Yep.

One of the first climatologists, Reid Bryson, used to get into a B24 and do WX forecasts for the B29's doing Tokyo runs. Bryson did a few into cyclone flights in a B24.

An 'old breed' practical scientist. His most famous quote: "...You can go outside and spit and have the same effect as doubling CO2.."





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St Maarten airport destroyed by Irma?
 

Princess Juliana Airport is destroyed by Hurricane Irma | Daily Mail Online

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...4736695253.jpg

Well destroyed is perhaps a bit excessive but heavily damaged indeed.

From what I hear minimal operations should be possible within the week.

Kind of lost interest when I saw the little dangly thing hanging from the overhead panel . . . .

Maybe, last time in 1995 it took months. They will try to clear the runway sufficient enough to enable the neccesary aid flights. Commercial ops will be a long long time comming.

Yes that's the plan. Lots of passenger infrastructure has been impacted but the basic structures seem reasonably intact. The biggest problem will be to bring in enough equipment to help the cleanup effort.

That's the g meter!

the hurricanes keep lining up

Fresh picture of Princess Juliana Airport

https://i.imgur.com/vEaZsNr.jpg

There is (a lot) of work to be done but it is definitely not "destroyed"

Dutch media reports that clean up at MXS is in progress and they'll try to get some humanitarian flights in starting tomorrow (Friday).

Yes, useing kdc-10 to fly to Curacao with water and medication and Marines 110 man strong.
A couple of Hercules as well. Kdc-10 might not be able to land in St Maarten due to rwy state. But the Hercules might be able. So fly to Curacao reload all stuff on to the Hercules that flies there as well I assume.
If that does not work. Than with tailgate do Airdroppings over the Island.

Something along those lines.

I am presuming you meant SXM? MXS is in Samoa.

Current projection shows it going right up the center of Florida. The storm is wider than the state! None of Florida is safe.

More footage of Juliana airport:

Hurricane Irma annihilates St. Martin?s world-famous airport | New York Post

Having seen the Hercules do a zero-altitude drop before now, they could just have it all in the back, fly low along the runway, chuck the parachute out the back and bang! Several large pallets delivered just like that. Of course, that assumes there's resources to clear it off the runway before the next delivery.

That's called Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES). The USAF stopped doing it as a regular event years ago. Fair amount of risks in many evolutions.

Unfortunately a large part of the payload (and cost) comprises parachutes and pallets. Then it's lot of effort to retrieve the maybe intact (or not) goods. What is needed is a working airport...which according to today's news reports is where U.K. Efforts are rightly focusing

What are the UK carriers doing to evacuate holiday makers back to the UK as Irma seems likely to hit Florida?

One hell of a line of GA a/c flying away from Florida before the next wave hits....

That's exactly what I did before floyd hit in 1999. From Vero Beach to Jacksonville along with the whole piper factory and flight safety. As it was Floyd missed.