Aviation Ratings: Aerographer’s Mate

[Music] [Applause] [Music] here in the operations building of a great Naval Air Station is located one of the worldwide chain of weather stations manned by the Navy's aerographer mates Pilots look to these wind balls to learn which Runway is to be used for their takeoff direction of takeoff is determined by The Weather Vein the wind direction and velocity are recorded on these dials but Pilots also want to know about the weather thousands of feet aoft or thousands of miles away one of the first steps in predicting weather is checking the humidity of the atmosphere by the use of this instrument the pyrometer the pyrometer is dipped in water and world to determine the humidity by the rate of evaporation to test weather conditions above ground level the aerographer's mates send up small balloons this balloon is being inflated with helium gas and by its rise and drift the direction and velocity of the wind Aloft can be calculated but the wind seldom remains constant varying over ocean valley and mountain regions however when its direction and velocity are learned and the results relayed from point to point the entire pattern of air movement can be known [Music] by means of this instrument the theodolite the aerographer's mate can follow the Flight of the balloon and determine accurately its rise and drift the talker relays information concerning it over his battle phones to the men Below in turn this aerographer's mate plots the balloons course on the plotting disc another balloon takes aoft the world's smallest broadcasting unit the Randi transmitter this will broadcast weather reports up to a height of 15 mil where pressure of gas inside the balloon will explode it and the Randi transmitter will float to Earth by Parachute attached to it alternative L during every 15 seconds this radio sends out signals on temperature and humidity atmospheric pressure is also indicated from which the altitude of the balloon can be determined these signals are picked up on a special radio rande receiver this information together with data received by teletype from other stations is transferred to a weather map and relayed for the benefit of shore stations and ships at sea much of the aerographer mates work is done around planes either at air bases ashore or on carriers at Sea Under normal circumstances This Plane will not take off before the aerographer's mate gets a favorable report on weather flight conditions to clear its [Music] departure as they do asore aerographer mates aboard ship keep a constant check on weather conditions the balloon movements will indicate the direction and the velocity of the wind along determining the wind's movements will Aid in anticipating approaching weather [Music] conditions whether it is one plane leaving a carrier or an operation in involving an entire fleet weather plays a vital part no planes will take off without the green flag from the men who predict the weather the fleet wants to move under cover of a storm a Commando party wants to make a landing on a foggy night bombers must know the weather conditions they will encounter all depending upon the arog rers lates [Applause]