Column
An early bird catches an important datum! ( by Ei-ichi Yamaguchi, the meteorological team)
Four years have passed since I began to volunteer for the operation office. Before that I had been a crew member for an local team. I belong to the meteorological team and sometimes help tether the special balloons.
Today let me tell you what we meteorological team do.
We have get up quite early in the morning. 3:30 a.m. is the time for us to gather at the booth. We send up a pilot balloon to collect information for the direction and speed of the wind. Every 20 minutes we fly the pilot balloon between 4 and 7 o'clock. During the two hours we are always staring at the sky. On the other hand we make contacts with the local meteorological bservatory and collect other necessary information through the internet, and we transmit the data to the operation office. We take the same procedure in the afternoon, too.
Observation by means of the pilot balloon is an important information for the operation office to decide which tasks to have that morning / afternoon. We also examine the weather conditions near the launch site and surrounding areas to report to the operation office. Based on such information they make a judgment if the balloonists can fly and compete safely.
Thus the meteorological team is charged with such an important resposibility as to collect and analyze the weather conditions, the most basic data for ballooning. When you happen to see a member of the meteorological team at work, please watch his / her working with your gentle eyes.
[Written by}
Ei-ichi Yamaguchi, the meteorological team
2006.10.23
Today let me tell you what we meteorological team do.
We have get up quite early in the morning. 3:30 a.m. is the time for us to gather at the booth. We send up a pilot balloon to collect information for the direction and speed of the wind. Every 20 minutes we fly the pilot balloon between 4 and 7 o'clock. During the two hours we are always staring at the sky. On the other hand we make contacts with the local meteorological bservatory and collect other necessary information through the internet, and we transmit the data to the operation office. We take the same procedure in the afternoon, too.
Observation by means of the pilot balloon is an important information for the operation office to decide which tasks to have that morning / afternoon. We also examine the weather conditions near the launch site and surrounding areas to report to the operation office. Based on such information they make a judgment if the balloonists can fly and compete safely.
Thus the meteorological team is charged with such an important resposibility as to collect and analyze the weather conditions, the most basic data for ballooning. When you happen to see a member of the meteorological team at work, please watch his / her working with your gentle eyes.
[Written by}
Ei-ichi Yamaguchi, the meteorological team
2006.10.23
