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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1329.PDF
FLIGHT, June 12, 1041 STRATOSPHERE TWICE DAILY Met. Flight Breaks Record Notes are made on a knee-pad which comes conveniently to hand when thepilot is seated in the cockpit. (Left) Topping up the Psychrometer—wet and dry bulb thermometer—whichwas originally designed to strap to the strut of the Gladiator biplane previously used and is now bolted to the upper surface of a Hurricane wing. T^VERY day, whatever the conditions, the•JLv Meteorological Flight of the R.A.F. make two routine weather climbs to 25,000 ft. Dur-ing these trips cloud formations are carefully noted and air temperatures read at variousheights. In addition, any other atmospherical phenomena are recorded. Occasionally weatheris so bad that a landing has to be made at an aerodrome other than the home station,but for four years, completed last November, not one flight has been missed. A wonderfulrecord. The Flight is commanded by a flight lieutenant who has made over 700 of these weather climbs. Over a hundred morethan the next best. Generally speaking, the weather system of this island and the Continent flowsfrom west to east. While we know fairly accurately what sort of weather the Germans may expect, they have to come and see ours in order to make certain.In a welter of conditions in the enemy's favour it is cheering to see just one on our side, and even this is not very much in our favour now the Germans hold theFrench coast. Met. Flight pilot in his Hurricane.Points of interest are the see-behind mirror, the bullet-proof optically-flatwindscreen, the reflector gun-sight and the armour plating protecting thepilot's back. If an Me is met at 25,000ft. the Hurricane's eight Brown-ings guarantee a hot reception however low the temperature. (Left) Back in the office again a " faircopy '' is made of the recordings and observations. (Right) With observations received in code from the ground meteorological stations,the information is used to make up a synoptic chart covering the British Isles and Atlantic Ocean.
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