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1 I I \ I I I I I I I I \ I I i I I I I In the PPI mode, the horizontal radar images are displayed on a monitor which automatically shows all regional boundaries, counties, neighboring counties, state lines, VOR navigational aids, positions of county seats and other regional towns. The radar PPI echo intensities also are contoured in different colors denoting different intensities nearly parallel to National Weather Service standard levels. C. AIRCRAFT SEEDING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE Eight cloud base seeding aircraft and one cloud-top aircraft were used in the 1997 operational period: (1) 8 single-engine Piper Aircraft Comanches, PA24-250 (2) 1 twin engine Piper Navajo Chieftain, PA31-325 All cloud base planes are equipped with Carley-type liquid fuel generators for cloud seeding, one mounted to each wing tip. Each generator carries 6 gallons of liquid seeding solution which burns silver iodide at a rate of two grams per minute of operation (two gallons of liquid solution per hour). Each generator carries a total of 360 grams silver iodide and can burn continuously for 3 hours. In 1997 the cloud base planes were stationed at Lakin, Johnson, Syracuse, Tribune, two in Scott City, two in Goodland and one in Colby. The cloud top plane was based in Dodge City. A-l-3:---a:i:rcraft-are-equipped wi1:h---.rrooal.---Posrfion~ng System (GPS) technology. Using GPS allows pilots and meteorologists to precisely reference distance and direction from each radar site, giving us a high degree of precision with respect to storm position. The GPS units have served us extremely well-, since putting them into operation in 1993. Also incorporated into the total operational radar system is an aircraft interrogator/transponder (IFF) flight tracking system. The IFF at the Lakin field site is able, simultaneously, to track six discrete transponder codes, whereas, in Colby three codes can be discretely tracked. The cloud base aircraft can use any of 8 codes assigned to us by the Federal Aviation Administration through a recent agreement with them this year; whereas, cloud top flights are given a different code with each flight. The transponder codes assigned to the WKWMP are 1240 through 1247. Four of the eight cloud base planes were equipped with wing racks for flare-carrying capability this season. The racks, made from stainless steel and mounted to the trailing edges of the wings, each have positions for 12 cloud seeding flares which are held in place as. they burn. The flares look and burn much like ordinary road flares. The flare used for hail suppression this season was a 120- gram unit manufactured by the Canadian company, The Weather 19