RAF Flight Crew Staffing
To effectively carry out assigned projects, operational crews should consist of the following minimum personnel:
NCAR/RAF Flight Crew for the GV aircraft
- One Aircraft Commander (Pilot In Command)
- One Co-pilot
- A & P Mechanic (required on flights are planned to not return to primary base of operations, or have a strong chance of not returning to the primary base of operations)
- One RAF Technician (ADS operator and flight safety officer)
NCAR/RAF Flight Crew for the C-130 aircraft
- One Aircraft Commander (Pilot In Command)
- One Co-pilot
- Flight Engineer
- One RAF Technician (ADS operator and flight safety officer)
For field projects not based at a fixed location, in addition to the crew listed above:
- RAF Project Manager
For field projects with flight operations in close proximity to convection or other complex weather systems:
- EOL/RAF onboard Mission Coordinator (an experienced meteorologist capable of interpreting real time meteorological data, discussing these data with a ground-based Mission Coordinator, the on-board Mission Scientist and relaying information to the pilots).