FLYING “WEATHER DETECTIVES”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23796, 1 May 1939, Page 10

FLYING “WEATHER DETECTIVES”

PILOTS' FINE RECORD (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, Mar. 23. Royal Air Force pilots fly daily to a height of 25,000 feet to gather essential information for the Air Ministry meteorological experts, according to whose forecasts millions plan their work and pleasure, and on whom countless pilots depend. The 15 years’ non-stop record of the Meteorological Flight is an astonishing story of high endeavour and onerous duty fulfilled as a matter of routine. An' unbroken run of approximately 1500 flights to a level not far below the peak of Everest, world’s highest mountain, has been accomplished from Mildenhall aerodrome since the last cancellation of a scheduled flight, in November, 1936, when every .aerodrome in Britain reported “Visibility nil." Fog, rain, storm, snow, and other inclement weather in which, in aviator’s slang, "even the birds prefer to walk.” make virtually no difference to the Meteorological Flight. Temperatures as low as 80 degrees below freezing are experienced during the winter, and the job of returning to the aerodrome is frequently complicated by thick cloud and low-lying fog. Importance of the R.A.F. weather flight will tend to increase as flights become longer. Over the Atlantic, for example, meteorological information is sparse; but weather conditions to come can be accurately gauged by experts from detailed knowledge of conditions existing far above Britain, collated with information from other sources. The service was established on November 1, 1924. Personnel of the flight consist of two pilots and maintenance crews of four Glosler Gauntlet biplanes, once front-rank singleseat fighters, but now outclassed by the monoplane Hurricane and Spitfire fighters which form the standard present-day equipment of Royal Air Force “ inllerceptor ” defence squadrons., Armament of the standard Gauntlet is replaced by the numerous sensitive special instruments which provide the pilot with accurate information of weather conditions. In military forms Gauntlets climb to 20,000 feet in nine minutes, and attain a maximum level speed of 230 miles an hour.