As the meteorological department served as a clearing house for 

 weather data, so the aeronautical department has proven a distribut- 

 ing center for information affecting aerial navigation in southern Cali- 

 fornia. Among the more spectacular accomplishments of this depart- 

 ment may be mentioned the photographing from the air of various 

 varieties of cloud formations. The accompanying illustrations are 

 from photographs made by the writer while acting as observer in a 

 JN-4 (H-S) airplane in one of his trips from Los Angeles to San 

 Diego and as meteorological officer on one of his free flights in spher- 

 ical balloons. 



As a result of the writer's balloon flights during the Spring and 

 Summer of 1919, it was possible for him to inaugurate daily publica- 

 tion in the Los Angeles weather map of the Weather Bureau and in 

 the local newspapers, tables showing the varying wind direction and 

 velocity at different levels in the air. The United States Army Bal- 

 loon School at Ross Field, Arcadia, generously cooperated in this 

 work by telephoning "wind-aloft" data every morning. These data 

 were used to construct flying charts in that reliable advice could be 

 given aviators and balloonists so that they might take advantage of 

 favoring winds in their air trips. 



Meteorology is the oldest yet the newest science and its practical 

 application to everyday phases of life, through the medium of one of 

 the largest chambers of commerce in the world, will give it a notable 

 impetus towards practicalizing that science. 



Balloon View of the Debris Cone of the Santa Anita Canyon. 



