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<br />III. GENERAL OPERATIONS <br /> <br />A. PROJECT DESIGN <br /> <br />The WKWM Program was designed to be an operational cloud <br />seeding effort to increase precipitation and reduce crop-damaging <br />hail over participating counties in parts of Western and South- <br />western Kansas. Some of the data obtained previously in Kansas <br />have been used by others in weather modification research and <br />evaluations. Future data from the WKWM Program will provide more <br />to this growing body of information. <br /> <br />Based on funding availability over the years, as technological <br />improvements occurred, the WKWM Program selectively fitted what it <br />could into its design. For instance, in last year's final report we <br />mentioned adding Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to three <br />of our planes. The Global Positioning System is in the process of <br />revolutionizing aviation worldwide because of its high accuracy as <br />an aviation and maritime navigation aid. With reference to our <br />radar location, the GPS can pinpoint the exact positions of storm <br />centers for aircraft movements to, and around, as well as for storm <br />or weather avoidance. Similarly, pilots now can relay precise <br />storm' location information back to the radar referencing the <br />position of WKWM radar itself. In 1994 all five WK\'lM Program <br />aircraft had GPS equipment producing a noticeable improvement in <br />ease of operations. <br /> <br />Irrespective of the year-to-year additions or changes in <br />equipment required to meet objectives of the WKWM Program, the <br />operational design has changed little in its 20-year existence. <br /> <br />WKWM operations divide into three major categories: <br /> <br />(1) Weather forecasting/operational planning <br /> <br />(2) Weather surveillance - visual and radar <br /> <br />(3) Aircraft seeding, operations <br /> <br />B. WEATHER FORECASTING/OPERATIONAL PLANNING <br /> <br />New this year was an opportunity to integrate some special use <br />computer software into our weather analysis and forecasting effort. <br />The benefit of using the special software was that we were able to <br />collect and process weather data more quickly and cheaply than in <br />previous years. Hourly surface observational data was accessed, as <br />needed, through the DIRECT USER ACCESS TERMINAL SYSTEM (DUATS). <br />The same analysis software let us look at a several upper air and <br />surface meteorological parameters in a variety of ways. <br /> <br />13 <br />