Ah yes, the ever moving white heat of technology...in the 60's routine HF position reports and met observations over the oceans were composed with RAF Form 2347 (The Airep).
On the front of the form vertical columns enabled each call and observation to be composed as one would expect, ie position, time, Flight Level, next position and estimate, ETA, endurance. In addition (and not for transmission) were Corrected OAT, W/V, present weather (ie TS, hail, rain, snow, freezing rain), cloud (amount, type, top, base, eg CB top 28,000, bkn stf top 4000), icing (light, mod, severe), and general remarks.
On the reverse of the form, corresponding vertical columns allowed for a "Pictorial Cross Section of Weather Observed". This was the opportunity for the Co-Pilot to impress. Armed with a full set of crayons that any school child would covert he would draw a cross section of the clouds and weather at each position against a vertical scale calibrated in Flight Levels, with intensity or urgency indicated by the colour used (in much the same way as Blacksheep's Wx Radar).
The completed form was handed into the met office at destination, where there usually ensued a verbal debrief. So it went on year on year, until arriving one night at Gan from Changi. The duty forecaster thanked us for the form, put it in an in-tray and made as if our business was done. "Don't you need that then?", I asked. "Well, it's just that we have this now.", he replied, pushing a photo towards us. There was the first satellite weather picture we had ever seen. "There's Singapore, here's Gan, this was your route, here are the clouds you encountered", he explained. We marvelled at this role change, whereby suddenly he could tell us what was actually en-route rather than we tell him. The crayons were quietly put away...
Last edited by Chugalug2; 21st Aug 2013 at 09:43.