Abstract: A windborne vehicle is attached to one end of a tether line which is secured to a tether mast. The tether mast is secured to a ground anchor mechanism for rotative freedom about a vertical axis. The tether line is guided along the tether mast to align the tether mast with the line when the windborne vehicle is in flight. An angle sensing mechanism is effective to measure the azimuth angular displacement of the tether mast around the vertical axis with respect to a fixed reference alignment. A tether line tension sensing mechanism is used to measure the tension force on the tether line. Signals proportional to the angular displacement and the tension force are transmitted to a remote receiving station from the sensing mechanisms. Several different embodiments of the basic assembly show various uses of the invention.

Abstract: Wind conditions and anomalies in the proxmity of an airport runway approach and departure flight path may be monitored by the tethered deployment of a plurality of extremely light and expendable airborne vehicles such as kites or balloons in an array spaced from the projected runway ends and at graduated altitudes commensurate with the glide path altitude at a respective tether point. Vehicle flight conditions such as vertical and horizontal tether line repose angles and tether line strain are measured by ground level instrumentation and transmitted to appropriate receiver and display equipment. The measured data is compared to calibrated vehicle flight response to conclude wind direction and velocity at the vehicle flight position. Comparison of wind conditions at two or more flight path positions and altitudes will reveal the presence of operational conditions hazardous to aircraft.