Cover produced for the 55th Anniversary of the Meterological Research Flight. Cover depicts aircraft involved in the flight which include a Varsity T1 WF425, Mosquito PR34 VL621, Halifax MET VI ST817, Hastings C1 TG618, Canberra PR3 WE173 and Hercules W2 XV208. Cover depicts the logo of the Met Office and the RAF Crest of the Meterological Flight which depicts a weather vane. Cover bears 63p horse stamp cancelled with 55th Anniversary of the Meterological Flight 6 August 1997 Boscombe Down postmark.
Cover has been flown in Hercules W Mk2 XV208 of the Meterological Research Flight, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Boscombe Down on a weather research sortie over the North Sea as part of the TACIA campaign.

At the beginning of the war in 1939 four Hurricanes and a spitfire under test at A&AEE were transferred with the units move to Boscombe Down. By the middle of 1940 the number of these fighters under test had increased and it became essential that their handling at high altitudes should be invesigated, as a consequence the High Altitude Flight was formed at Boscombe down with 5 Hurricanes and 3 Spitfires.
During the early days of war it became apparent that the rudimentary state of weather forecasting was inadequate for air operations. In order to improve matters duty meterological reconnaissance flights were carried out from RAF stations. The Meterological Research Committee was formed in November 1941. In February 1941 Spitfire P8081 joined the HAF tastked with Met work. A Boston Mk3 was transferred from Perfomance testing to the HAF and was engaged in hydrometer tests continuing this work until 1942 when it added the testing of the Poloar Nephalometer.
One of the first tasks was to arrange the deployment of meterologists led by A W Brewer to the HAF at Boscombe Down in August 1942 to investigate tthe atmospheric conditions favouring the fomation of aircraft contrails.
Alan was also involved in understanding the causes of condensation trails. Work with the Bostons continued until 1943 when the Fortress FK192 arrived which was one of 6 machines presented to Winston Churchill by President Roosevelt.
The practical and efficient success of the meterological section of the HAF led to the establishment of the Meterological Research Flight at the RAE in 1946. It was tasked with the advancement of Meterological science but continued to provide advice as required on weather matters relating to the design and operation of aircraft. Initially equipped with two Halifax aircraft and a pair of Mosquito PR34s the MRF had an increased number of scientific staff and aircraft that were crewed by RAF personnel. Following the withdrawal from service of some of the early aircraft a number of Canberra were operated by the MRF.
A Hercules from 48 Squadron was transferred and the nose radome covering the wetahre radar was removed and a long nose probe mounted in its place, the weather radar was moved to a new place and in this new form the Hercules W2 made its first flight om 1973 and joined the MRF. It was christened Snoopy.
Military flying from Farnborough ceased in 1994 and the MFR moved back to its birthplace at DTEO now DERA Boscombe Down. Restructing within the Armed Forces gave rise of the transfer of Snoopy from the RAF to the Meterological Office.

Cover has been signed by 

Dr Alan W Brewer BSc MSc PhD FRMetSoc MInstP
Officer in charge of Meterological Unit, High Altitude Flight Boscombe Down 1942-1946

He received his BSs Hons in Physics from London University in 1936 followed by a MSc in 1937. He was awarded PhD in Meterology from Oxford University in 1948. In 1938 he joined the Met Office and was posted to HQ 92 OTU Group HQ Winslow as a shift forecaster in 1941. In 1942 he was posted to Boscombe Down as Officer in Charge of the Meterological Unit attached to the High Altitude Flight. In 1946 he was Senior Scientist at Elliot Brothers and in 1948 he was appointed Lecturer in Meterology at Oxford University. Between 1957 and 1977 he had verious academic roles.

Peter David Ewins BSc(ENG) MSc FEng FRAeS
Chief Executive Meterological Office 1997

He joined the RAE at Farnborough and undertook research into application of new materials to aerospace structures s. In 1975 he took over as section head Advanced Composite Materials. In 1977 he was posted to MOD and was responsible for operational and effectiveness studies in support of RAF operational planning and procurement programs. In 1982 he returned to RAE as Superintendent Helicopters division.
In 1984 he was seconded to the Cabinet Office as Head of Personnel Management. He was appointed Director Nuclear Projects in 1987 and in 1988 Appointed Director Admiralty Research Establishment. In 1997 he was appointed Chief Executive of the UK Meterological Office

Dr John Stuart Foot BSc PhD
Head of Meterological Research Flight 1995-

He joined the Met Office in 1971 undertaking research in Cloud Physics branch at Bracknell. In 1979 he was posted to the Met Research Flight and undertook radiative work using the Canberra and Hercules. In 1988 he was posted to the Remote Sensing Branch of the Met Office as project Scientist to the satellite microwave sounding instrument known as AMSU-B. In 1995 he returned to the Met Research Flight as Head of Branch.

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