The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-12-08
GAP SQUADRON HAS
 "C0M", WEATHER TALKS AND VISITORS

At their third meeting last night, members of the Juneau Civil Air Patrol Squadron got the informa- tive technical program and organi- rational meeting they had expected and the added stimulus of short talks by three experts skilled in established CAP activities.
 The visitors, all from Anchorage, were Bill Hanson, Alaska CAP Wing Operations Officer; Morgan Davies, Wing Assistant Executive, Officer, and Capt. Kent Filling hast, member of the Anchorage CAP Squadron.
 All are with the CAA, Hanson and Davies as patrol pilots, and lilly as Assistant chief of air traffic control.
 Paul I. Mcconnell, Communica- tions Officer of the Juneau Squad ron, gave the main talk, which was instruction in that field. It ranged from background informa- ton to discussion of current re- search in omni- -directional range finding. The visiting experts, all friends of Mcconnell, undertook a little friendly heckling which turned into lively technical talk later.
 Mcconnell had set the key for his instruction period by calling communications ('the art of im- ro1ting information to another") an essence of civilization, and men tioning early methods other than speech-such as drums, smoke sig nals, semaphore, heliograph, tele- graph and telephone.
 He traced the important steps since 1864, when Maxwell proved that radio wave could be used instead of wire, and the speaker went into basic principles of radio communication
 With his own experiences in both flight and ground communications and navigation, Mcconnell was well qualified to discuss aircraft com- munications and air-ground con- troll Mcconnell is Air Traffic Con- troller at the Juneau Airport CAA tower.
 In a short talk, Mrs. Maynard s. Stimson suggested that the Juneau CAP Squadron undertake experi- ments to develop practical radio sounding rocket for weather ob- servations. Similar research is be- ing conducted in the states.
 Such rockets, said the speaker, have these advantages over sound ing talloons rockets go up higher and faster, so can collect weather data at greater heights; they are not blown off course nor lost so easily. therefore more frequent ob- servations can be taken, and, being more sturdily constructed, rockets permit better protection for re- cording instruments.
 "Alaskans need not remain at the mercy of the whims and fancies of the meteorological elements" she said. The science of meteorology is exact enough to predict weather when sufficient number of ob- servations can be made over a wide area. We need more observers, and CAP members could help cope with Alaskas special weather prob lems through a rocket research pro- gram"
 Mrs. Stimson, who majored in mathematics at UCLA, has long l had weather, Alaska weather in particular, as her hobey, and she took course in meteorology at Los Angeles.
 She and her husband, who is an architect with the Alaska Road Commission, have been in Juneau cnly since July. Her status" house. wife and mother of two active boys"
 is typical of civilian participation in the Civil Air Patrol, which is an auxiliary unit of the US. Air Force.
 Squadron Commander Alan G. Maroum was pleased as were all squadron members, to learn that communications equipment and an L-5 airplane soon will be delivered to Juneau
 In brief "time-out" periods from the communications lecture, Mar cum and Milton J. Furness, Squad ron Executive Officer, interviewed members and worked out tentative assignments.