Weather Flight rules the night

  • Published
  • By Amn Kristen Rohrer
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Weather Flight office is calm and quiet after the hustle and bustle of the day is over and the evening shift begins their night's work. 

The Weather Flight is small in comparison to other flights on base, with an all-enlisted flight of eight weather forecasters, but their job is just as important as any other.
Although a relatively small office, those that work the evening shift are responsible for a number of duties to ensure the flight contributes to the success of Team Travis' mission. 

Among their duties, weather is responsible for observing and providing routine weather advisory to the base as well as flight support to aircraft. They provide weather briefings on base as well as transient, long-distance briefings if necessary, explained Master Sgt. James Rogers, 60th Operations Support Squadron weather flight noncommissioned officer-in-charge. The Weather Flight also collaborates on forecasts and weather advisories with an operational weather squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
Unlike in the past, the Weather Flight is now equipped with an automated system that senses and records current weather systems. 

"It's taken the place of our forecasters going outdoors to check and record," said Sergeant Rogers. "It's able to check dew point, temperature and record and display those numbers for us." 

The system also complies with AFSO21 procedures by limiting human resources from redundant and unnecessary work. The new system transmits hourly reports or sometimes more often as needed if weather is inclement.
"However, we still augment the system if something isn't accurate," said Sergeant Rogers. This means weather personnel must be able to check the weather information manually day, night, rain or shine. 

In addition to the regular duties night forecasters must perform, they must do the preparation for all of the next day's missions. 

They check and prepare the data that show all missions for the following day. This data shows things like what aircraft will be flying to determine flight routes and prepping all the information needed to allow the day shift to brief the events of the following day.
Forecasters working the midnight shift are also responsible for compiling all the statistics for the day: the total amount of flights flown and the total amount of rainfall, etc.
Besides completing their day-to-day requirements, the flight also stays prepared for emergencies by participating in base exercises. "We are fully involved in exercises. For example, if we had a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, we would be providing route weather for the aircraft flying to the location to assist and also the weather at the base where they would be landing," said Sergeant Rogers. 

Whether preparing for a disaster or just working a routine shift, weather is a twenty-four hour seven-day job. 

"We work a day shift, swing shift and night shift," said Tech. Sgt. Martha Ray, 60th Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight. 

The office is quiet now and most people have finished their work day, but the evening shift at the Weather Flight has just begun their day providing vital weather information for Travis. 

Editor's note: This story is part 3 of a 3-part 'Travis at Night' series