###### Abstract  
Radar measurements are inherently affected by various meteorological and non-meteorological factors that may lead to a degradation of their quality, and the unwanted effects are also transferred into composites, i.e., overlapping images from different radars. The paper was aimed at answering the research question whether we could create 'cleaner' radar composites without disturbing features, and if yes, how the operational practice could take advantage of the improved results. To achieve these goals, the _qRad_ and _qProc_ software packages, based on the concept of quality indices, were used. The _qRad_ package estimates the true quality of the C-band radar volume data using various quality indices and attempts to correct some of the adverse effects on the measurements. The _qProc_ package uses a probabilistic approach to estimate precipitation intensity, based on heterogeneous input data and quality-based outputs of the _qRad_ software. The advantages of the _qRad_ software are improved radar composites, which offer benefits, among others, for aviation meteorology. At the same time, the advantages of the _qProc_ software are manifested through improved quantitative precipitation estimation, which can be translated into hydrological modeling or climatological precipitation mapping. Beyond this, the developed software indirectly contributes to sustainability and environmental protection--for instance, by enabling fuel savings due to the more effective planning of flight routes or avoiding runway excursions due to information on the increased risk of aquaplaning. radar meteorology; radar composite; quality index; quantitative precipitation estimation; aviation safety +
Footnote †: journal: _Physics of the Earth, and Meteorology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia; juraj.bartok@microstep-mis.com3
creating radar composites (i.e., overlapping images from different radars), one can also enhance the quality of the radar information [7; 8; 9]. Homogeneous radar composites over larger areas or locally in complex terrain, created from a heterogeneous radar network, provide up-to-date information on meteorological processes in the lower air-space. Observations and, more importantly, nowcasting of thunderstorms allow for the strategic planning of airport operations and flight routes. Increased situational awareness contributes to safety, particularly during landing or take-off, for instance in minimizing the risk of runway excursions. These are the most frequent type of runway safety accidents--they add up to 25% of all accidents over the 2015-2019 period according to 2019 Safety Report of the International Air Transport Association [10]. Additionally, preparedness and ability to cope with unexpected situations and/or adverse weather events [11] results in optimized operating schedules, which save fuel, reduce delays, minimize diversions (e.g., [12]), and, thus, reduce costs and decrease the greenhouse gas emissions. The improved radar composites may, therefore, indirectly increase efficiency and enhance sustainability of the air traffic management. High quality radar information is particularly preferred in aviation; thus, aircraft are currently compulsorily equipped with airborne radars. These instruments, however, have limited power, and therefore, are only able to cover a shorter range ahead of the aircraft. Radar composites, on the other hand, offer more detailed information regarding the meteorological conditions within a much wider range along the flight route and in the vicinity of the target airport. There are a number of verified and approved methods for constructing radar composites in the scientific literature, either on the level of cases studies or in the form of implemented algorithms from the operative practice of hydrometeorological services. Nevertheless, radar manufacturers generally do not devote dedicated attention to the issue of compositing, as they primarily focus on the single-radar algorithms.