Dave Kindred

Areas of expertise

• Airborne research coordination

• Meteorological training and support

• Mission Scientist flying

• Documentation, reporting and monitoring contracts

Current activities

Scientists in OBR use a highly modified research aircraft to study the atmosphere. Research aims are to improve the representation of physical processes in the Met Office Unified Model and to enhance the use of existing and new satellite data. The FAAM, BAe146 Airborne Research Aircraft ARA is jointly run by the Met Office and  Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The aircraft is heavily instrumented for meteorological research. Dave helps to plan, support and participate in airborne field campaigns.

Dave's current main activities include:

• Helping to plan and coordinate Transnational Access to the ARA by European users under EUFAR.

• Coordinating OBR use of the ARA with FAAM and UK University users.

• Monitoring financial aspects of EUFAR and OBR flying.

• Providing expert meteorological advice to inform flight planning for OBR and UK University users of the ARA.

• Acting as Mission Scientist for selected flights of the ARA.

Career background

Dave joined the Met Office in August 1969 as a Scientific Assistant at P&EE, Shoeburyness working for 4 years as meteorological and radiosonde observer/operator. After achieving HNC in Applied Physics, he moved to RAF Wattisham as ASO, continuing in full observing duties. September 1974 to July 1977 saw Dave successfully completing a B.Sc (Hons) Meteorology degree (sandwich) course at Reading University - with upper second pass - under Met Office sponsorship. He then moved into the research/instrument group at MRF, Farnborough flying on both Hercules and Canberra research aircraft, and being promoted in October 1979 to HSO.

December 1982 until March 1988 gave Dave experience away from the Met Office whilst on Special Leave, working as Shift Meteorologist with the European Space Agency in Darmstadt, Germany. A publication of his research work in 1986 in ESA Bulletin, no 48, pp 43-49 was entitled 'A curious sea-surface-temperature phenomenon observed by METEOSAT'.

His return to the UK in April 1988 was to the Met Office Training College, Reading as Instructor, and (from 1993) as part-time Business Development Manager. Dave was promoted to Senior Scientific Officer in 1989. In December 1995 he moved back to work in MRF, as EU Aircraft Liaison Officer and Aircraft Scientist flying duties on the Hercules aircraft. MRF (now renamed OBR) relocated to Exeter Headquarters in October 2003, operating the BAe 146 aircraft since then. Dave has since been involved in a number of international field measurement campaigns, including T-REX and CAPEX (2006), CLPX-II and ACAS (2008), and MEVEX (2009).