The Washington times., 1929-09-16
Weather DAT
LACKING IN BIC
FLYING AREA
BY KENNETH CLARK
Copyright. 1898, BY Universal
Service, Incl


The crash Of the T. A. r. plane
City OF San Francisco, with the
loss OF eight lives, has focused at.
tention Of the aviation world to the
need for better weather forecasting
facilities for airplanes.
Despite its gigantic strides In re.
cent years. aviation has not vet
been able TO conquer storm and fog,
the nemesis Of pilots.
SAFETY AT LIGHT COST
And yet, survey by Universal
Service reveals that an additional
appropriation Of but $500 900 an.
nually would provide a nationwide
weather service that would mini.
mize the danger of airplane disas-
tiers due to weather conditions.
The survey also shows that because
Of lack Of funds the Weather Blu.
reau has not been enabled to estab.
lish even the sembIance Of an ade-
quate aviation weather service in
the Southwest, where many violent
storms originate.
Strangely enough, 1t Is over this
area Of parched. isolated deserts,
dense timber lands and Jagged peaks
that rise to over 10000 feet that
the largest passenger-carrying air
lines now operate.
The Weather Bureau Is not TO
blame for this fault, for with the
limited funds at hand model air.
ways weather services are effec.
tive In other parts of the country.
SERVICE LIMITED
About three years ago Congress
authorized creation Of an aerologi-
cal division in the Weather Bureau.
As a start, 20 weather stations
were established, with special sta
tions, personnel and equipment at
the principal airports. The service
proved an immediate success and
with the appropriations increased
to $750,000 there are now 200 sta
tons along established airways.
These are sufficient to cover only
about half OF the country.
When the service was inaugurated
1t was anticipated that the trans.
continental air passenger lines
would follow the air mail route
to the Coast. and provision was
made to furnish weather data. Sub
sequently the rail-and-air lines and
other transcontinental systems have
taken a more southerly route
through New Mexico and Arizona.
insufficient funds have prevented
the bureau from keeping pace with
this development.
An example of what the bureau
can do to prevent accidents due
to storms is demonstrated on the
Cleveland-New York air route, where
a 24-hour service is maintained.
Since its establishment not q crash
has occurred because of weather
conditions, although this route had
been one OF the most dangerous
in the country. ~
EFFECT Is LIMITED
Hourly reports. gathered from Is
stations, many of them located on
mountain tops, are dispatched by
radio. Every three hours q gen.
eral report is gathered, from a net
work of 90 stations situated off the
airway, by which 1t Is possible to
trace the development and move
ment of disturbances. The reports
are broadcast from Cleveland over
Commerce Department radio
station.
Similar services are maintained
at Chicago, Omaha, Cheyenne. Salt
Lake. Los Angeles and San Fran.
cisco.
Weather Bureau officials estimate
that an annual appropriation Of
$2,250,00O. an addition of 81, SOC. 900
over the present funds, will be am
pie to equip all the important air.
ways with like comprehensive
weather reports.