Every pilot knows to check the weather before takeoff – no one wants to fly into a storm. And in the future, they might want to check the space weather as well. Storms on the Sun can interfere with technology here on Earth – including aviation technology.

Solar storms are giant explosions of energy and charged particles. When these outbursts hit Earth, the effects can range from damaged satellites to power blackouts on the ground. Some radio frequencies can be blacked out as well.

Scientists recently looked at the impacts on aviation. They studied tracking information for three small aircraft recorded during a massive solar flare in February of 2024. The aircraft automatically reported their position and other details to air traffic control and to other aircraft. The position information came from GPS satellites.

But several times during the solar storm, the aircraft briefly lost touch, or they received bad position information. The problems were brief. But future storms could cause bigger problems. Bad information from GPS satellites, drops in radio links, and even radar blackouts could force flight controllers to rely on older methods to keep planes and passengers safe. That could cause delays and backups – or worse.

So the researchers suggested that space weather briefings be developed for pilots – helping them safely navigate through space weather.

Script by Damond Benningfield