▁He ▁received ▁training ▁as ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁pilot ▁and ▁received ▁his ▁wings , ▁mean while ▁providing ▁meteor ological ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁trans at l antic ▁flight ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ' s ▁NC - 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁while ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Naval ▁Air ▁Station ▁at ▁Ham pton ▁Ro ads , ▁Virginia , ▁he ▁encountered ▁Billy ▁Mitchell ▁( US ▁Army ▁general ▁regarded ▁as ▁father ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Air ▁Force ) ▁who ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁land ▁a ▁light ▁plane ▁on ▁the ▁beach ▁ahead ▁of ▁a ▁squ all ▁line . ▁ ▁The ▁experience ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁im pressed ▁Reich ▁with ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁accurate ▁forec ast ing ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁impro ving ▁the ▁science . ▁▁ ▁“ Re ich ” ▁fle w ▁in ▁dirig ibles ▁( including ▁the ▁H inden berg ), ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁fixed ▁wing ▁aircraft , ▁and ▁competed ▁as ▁a ▁hot ▁air ▁bal lo on ist . ▁D iss atisf ied ▁with ▁U . S . ▁texts ▁on ▁meteor ology , ▁Reich ▁turned ▁to ▁ ▁Norwegian ▁meteor olog ists ▁Vil helm ▁and ▁Jacob ▁B jer kn es ▁and ▁was ▁attract ed ▁to ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁tre ating ▁weather ▁phen omena ▁as ▁physical ▁air ▁mass ▁and ▁front al ▁movements ▁instead ▁of ▁bas ing ▁predictions ▁on ▁tab ulation ▁of ▁is obar ▁changes . ▁Because ▁of ▁his ▁meteor ological ▁and ▁av iation ▁experience , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Chief ▁of ▁Navy ▁Aer ology ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁that ▁capacity ▁until ▁