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Show Keeps U of Wash, from flying Neither rain, nor snow, nor. . . By LEE WARNICK Record Editor Most airplane pilots will tell you they try and avoid flying into storms-they're storms-they're just too dangerous to fool with. intensifying it. It was pretty bad." The Seattle crew has been in southern Utah since Feb. l, and what they are doing basically amounts to waiting for storms to come. They are under con- Steve Nickells not only flies into storms regularly, but makes his living taking a bulky B-23 B-23 aircraft into all kinds of weird weather situations. Checking a cloud seeding program in southern Utah is one of the less exotic projects this cloud physics group has undertaken. Usually working under contract, Washington meteorologists have taken their plane as far away as France. "We worked on a project about 18 months ago for a French electrical company," said pilot Nickells, in a tone of voice indicating the group obviously enjoyed the trek. The meteorologists have made three trips to Cape Canaveral in Florida to check the clouds ("afterclouds") created from rocket launches. They have also taken two flights to Alaska to work with volcanoes. And, yes, they were involved in investigating in-vestigating the clouds created by the Mt. St. Helens volcano, practically in their back yard. says, "I feel it is less dangerous than typical flying. We fly in intentionally, and we're prepared for it. Our B-23 is a well-built airplane for this type of flying." While the University of Washington is looking at things from above, a Utah State University crew is working from a ground station near Beaver. USU is in charge of evaluating how well the winter cloud seeding, conducted con-ducted for the past seven years, is working. The data gathered from their Seattle colleagues is being analyzed by Dr. Geoffrey Hill of USU and his group, and will result in a comprehensive study in about eight months. North American Weather Consultants, Con-sultants, the group conducting the seeding,, is hoping tests indicate their goal is fulfilled of 15 to 20 percent greater snowpack in southern Utah y , lfs$ Not only do they investigate "natural" phenomenon, but, says Nickells, the group has been asked to look into air polution, emissions from coal-fired plants and forest fires. . . Steve Nickells not only flies into storms regularly, but makes his living taking a bulky B-23 aircraft into all kinds of weird weather situations. Nickells pilots the specially-equipped University of Washington weather plane, in southern Utah now for a six-week six-week series of cloud seeding tests. The group normally operates out of St. George, flying only during stormy periods over the Tushar Mountains near Beaver, but intense north winds following Friday morning's storm forced them to set down in Cedar City. It was late morning Saturday before they felt comfortable taking the vintage plane off. Friday's bumpy ride left even these veterans of nasty weather flights a bit rubbery legged. "It was one of the worst flights we've taken," said Research Meteorologist Art Rangno of Seattle, Wash. "When the wind gets going like this, the canyons above the St. George Airport act like a funnel, tract to Utah State University to test the effectiveness of cloud seeding programs at sites above Beaver. When a USU ground crew near Beaver senses conditions are right for a flight (typically stormy, nasty conditions con-ditions near at hand), they phone the Washington group in their St. George motel, signaling them to take off. From there, the B-23 rumbles toward the storminess, taking data on "liquid" water and ice particle readings in the clouds. But, like many southern Utahns, they have found themselves anxiously waiting for storms to come in. "This has been an extremely unusual winter," win-ter," observed Rangro. "I think it's even been drier than the one you had in 1977. We're getting kind of homesick not doing much, even though we really enjoy the sun." The flight that saw them marooned in Cedar City Friday was just the fourth in their three weeks in the area. Not only do they investigate "natural" phenomenon, but, says Nickells, the group has been asked to look into air pollution, emissions from coal-fired plants and forest fires, checking what effect they may have on the envoronment. Does Nickells find his "storm-hunting" "storm-hunting" dangerous? "Actually," he mountains due to the cloud seeding. "It is absolutely hecessary, especially with energy and possible defense developments, to develop our cloud seeding technology," said Dr. Hill. "The state's growth will make it a must, especially in the southern portion of the state where precipitation is more -scarse," Some of the intricate equipment inside in-side the University of Washington's B-23 B-23 weather plane. The group is in Southern Utah to investigate how well the area's winter cloud seeding program is working. |