New sensor expands capabilities for Bloody Hundredth weather flight

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

The 100th Operations Support Squadron weather flight received a new device recently that will improve its ability to collect meteorological data, which in turn will further support their mission of resource and personnel protection.

The weather sensor collects cloud height, cloud coverage, wind speed and direction, precipitation, lighting detection, atmospheric pressure measurements and even has a camera.

The ease of setup is one advantage the device has over the Technological Meteorological Observing System, the weather flight’s current portable measurement apparatus.

“You can’t really beat it. You bring this little box, set it up, leave it for 90 days and you are able to collect a lot of data from it,” said Capt. Jacob Fedors, 100th OSS weather flight commander. “Our other measurement tools require much more setting up because they’re bigger.”

The device is not only smaller but also easier for Airmen to operate.

“Using it is super easy,” said Airman 1st Class Adam Vieth, 100th OSS weather forecaster apprentice. “The TMOS comes with a 100-page technical order while the micro weather sensor came with a 20-page slideshow. It requires very minimal training.”

When it comes to forecasting weather more information is better, and the weather sensor delivers just this. Because of its portability, it can be easily placed in remote environments to supplement data already collected.

“Aircrew could be performing an aerial refueling mission around a location that has a micro weather sensor; I have computer-generated models and charts to help me determine local weather conditions,” said Vieth. “I can also log into a micro weather sensor and confirm the readings with live sensor data. This device complements what we have and gives us the capability to put sensors where we couldn’t put them before.”

Although the device isn’t replacing any equipment the weather flight currently uses to forecast the weather, it is expanding their capability to collect more information.

“It’s a highly portable weather sensor which adds another tool to our arsenal,” said Fedors. “The more data, the better.”