Another Bright Idea made its appearance in ATC about this time and is worthy of a mention. From the beginning of aviation time (or rather since runways were invented), aviators had been ever more sensitive to "Braking Distances", and the malign effect on runways of rain and (above all, ice).
But all judgment was subjective. The only way to determine whether a runway was flyable was to send a chap out to see. Sometimes there were differences of opinion: I recall a morning somewhere; it'd been a sharp night. Local came back from the morning airfield inspection.
"What's it like, Chief ?"....."Not too bad on the runway, mostly dry, but some big ice patches still".
Off I went to Briefing, my turn came to get on the rostrum and say my piece, including the above, verbatim.
"Nonsense !" snapped CFI,
"I've just come down from my Quarter, all the roads are perfectly firm and dry ! After Briefing, I'll try the Runway myself".
Crestfallen, I was in no position to argue. Briefing over, CFI went back to his office, then fired up his Ensign pick-up and sallied forth. I went straight up to top Tower (they'd just cleared him onto the airfield), told what had happened, we got out the binoculars and watched carefully. At first it looked as if "he'd had the right of it". The Ensign seemed under perfect control, and stopped in a straight line. Out he got, took two firm, confident paces. On the third, he did what in the States they call a "Snap Vertical Reverse" (ie half a "Snap" - "Flick" to us) Roll, his feet flew up in the air and we could
feel the inpact as he landed on his derrière.
It must have been painful. He scrambled somehow back on his feet - then arms and legs were flying all over the place as he gave us an encore. (Note ##) This time he was more careful, and managed to limp/shuffle back to his Ensign. (By now, his unfeeling, disloyal subordinates in Top Tower were positively rolling about with
schadenfreude).
He vanished back into FWHQ. A few moments later SATCO looked in:"CFI's just been on - they're holding take offs for an hour to let this stuff burn off". Clearly, the RAF needed a Better Idea, and (as sometimes happens) one was forthcoming. (Now what follows is wholly from memory). Imagine something about the size of a trolley-acc, towed by our L/Rover. On the back there was a sort of outrigger, in which was mounted a bike wheel in a castor. Of course, this wheel did not carry any of the trailer weight, but I think was kept in contact with the ground by a spring.
Now this bike wheel in its castor (left alone) would obviously run "true". But it wasn't left alone. The castor had a sort of tiller, attached to the trailer by a coil spring, At rest, this would pull the wheel some 20-30 degrees out of "true". Running on a firm, dry surface, however, tyre grip would obviously pull the wheel back to "true" against the tension of the (fairly weak) spring.
But on sheet ice (say), it would be diffferent story. Now the tyre had lost its grip on the surface, the spring would be able to pull wheel and castor out of "true": the slippier the surface, the more the deflection.
Fine so far, but where does this get us ? Now for the clever bit. Connected to the end of the "tiller" was a sticky-inked stylus. Add a narrow roll of graph paper with a clockwork motor to drive it around slowly (thermograph style), and "voilà !"
Now Controller could go out onto one end of a freezing runway, set device going, then drive carefully at a prescribed speed (20 mph ?) up and down the length of the runway, first a quarter of the width across, then turn and back mid-width, then turn and back three quarters across. Stop and switch off. Drive back round t/way to Tower. Put kettle on. Send minion out to bring in graph roll. Read the Runes. Record in Local Log. Simple.
It was win-win all round. Instead of haphazard pedestrian estimates (with attendant risks to life and limb) you got a comprehensive, objective record with which none could argue. Apart from getting out to switch on and off, Controller stayed in the "warmth" (?) of the L/Rover throughout. Couldn't be better. What did we call it ? - no idea.
Once again, I appeal to anyone who can Assist us with our Enquiries, to come forward on Thread.
Cheers, Danny42C.
The Appliance of Science
Note ##:
(This triggered a curious "flash-back", I recall an incident in my youth. I bounded onto the ice with the guards still on my skates. The result was spectacular, much like a "Zurakowski" or "Niezrechi" (Busta). The landing (on ice) is as painful as on tarrmac !) 
(Every skater does this once, nobody ever does it twice).