Duties on the Radio Range
By
Fred Keil
July
2004
-
Take weather in period 20-30 minutes after the
hour. If only one operator, the radio position is legally unattended.
“Special” weather report is taken if there is a serious change in the weather
– then broadcast;
-
Weather is broadcast at 40 minutes and at any time
for “specials”;
-
In the early days, weather was sent to the control
station – starting with the most distant station – by cw. Later by teletype
when that became available;
-
“Pibals” were taken at a certain time: a crude
method of measuring wind direction and velocity. A gas filled balloon tracked
with a theodolite;
-
At some stations the RO had to check the electric
generator during his shift;
-
The RO monitored the signal of adjacent stations
hourly, as well as his own radio range 24 hours;
-
If an aircraft intends to land, the RO gives the
pilot the cloud height, wind direction and velocity followed by “land at your
own discretion”;
-
At stations where CW was used for transmission of
weather messages, the RO used a “key” or “Bug” to send the information – a
method of keying the signal. Transmission was at a speed of 20 to 60 words per
minute, depending on the capability of the sender and receiver;
-
The RO and
his “bug” were the only means of passing information in areas such as the
Northwest Staging Route during the war when construction of runways and roads
[was underway].
(See Radio Aviation Circular No. 20, Revision No. 1. April 26, 1944 for
“Responsibilities and Duties of Radio Operators”. Reproduced in “Radio Waves
Across Canada and up the Alaska Highway”, compiled by Norman Leonard Larson,
Lethbridge, 1922)
|