This idea is based on the idea of the recent 3D imaging technology used in movie making, and magnetic resonance imaging scanners (MRI) -and other such devices-, which in turn is based on how our eyes (and those of animals) work together to produce a stereoscopic image which allow us to perceive depth.

Have you been on a flight in an aeroplane which has dropped suddenly for a small (hopefully!) distance due to turbulence or a change in the outside air pressure... the engines suddenly made to be working at the wrong engine speed to equal that pressure change and thereby maintain the speed, or alteration in thermal currents, causing the plane to drop?

What if the pilot could 'see' those changes and alterations in advance and make the appropriate adjustments of engine speed to compensate, or adjust the course heading to avoid them altogether.

...or the plane could do it itself?

This would make for a smoother and more comfortable flight for all, and probably save fuel as a result of a more constant engine speed being able to be maintained.

I propose fitting thermal imaging cameras around the circumference of the fuselage at the front of the plane, and one in the nose cone, facing forwards and towards the central longitudinal axis of the plane, so they are all focused at one point along this axis in front of the plane, at distances corresponding to the plane's air speed, so the faster the plane is travelling, the further in front of the plane the focus of the thermal image scans are, allowing an adequate kind of 'thinking distance' to be maintained.

But the scan would not just create an image along that line only, as like any camera, the field of view increases in a conical shape as far as the power of the camera will record, and so with all the other centrally focused cameras around the fuselage crossing over each other into the distance, a full cone of imaging is recorded down to the ground and up to the sky ahead of the plane, all of which is then rendered as a three dimensional thermal image map of the currents, and relative air pressures and densities ahead, and displayed on the pilot's screen (or as a heads-up transparent overlay display on the front window) as something like a flight simulator model of the plane inside the thermal map. allowing the pilot (or plane) to make those adjustments.

Of course the barriers to this would be the degree of processing power required to read the sky and render the image in real time... and the size, cost, and power of thermal imaging cameras.

But if it could be done, and with the fuel savings I mentioned also saving cash, you could then potentially have all the planes in the sky collaborating and sharing the thermal images they take to create one complete map of huge sections of the sky along their flight paths, which today could probably mean most of the sky around the globe.

...And such maps could be used as valuable information for other purposes like scientific models, weather forecasting, and other things I can't even think of!
So the cost could be borne by these users or at least offset by them as they pay for subscriptions to the data, or it could be a joint venture between them and airlines, who could be able to get cheaper insurance premiums if it contributes to safer flights, which could then mean cheaper tickets!

But certainly it would make for smoother skies for the passengers.