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<br />Navajo aircraft of Weather Science, Inc. which was making observations <br />and seeding some with silver iodide. Flight tests with water had not <br />given evidence that any of the spray would get onto the tail of the C-97 <br />but such did Occur on the August 23 flight'. This posed a corrosion pro- <br />blem and necessitated major redesign of the spray boom system. The <br />August 24 flight was made with the system unchanged, because of the <br />urgency of the operational flight. Even with hours' of spray cleaning after <br />each flight it was considered unwise to fly any more until the new spray <br />boom system was available. Fortunately, several dry days followed, . <br />and the improved configuration with the boom being permanently fixed at <br />the tail was ready before the next operational flight opportunity arose on <br />August 28. There followed a series of seeding flights August 28 and 30 <br />and September 2, 4, 6, and 8. The event of September 4 involved a major <br />storm yielding over 5" of rain around the Altus area. The other seeding <br />events during this period were in much weaker conditions. At all times <br />the operation was focussed primarily.on the Lake Altus watershed, and <br />secondarily on tl:e dry areas near Altus, especially to the west. <br /> <br />'" <br /> <br />The weather then became very dry and unsuitable for seeding. We took <br />the opportunity to make a major equipment modification, installing the <br />Air Force lOa-unit nozzle system and the MAlA':< gas turbine air s.~PI?ly <br />required to go with it. Ground tests were made and showed the system was <br />ready to go, but we kept waiting for a seeding opportunity before flying. <br />Finally the standby costs precluded our making any more operational <br />flights within the scope of the contract. A contract extension was then <br />negotiated based on the concept of leaving the C-97 at Altus and having the <br />crew remain at their home bases without cost to the contract. This added <br />travel cost while decreasing standby cost -- giving a large net saving if <br />forecasts worked well and if the weather would be cooperative. As it <br />turned out, the weather in the next several weeks was rather threatening <br />and wet, requiring us to be in Oklahoma on standby but the weather was <br />not conducive to obtaining positive effects from seeding. Seeding flights <br />were made only pn September 30 and October 1. A week later standby <br />costs at Altus had reached a point which precluded the making of more <br />operational flights. On October 15th the C-97 was flown back to Long Beach, <br />and the removal of the spray apparatus and its refurbishing before return <br />to the Air Force were begun. On October 29, 1971 the tanks and spray equip- <br />ment were returned to Edwards AFB by truck and USAF personnel acknow- <br />ledge return in good or~er and cancelled their original receipt. <br /> <br />Table I gives a summary of flights made on behalf of the project. <br /> <br />oJ <br /> <br />':<Military designation of a particular gas turbine air start unit for <br />starting jet engines. <br /> <br />6 <br />