Definition
An onboard radar-based warning system that detects wind shear conditions ahead of the aircraft and alerts the flight crew before the aircraft enters the shear. The system uses Doppler analysis of the weather radar return to identify rapid changes in horizontal wind velocity in the flight path, typically out to about 3 nautical miles, and provides aural and visual warnings during takeoff, approach, and landing.
Plain English
A system that looks ahead of the aircraft using the weather radar and warns the crew if there's dangerous wind shear coming up, giving them time to react before they fly into it.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft warning systems, especially during takeoff, approach, and landing, when wind shear close to the ground is most dangerous.
Derivation
Predictive means 'foretelling' (from Latin praedicere, to say beforehand). The key contrast is with reactive wind shear systems, which only alert the crew once the aircraft is already in the shear. Predictive systems give warning before entry.
Why Pilots Care
Wind shear near the ground can cause sudden loss of airspeed and altitude control; early warning lets pilots adjust power or abort the approach safely.
Grounding Statement
Picture the airplane nearing the runway while the system warns that the air ahead is changing suddenly enough to be unsafe.
Intuition Check
Do not read predictive wind shear as a general weather forecast. Here, predictive means the aircraft system is looking ahead and warning about wind shear before the airplane flies into it.
Example Sentence 1
On short final, the predictive wind shear system issued a warning, and the crew executed a go-around.
Example Sentence 2
During takeoff, the crew monitored the predictive wind shear system for any indications of hazardous conditions ahead.