Originally Posted by
langleybaston
Balloons were either red, blue or white according to a judgement on cloud amount, cirrus especially. Flights at night tracked a suspended candle lantern under the hydrogen balloon. Elfansafety had not been invented ............. singed eyebrows and moustatches did occur.
The second photo illustrates a high skill, much valued. The observer has a special slide rule dangling on string round his neck and he computes wind speed and direction in real time as he tracks the balloon. Thus the complete message is ready for oven as soon as the balloon is lost or bursts.
Like most of my generation I prided myself to be able to do every job of all the grades below, but not what that lad is doing. Top Marks.
When we got the first Chinooks, on engine airtests we required accurate readings for the OAT, this was done initially with a thermometer tied to a long pole, but there were concerns that one, it was mercury and that does not mix with aircraft structures ( we already had one breakage and an aircraft down for a significant time while it was rectified. ) and two, with the down draught it wouldn't be accurate, so we phone ODI met office for the temps at various heights..
All went well until one day we realised what the Met was telling us was wildly different to what we were seeing. Enquiring where he got his figures from he said it depended where they had launched a balloon and the figures he gave us were from Manchester!
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