This method of release is a development of the upwind release used in radiosonde flights in the U.S. Weather Bureau, with refinements first used by General Mills Aeronautical Research Laboratories and necessitated by the larger balloon size and the number of components on each flight.
Using this method, successful releases were made at Alamogordo in winds of 20 miles per hour with gusts up to 30 miles per hour.
C. Recovery
Much additional information on the behavior of the train components can be gained if they are recovered. Two methods of recovery are employed: 1) reward tags and 2) recovery by the balloon crew tracking the flight.
Reward tags attached to several components have encouraged the finders to protect the equipment and report its location. The tag and associated questionnaire are included in Appendix 3. Total recovery of flights to date is about 60% of those released.
When the location of the balloon is known by visual observation from an airplane, or the landing area is indicated by direction-finding gear, recovery is attempted by truck by the balloon crew or the crew at one of the downwind stations. Several successful recoveries have been made of flights of relatively short range. It was found in earlier attempts that the balloon equipment was a difficult target both in the air and on the ground. Consequently a colored cheesecloth banner (6 by 12 ft., stiffened top and bottom) was added to the train. It also is a convenient marker for theodolite stadia measurements. A banner may be seen in Figure 30. White banners seem to be the most generally useful.
Section 5. Flight Summary
A summary of pertinent information on all flights made to date is included in Appendix 1 as table VII. Also shown there are flight train