The White Falcon - 05.11.1965, Blaðsíða 4

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WHITE FALCON
Friday, November 5, 1965
Fleet Weather Facility
LAUNCH PAD—This building houses the equipment used to track UP AND AWAY—Another FWF CHECKING CURRENTS—D. C. Pritchett, AGAN (left), and J. J.
weather observation ballons sent aloft. Inside the dome on top of weather balloon is on its way to McGee, AGAN, double check the direction of flow of upper air before
the buildings is the electronic tracking screen. gather local forecasting data. distributing a new forecast.
Pilots” Best Friend
DATA RELAY—Information on surface wind speed is
relayed to the Control Tower from FWF’s observation
tower by G. Y. Knight, AG3.
Since a sudden shower put out the first cave-age barbeque fire,
man has been seeking a way to control the weather but has yet to be
successful.
Through the years, since the hazards of the elements were first
discovered, the human race has devised many different means of
learning about the weather. In this age of technical advances in
everything from mousetraps to moonshots, the weather has not es-
caped unscathed from scientific searching.
Although man has not yet found the secret of bridling the forces
of the four winds, many scientific advances in weather forecasting
allow him to get a good idea of what may be in store; come rain WEATHER INFO—Two Canadian pilots are briefed by
or come shine. Z. Jacobs, AGC, on the prevailing weather conditions
Here at Keflavik the round-the-clock air operations of civilian along the last leg of their journey home,
and military aircraft cause the 38 officers and men of the Fleet
Weather Facility (FWF) and 24 employees of the Icelandic Weather
Bureau to keep a watchful eye on the fluctuation of weather systems
that may effect Iceland.
The men of FWF stand their 12-hour watches in four sections.
During their watch they receive weather reports from the U.S.,
Canada, Europe, and ships and planes traversing the Atlantic. After
compiling all the reports, FWF forecasters can determine how oncom-
ing weather will affect the Keflavik flying schedule.
Local weather is checked by balloons sent aloft every six hours by
FWF and the Icelandic Weather Bureau. A small transmitter at-
tached to the balloons sends back information on pressure, tempera-
ture, and humidity. Wind speed is measured in the upper air by elec-
tronic tracking of the balloon’s flight path.
Information gathered from local observations, runway conditions,
and a three to four-hour forecast are continually displayed over
FWF’s closed-circuit television, “Weather Vision.” Operational units
READY .. AIM . FIRE—A. J. Orlando, AGAN, makes such as 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron’s Alert Hangar and ready qn THE WIRE__________________Mr. Thrainn Thorleifsson of the
adjustments to FWF’s electronic tracking screen room, Patrol Squadron Twenty-One’s ready room, Naval Station’s Icelandic Weather Bureau sends the latest forecast
over the teletype to the main Icelandic Communica-
tions Agency for distribution.
Operations Control Center, the Control Tower, and the Flight Clear-
ance Desk in the Terminal receive the closed-circuit TV.
In addition to their forecasting duties, the men of FWF brief all
military pilots leaving Keflavik on prevailing weather along their
flight plan right up to the present forecast over the field at their
destination. The Icelandic Weather Bureau briefs all civilian pilots
in the same manner.
As much as some Saturday afternoon car-washers and picnickers
may argue, the weatherman makes very few mistakes in his predic-
tions. At Keflavik’s FWF an average of 750 observations are made
every month. Out of this number only one third of one percent are
not exactly precise.
FWF and the Icelandic Weather Bureau alternate forecasting the
weather. The two facilities are always in complete accord on the
forecast before it is relayed to other stations. The Icelandic Weather
Bureau sends the forecast to the Central Communications Agency
outside Reykjavik for distribution throughout Iceland and the world.
Until the clay comes that man’s genius finds a way to harness the
elements we will have to take the snow and blow with the sun and PAPERWORK—Cdr C. R. Hall, commanding officer
fun. The old adage, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes; of the Fleet Weather Facility (left) and LCdr. J. J.
NBC OR FWF—Weather being broadcast over closed- !t wil1 change,” applies to Keflavik but you can be sure that the Miller, executive officer, go over a report before it is
circuit “Weather Vision” is being brought up to date Fleet Weather Facility can tell you well in advance what the change forwarded to the National Weather Record Center
by D. G. Wright, AGAN. will be. in Asheville, N. C.