The Air Force weather reconnaissance squadron located on Guam is 

 responsible for fixed track reconnaissance, for typhoon discovery and 

 tracking and for other missions relating to weather which the Chief of 

 the Air Weather Service or the Commanding General, Far East Air 

 Forces, may prescribe, either in peace or in war. 



Fixed track reconnaissance is the type of reconnaissance most com- 

 monly used. This type of reconnaissance gives the greatest possible 

 amount of synoptic information, both at the surface and aloft, and 

 actually furnishes a basis whereby most typhoons or tropical storms are 

 discovered in the Western Pacific. Fixed track missions performed by 

 the weather reconnaissance squadron are known as Vulture tracks. 



Weather observations on Vulture tracks are made and transmitted 

 every 100 nautical miles. Observations include time, position, wind, 

 temperature, surface pressure or height of 700 or 500 millibar level, 

 clouds including types and the height of tops and bases, state of sea, 

 present and past weather, &c. A cross-section is made while in flight 

 showing all such information pictorially in addition to the weather log. 



Upon return to operating base the observer immediately makes a 

 post-flight summary from observations made in flight and descriptions 

 and positions of areas where he suspects the formation of tropical storms. 

 This post-flight summary is distributed to all sub-centres in the typhoon 

 network and to all stations responsible for forecasts over the areas. 



At present the requirement is for three such tracks to be flown daily 

 to the north, south-east, and south-west of Guam. 



Throughout the world the United States Air Force maintains four 

 reconnaissance squadrons, which are constantly engaged in obtaining 

 synoptic data from areas where reports were formerly denied. The 

 organization based on Guam is the 514th Reconnaissance Squadron, 

 Very Long Range, Weather. In Bermuda the 373rd Reconnaissance 

 Squadron is located and is responsible for synoptic reports from the 

 Western Atlantic as well as hurricane reconnaissance in that area bounded 

 on the south by the Equator, on the north by the Labrador current, on 

 the east by the Azores, and on the west by the short line of North America. 

 In Fairfield-Suisun, California, the 374th Reconnaissance Squadron is 

 located and is responsible for Stork and Lark flights over the Eastern 

 Pacific Ocean. The 375th Reconnaissance Squadron is located in Alaska 

 and is charged with reconnaissance of the North-east Pacific Ocean by 

 Loon and Albatross flights and for the Ptarmigan flights over the Polar 

 ice cap and the North Pole. 



The other types of reconnaissance which the Air Force is responsible 

 for is typhoon reconnaissance. Typhoons are normally discovered from 

 reports made by aircraft flying fixed track from the north, south-east, 

 and south-west of Guam. Indices normally associated with tropical 

 cyclone formation and readily indicated by reconnaissance reports are : 

 change in wind direction, increased swells and whitecaps, cloud types, 

 fall in surface barometric pressure, decrease in the height of the 700 

 millibar level, &c. As most weather in the tropical Pacific area is generally 

 of the same type from day to day any departure from normal is reported 

 and is generally viewed with apprehension. Close communication with 

 land forecasting stations must be maintained at all times in order that 

 reports may be rapidly evaluated and disseminated to all interested 

 agencies. Within a few minutes after an aerial observation is made the 

 report has been received at the typhoon warning centre or sub-centre. 



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