Post-War Meteorological Service for Aviation (continued)

Some of the field staff provided aviation services at RAAF bases such as Laverton (Victoria), Richmond (NSW), Williamtown (NSW) and at other aerodromes such as Garbutt and Darwin which were shared by civil and RAAF aircraft.

Australian domestic and international airlines were eager to acquire aircraft that were faster, had longer ranges and flew higher, because passengers favoured smoother flight and the shortest flight. The airlines sought more passenger capacity and maximum economy.

The Lancastrians and Hythes operated by Qantas were replaced by pressurised four-engined Lockheed Constellation aircraft in December 1947, reducing the flight time from Sydney to London to four days. British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA) replaced the slower, lower-flying DC4s in November 1948 by pressurised DC6s in their Australia-North America trans-Pacific service. This placed further demands on the aviation meteorological offices which were now required to provide forecasts for flight levels to 20 000 feet and higher.

In July 1946 Wing Commander D. R. (Gel) Cuming, the head of the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) of the RAAF was the first pilot to fly a jet aircraft (a Gloster Meteor) in Australia. This was the beginning of the demand for forecasts for levels to 30 000 feet and above, a requirement which later extended to international jet aircraft and ultimately to domestic services.

The domestic airlines lagged somewhat behind their international counterparts in updating their aircraft. In October 1948 TAA introduced Consolidated Convair aircraft into service, the first pressurised commercial airliner flown in regular domestic aviation services in Australia. ANA introduced DC6 pressurised aircraft into domestic service at a later stage.

Bureau of Meteorology