Page Updated 09/07/08
Copy of this 3 page article from the scrap book of Lyle Fisher VW-1 1961 - 1963.
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COMNAVMARIANAS        June 15, 1962

AEWRON ONE CELEBRATES 10th ANNIVERSARY IN U.S. NAVY

VW-1 Moves; Serves:
Hawaii To Guam

While most ships and aircraft try to avoid bad weather, airmen of the U. S. Pacific Fleet's Airborne Early Warning Squadron One spend hundreds of hours a month looking vw-1 Sign for the worst weather to fly through.

These Navy airmen work around and in vicious typhoons in order to provide vital weather information to the military and civilian population throughout the Western Pacific.

The Navy is a composite of great weapons systems capable of discharging its job, both in wars that are hot and wars that are cold. But the word "Navy" represents more than the material components such as ships, guns, guided missiles and aircraft; it represents a complex system of people who are not only well trained in sea fighting and all manner of technical specialties, but are molded in the fields of character and mentality to produce the utmost of intelligent dedication in the application of their knowledge

ADM Robert B. Carney

As a result of their warnings, possibly thousands of lives and millions of dollars in property damage were saved last year during the Pacific typhoon season. This is more impressive when one considers that VW-1, primarily is a combat-radar early warning unit, was assigned weather reconnaissance just one month before the typhoon season began. Thus, with basically inexperienced crews, AEWRON ONE carried out the unfamiliar mission with expert results.

VW-1 Engine Build up DO IT YOURSELF ... the highly trained technicians of VW-1 maintain the aircraft and the highly complex radar equipment so the squadron is always ready and able to fly its mission.
US NAVY photo
 

As a land-base aerial unit of the Seventh Fleet, the squadron operates from Guam, Commanded by CDR Howard B. Kenton, they fly weather missions over an area twice the size of the United States.

This huge area of the Western Pacific spawns about 70 tropical cyclones annually, 20 of which graduate into full scale typhoons with winds in excess of 75 miles per hour. They usually have a diameter of destrutive winds ranging from 200 to 400 miles and generally move west north westward at about 15 miles per hour with winds near the "eye" reaching velocities of 125 miles per hour.

CDR HOWARD B. KENTON In Formal change of command ceremonies held September 28, 1961, CDR Howard B. Kenton relieved CAPT Charles G. Strum, taking the helm of Airborne Early Warning Squadron One.
 

Vital weather information concerning the position and intensity of the disturbance is ascertained by the flight meteorologist aboard each aircraft. This data is radioed back to Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which in turn transmits the warnings to military units and population centers in the storm's path.

To carry out both the typhoon tracking and early warning missions, VW-1 utilizes the Warning Star aircraft, powered by four 3,250 horsepower Wright turbo compound engines, fitted with six tons of radar and electronic equipment and manned by a crew of 28 Navy airmen. The plane's radar can sweep an area of 100,00 square miles six times a minute.

AEWRON ONE has compiled and enivable safety record with the WV-2 aircraft logging over 70,000 flight hours, covering a distance equal to 25 round trips to the moon.

The presence of this air-arm of the Seventh Fleet adds considerably to the effectiveness of not only the Armed Forces of the United States but to those of our allies, and adds significantly to the well being and peace of mind of the people of the Western Pacific.