The Wrangell sentinel., 1920-08-19

increase the speed of the machine flying with the wind, and decrease it if the machine were fly ing in the opposite direction. Gales that would actually suspend flying are too few to make any appreciable percentage reduction in the reliabil- ity of an aerial service.
 Low clouds and rain affect the visibility, but not to anything like the same extent as fog, and, given a correct knowledge of the height and extent of the clouds, will not interfere with the flight of an airplane.
 The above conclusions are in di- rect opposition to the views usually held, and have been arrived at by the actual performances achieved in the London-Paris service that is now being run by A. T. & T.. Ltd. On this service the organization is as perfect as it is possible at the present to make it, and the weather information that is placed at the disposal of the pilots to a great eX- tent mitigates the disadvantages of bad weather. Hourly reports are received from six stations on the route, giving particulars as to the wind direction and force, the height of the clouds, the visibility and the general state of the weather. In addition, the bad weather areas are hearted and their movements care fully followed, and soundings of the winds in the upper air are ob- tained, the whole forming chain of information that has enabled the pilots to maintain service prac- tically unbroken.
 Up to the present, on only one day has the service been interrupted, when there was gale, which at times was over 100 miles per hour, a force un- known for the last 40 years on that route, and, even in this, the machine flying with the gale accomplished its journey.
 This record has been established over a route which is noted for having the most variable of weather conditions and where it is no uncommon occur renee for the steamship sailings to be held up or considerably delayed on ac- count of adverse weather.
 Canada, with its vast inland regions and Great Lakes, experiences every type of weather, with the possible ex- ception of the tropical type, but its chief interest, from an aviation stand point, is the occurrence of fog, snow storms and gales.
 There are vast stretches of country where fog is practically unknown and it is only on the coast and in the region of the Great Lakes that it enters into consideration at all. On the Great Lakes and the seaboards, where the great commercial centers are situated, fog will be the greatest enemy to punc- tuality that will have to be faced, but it can, to a great extent, be overcome by an efficient meteorological service. Given the knowledge of the area over which the fog is prevalent, and know ing to what height above ground it ex- tends, pilot can climb above such fog, proceed towards his destination. and, steering by compass, pass over the fog area, pick up his bearings, and proceed on his journey in the ordinary way. Given an adequate organization, the weather expert can supply him with this data, and also particulars of the speed and direction of the wind above the fog to enable him to estimate &C., curately his drift and keep to his course.
 It is so very rarely that fog persists over the whole of reasonable aerial stage that the possibility of the airplane not passing the boundary of the fog need not enter into calculation. In the case of machine flying into fog, the knowledge of it's existence, combined with an adequate ground organization and method of marking the landing ground by captive balloons, will enable a journey to be completed in all but the thickest of fogs
 With regard to snowstorms, it is the bad visibility, combined with the ne- cessity of flying at a low level, that make this detrimental to aviation, and the only help the meteorologist can give in these cases is to issue adequate