Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28
AIRLINE WEATHER
STATIONS SUCCESS
San Francisco-Los Angeles
Experiment by Guggen-
helm Fund O. KID.

Urging the establishment by the Gov
eminent of a national network OF aero
nautic weather reporting stations, the
Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Pro-
motion of Aeronautics yesterday made
public its report Of the complete sue
cess Of the trial weather reporting sys-
tenn over the airway between San Fran
cisco and Los Angeles. The service was
sponsored and financed by the fund
for the year beginning June, 1928, in
cooperation with the Pacific Telephone
& Telegraph Co., the Army and Navy
Air Services, the Department Of Com
merce and the Weather Bureau.
The success of the experiment Is in
dicated by the fact that during that
time the crowded airway between Los
Angeles and San Francisco was flown
without a single accident attributable
to weather. In contrast to its value, the
cost Of operating the entire system. OF
over 400 miles in length, was found to
be nearly equivalent to the cost Of one
of the three -motored monoplaneS car
rying passengers over this route. Final
approval was stamped on the expert
ment by the order issued by the Bureau
of Aeronautics OF the Department Of
Commerce and by the Weather Bureau
be assumed and operated at Govern
ment expense. and that service more
or less similar will be organized for some
Of the other Always.
Problem Of Roadway.
1T is obvious" states the funds re-
port, that aviation faces the same
problem in regard to roadways Of the
sky as the automobile in its early his
tory faced in regard to the roads on
land. The uncertainty rs to whether the
kaA HA kAA
holding back the use OF the airplane
and retarding the normal development
of this industry"
The San FranciSco-Los Angeles route
was selected for the trial system both
because of the variety of weather con-
ditions prevailing in California and
because Of the dense amount Of air
trafiic-three passenger and express
liners and an air mail service-already
connecting the two cities. The system
consists of four central weather bureaus,
one at each of the terminal fields, and
two at the intervening ports of Fresno
and Bakersfield. These four centers
are connected by wire with over 30
subsidiary stations, scattered in such Q
manner as to give comprehensive In
formation of conditions along all pos
sible lines Of flight.
BY means of O ceiling light, or cell
ing protector, consisting Of concen.
trated beam of light which is focused
on the cloud layer. the height and
nature Of a fog may be measured at
balloon, inflated with hydrogen and
known to rise at o given rate per
minute, is used for the same purpose
by recording the time Of Its disappear
ance in the cloud ceiling. The balloon
method is likewise used to determine
the speed and variability Of winds At
the various levels, and by taking ad-
vantage of following wind at certain
altitude pilot can greatly increase the
cruising speed Of his plane.
Information at the various alrports
Is supplied to the pilot in printed form
reports. issued several times daily and
designating the speed, height and direc-
ton of wind, the visibility and altitude
of cloud ceilings and the general weather
conditions prevailing over all the inter-
mediate regions of the route. In addi-
ton, maps are provided at the main air.
ports giving q picture OF weather ana
wind conditions in all regions. The pilot
is thus enabled to select the more
favorable route to his destination.
There are those who say that AVA
ton has not yet developed sufhcient
traffic to justify an intensive meteor
illogical service of this kind" states the
fund. 1.-THE reply Is that aviation dur
ing its early STAGES must have this type
of meteorological service II it Is to con-
tinue to progress. Later, when me.
chanical aids to aviation are developed
to the point where machine can be
navigated in almost any kind Of wind
and weather the service in this intensive
form may not be so badly needed, but
now 1t is; so much so, that passenger
carrying should be prohibited before
meteorological service Is organized along
the route or routes to be flown. The
meteorological service and other aids
should come before the scheduled flying.
Aids Many Industries.
Gas a matter of fact, information
s,,pnlied by such q service could be used
adyantageously to aid many organaza-
lions and industries, and this has al
ready been demonstrated In California.
The information supplied by 1t has been
used by the Automobile Club OF South
ern California to advantage in advising
Tourists of the weather and tempera-
tire likely to be encountered by them
i'm going from place to place.
ALSO this system of weather report
ing has proved It's usefulness in per-
hitting the issue of accurate rain warn
irigs in the late Summer and early FAN
months when the unannounced coming
of rains would destroy millions Of dol
lars worth of fruit being sun dried on
trays In the open. A rain that would
drench drying fruit would greatly de-
crease its grade and render much OF 1t
unmarketahle. Stacking the trays pre-
vents damage by rain.
Researches have proved that low
humidity b very Important factor
in the bringing out Of high FIRE hazard
and rapid spread of fires. Moreover.
wind affects the rapidity of travel or