2 September 2005  -  REUNION MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO.  The AWRA President and Board of Directors OK move of 2005 AWRA Reunion of Members to the Alamo City, home of the River Walk, the forementioned Alamo, and numerous military bases.  Military City, USA, welcomes AWRA with open arms.  We have received several Proposals from area hotels.  These will be evaluated over the holiday weekend and the Board will select a site on Tuesday, 6 Sep 2005.  Make your travel plans now.  Numerous members have already committed to attend!  We will have a great time.  Again, make your travel plans NOW! 

1 September 2005  -  BILOXI REUNION CANCELLED.  STAND BY FOR BACKUP OPTIONS. 

We have had contact with our 2005 AWRA Reunion POC.  Hank Turk and his family made it through Hurricane Katrina relatively OK.  The Biloxi area is, however, devastated.  There is no way AWRA can even think about going there at this time.  Hank will send out refunds as soon as possible -- which could be weeks or months down the road.

Many AWRA members have blocked that period of time to attend a reunion.  The Board of Directors will explore options to find a replacement site and let you all know as soon as possible.  If someone would like to volunteer at such short notice, contact AWRA at:   awra038@aol.com  or  by Phone:  1-800-697-5072

31 August 2005  -   Numerous folks have requested information about the AWRA Reunion in Biloxi.  We don't yet have any contact with Hank Turk, our local POC.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people on the Gulf coast. 

As of today, the 53rd WRS, although displaced from Keesler, continues to provide the National Hurricane Center with extremely valuable information from their temporary home at Dobbins AFB.  We do encourage all members to donate to any organization of their choice to help in the recovery efforts.

2 August 2005  -   The long promised tribute to the Birds of Weather Reconnaissance has been posted.  The Buzzard, Vulture, Ptarmigan, etc. all the way to the Teal of today's 53rd WRS are honored.  There are also a few that I haven't tracked down, so it's up to you, the veterans of AWRA, to help me out.  Go to the new gallery page here .

1 August 2005  -   What in the world happened to the regular AWRA updates??!!  Well, I've been traveling and enjoying a quiet summer.  Several gallery updates are waiting to be posted, and new "war stories" page is in the works.  I hope everyone else had a great summer and took the time to enjoy family, especially the kids and grandkids -- we have 1 of those now.

Hank Turk reports that the registrations for the reunion are going well.  Looks like we'll have a good turnout, but we want to have a GREAT turnout!!  Please check out the reunion information page here.  Then fill out the registration and send it in to Hank.  See you all there!

3 June 2005  -   Still working on a concept for the June Gallery.  I'm about 90% done with a "Birds of Weather Reconnaissance" page.  I'm also working on posting some of the great war stories that I've received from the membership. 


One new feature that we added is an AWRA discussion forum in Yahoo! Groups.  It's brand new, and we have AWRA Life Member Tom Robison to thank.  He browbeat the web master until I agreed to set it up.  Thanks a lot, Tom..... 

Seriously, the Yahoo! Group has great potential.  Members who belong to other aircraft specific (like B-29 Superfortress) or unit specific (56WRS) groups have often found a limited audience to discuss wider weather reconnaissance topics.  This allows us invite anyone ever involved with weather reconnaissance. To join, follow this link to the AWRA group.  Click on the "Join This Group" tab and you will be asked to log in if you already have a Yahoo! account.  If you are new to Yahoo!, it will walk you through the steps to set up your account.  Please join us!

The URL for our group is:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AWRA/

18 May 2005  -   So far the Newsletter mailing is going well.  We sent out 583 copies by First Class US Mail and have had only 16 returned.  Must be you all have done a pretty good job of keeping AWRA up to speed on address changes.  Thank you!

I've also received several inputs with stories submitted by AWRA members.  These will get posted in due time.  They are all worth sharing.

One new item has been added to the Motorpool story.  An RF-4 pilot wrote with his experiences flying the rain making missions out of Udorn.  It makes for interesting reading and has been added as a new page to the Motorpool section.

10 May 2005  -   The AWRA Newsletter, (Vol. 13, No. 1),  is in the mail to all current members who have given us a "snail mail" address. There are about 28 (out of over 600 members) who do not have a mailing address on file.  If you don't get your copy by 12 May, be sure to e-mail the Editor at: awra038@aol.com and we'll check the status of your membership and update your mailing address.

4 May 2005  -   Two items today.  First off, I'm sure most of you are aware that we have been trying to help the family of Maj Dale Richardson (see the 21 Dec 2004 entry below) find veterans who might have known their Dad.  I recently received an E-mail from Conrad "C.R." Layton.  C.R. was at the 58th in 1955-56, flying WB-29s.  He also attended WB-50 conversion training in California, and crewed the first two WB-50s as they were delivered to Alaska.  C.R. maintains a list of about 70 Air Force veterans, mostly from the 58th, and they get together for fun and to share their memories.  AWRA has tried to keep up with the various other groups, like this one, who also share our weather reconnaissance heritage.  This group is meeting in Branson, MO, next month.  If you'd like to contact C.R., find a copy of his letter here.

Item No. 2.  All of you know that Monday, May 30th, is Memorial Day.  This is a day set aside to remember and honor those who have died in the service of their country.  I hope all of you take the time to let your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren know the history and importance of Memorial Day.  The AWRA gallery this month is dedicated to the men and women of weather reconnaissance, especially those who gave their lives during aerial operations.  I am posting the names of those crew members who died as the result of the 24 fatal accidents and incidents.  Starting today, I'll add 4 sets of names at a time, until we have them all.  Please go to the May gallery here.  Let's also not forget the many others who have suffered and passed on due to exposure to radiation and other environmental hazards.

 3 May 2005  -   The AWRA reunion is coming together.  Hank Turk is setting up a great four days in Biloxi and we hope everyone can join us.  With the reunion details settled, the AWRA newsletter is off to the printers.  As discussed at the 2004 General Membership meeting in Sacramento, the newsletter will be sent out via first class mail to make sure our members receive it in a timely manner.  Also discussed was the possibility of electronic distribution -- i.e. via E-mail.  This would save AWRA the cost of a first class stamp, and we can include color in the electronic version.  Check out the E-version here.  If any members want to NOT receive a black and white hard copy -- thus saving AWRA the $.37 each (+ printing costs), please send me an e-mail to that effect at  awra038@aol.com

17 Apr 2005  -  Update on Biloxi Reunion.  Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to change the hotel where the 2005 reunion will be based.  We will now be headquartered at the Palace Casino Resort Hotel.  They offer a special room rate of $69.00 per night for AWRA members.   Go to the updated reunion information page here.  Get the reunion registration form here.  The AWRA newsletter (including updated reunion information and registration form) will be sent out in next few weeks.  Thanks for your patience.

13 Apr 2005  -  Update removed.  Was overcome by events.

10 Apr 2005  -  Posted the April update to the gallery section.  This month the subject is the earliest days of dedicated weather reconnaissance.  The main honoree is (then) 1st Lt Otha C. Spencer, a B-25D pilot of the Army Hurricane Reconnaissance Unit. This unit flew into and around several major hurricanes in 1944.  Lt Spencer wrote the report on that hurricane season (with an introduction by Major I.I. Porrush, the Army Liaison to the Hurricane Forecast Center in Miami, FL).  After the war, Otha went on to get his Ph.D. in journalism and he taught both journalism and photography at East Texas State University, now Texas A&M - Commerce, where he is professor emeritus of journalism.  Dr. Spencer, the AWRA Historian,  turns 85 years young this month.  We wish him a Happy Birthday and many more.  Go to the April 2005 gallery.

26 Mar 2005  -  We received a CD-ROM of information and photos from Tom Robison.  Tom has written several articles about weather reconnaissance through the years.  His Whiskey-Charlie is the most complete reference about  the 5 different models of C-130 to wear the "W" prefix over the past 40 years.  The January Gallery about the Motorpool rain making mission is now updated to include three of Tom's photos -- one of WC-130A 522 in a revetment on Guam, and two USAF photos showing the silver iodide ejectors mounted on 554.

14 Mar 2005  - Posted the March update to the Photo Gallery.

13 Mar 2005 - Sorry for the delay in posting any March updates.  I've been working on a tribute to the folks who make weather reconnaissance missions possible.  I'm talking about the hard working men and women of maintenance.  This will be posted soon, I promise.  For now I invite folks to follow this link to an article about AWRA life member Earl Dunphy.  Earl was the commander of the 59th WRS and led the AWS program to field the WB-50.

We are also preparing the AWRA newsletter for distribution in April.  Look for it in a mail box near you shortly after "Tax Day".

 4 Feb 2005 - A small introduction to this update.   As a teenager I remember when SPORTS ILLUSTRATED magazine came out with their annual swimsuit issue.  Since then, the swimsuit issue is SI's biggest seller each year.  I'm not promising WB-50s in bikinis, but hopefully you'll enjoy the Feb 2005 gallery posted here.  By the way, my personal favorite SI model was Cheryl Tiegs wearing the white fishnet...

27 Jan 2005 - Added two new pictures to the January gallery about  the 500th Motorpool mission.  Also added a date for the mission - 31 July 1968.  These additions thanks to viewer input!  The January gallery is still located here.

17 Jan 2005 - Finally posted the January update to the photo gallery.  The subject this month is the Motorpool rain making mission conducted by the 54th WRS from 1967 to 1972.  Specifically, we have several pictures of the 500th mission conducted by the WC-130A model aircraft.  We are looking to hear from other people who participated in these missions -- hint, hint -- and still want to verify the identity of the ARWO in the crew photo.  The two pilots are positive of the I.D., but you know pilots ....  Check out the photos here.

12 Jan 2005 - Heard of the passing of Lt Col Robert E. Thompson, USAF (Ret) at Cocoa Beach, FL.  Bob was a life member of AWRA.  He was an ARWO and had tours with the 53rd, 54th and 56th WRS while on active duty.  After his Air Force retirement he was hired to be the Chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination, All Hurricanes -- or CARCAH -- at the National Hurricane Center.

9 Jan 2005 -  Received an E-mail from David Magilavy.  He passed on some good news about a weather reconnaissance veteran's VA claim that was finally approved after 2 years.  David got the veteran's family in touch with Ms. Patricia Snyder at AFTAC, who was able to provide the VA with information proving "valid radiation risk activity".  On a side note, the family found David based on our Sacramento reunion page -- yeah us!  For additional information, contact David at:  david@dmagilavy.net

21 Dec 2004 - Received an E-mail from the daughter of Major Dale Richardson.  Maj Richardson was one of the pilots killed in the crash of a 58th WRS WB-50D on 31 Aug 1956.  She, her sister, and her brother (Dale, Jr.) would like to contact anyone who might have know their Dad at the 58th (or elsewhere).  If anyone thinks they can help, write the web master at awra038@aol.com or bcbarris@aol.com and we will put you in touch with the family.  Maj Richardson's service went back to 1943.  We know he was also at Kwaj for the 1946 Bikini Atoll atomic tests (Operation Crossroads) thanks to his membership in the Grand Council, Exclusive Order of Guinea Pigs, Sty No.1.  His daughter still has his certificate of membership.

From a historical perspective, this crash was the first of 3 (or possibly 4) WB-50Ds lost over a 6-month period.  Thirty two Air Weather Service reconnaissance crew members lost their lives in these accidents.  The crew of the 31 Aug 56 accident was: