cloud height measurements to help airports and airlines operate with greater safety. Download PDF Datasheet Lidar Ceilometer CL61 datasheet Learn more about the high-performance light detection and ranging (LiDAR) instrument with depolarization measurement capable of unattended operation 24/7 in all conditions. Download PDF Whitepaper Applications for Vaisala Lidar Ceilometer CL61 with depolarization Ceilometers are robust and cost-effective lidar-based remote sensing instruments. In addition to their traditional use in detecting cloud base heights in aviation, ceilometers are increasingly used for vertical atmospheric profiling for several applications. Read more White paper Depolarization measurement with Vaisala Lidar Ceilometer CL61 Vaisala introduces the depolarization measurement capability to a high-end profiling ceilometer, setting a new standard in analysis and applications. Read more Technical paper Vaisala CL61 and FD70 provide unprecedented situational awareness for aviation operations Vaisala has developed two new sensors that fundamentally change the state-of-the-art of weather sensing for aviation. Download PDF WEBINAR Go beyond the clouds with new ceilometer technology for aviation safety and efficiency Airports need more detailed and accurate information than ever on atmospheric conditions to help ensure flight safety. With the new Vaisala CL61 Ceilometer, you can detect much more than cloud height, amount and vertical visibility. REGISTER BLOG Smoke particulates from Californian wildfires travel all the way to Europe Vaisala ceilometers detect smoke originating in North America that travel all the way to Europe and form large smoke plumes when the winds blow from certain appropriate direction. READ MORE BLOG Mitigating the hazards of volcanic ash Volcanic ash is both easily convected upward within the plume and carried downwind for very long distances. As it falls out of suspension, it can potentially affect communities across hundreds, or even thousands, of square kilometers. READ MORE BLOG Detecting volcanic ash rain in the Canary Islands The Canary Islands, and especially the island of La Palma, has been experiencing the volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja since September 2021. Vaisala’s Lidar Ceilometer CL61 with depolarization capability has been measuring the volcanic ash layers aloft since end of October. READ MORE Industry Applications General Ceilometer CL61 Information Get to the know the first-of-its-kind sensor combining standard ceilometer measurements with advanced depolarization and particle differentiation. LEARN MORE Meteorology Applications CL61 provides value no other ceilometer can — improving forecasting and the effectiveness of meteorological agencies. LEARN MORE Urban & Industrial Systems Applications Unrivaled visibility into atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and pollutants improves urban and industrial projects anywhere. LEARN MORE Get Started with Ceilometer CL61 CL61 is unlike any other ceilometer, and it is already providing previously unattainable benefits to aviation. Contact us now to learn more how CL61 can dramatically improve your operations. CONTACT US