Dave's areas of expertise include:

• scientific computing (IDL, Fortran, Labview, Java, Linux, VMS);
• airborne instrumentation (FWVS, Wet Nephelometer and others);
• observations and data collection using the  FAAM BAe-146 research aircraft;
• data analysis (FWVS, SWS).

Current activities

Dave supports the work of Observational Studies and  FAAM particularly with regards to computing and IT.  He designs and writes programs in a number of different languages and environments and also assists the design of IT infrastructure and the analysis of data.

Dave is currently analysing data from the fluorescence water vapour sensor, rewriting processing software for the shortwave instruments (SWS and SHIMS) and will be increasingly involved with data from the new microwave instrumentation (ISMAR, and new MARSS and DEIMOS)

Career background

Dave joined the Met Office in 1992 after studying computer systems engineering at university, and has been involved with airborne instrumentation ever since.  He started in the Atmospheric Chemistry group, analysing data and working mainly with the ozone analyser and gas chromatographs. From 1997 he became the head of computing for what was then the Meteorological Research Flight, and since the move to Exeter in 2003 he has continued this role for Observational Studies, specialising in programming and the analysis of airborne data.