Weather Flight provides mission critical information

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubbs
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The outcomes of wars and the fates of countries have been determined by the whims of Mother Nature. The importance of weather prediction in performing the mission is not lost on the team at the 6th Air Mobility Wing's Weather Flight.

Operating between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m., on standby the remaining hours, for 365 days a year, the weather flight sleeps, but not for long. Its responsibility is taken seriously.
"Our job is resource protection," said Tech. Sgt. William Mendez, NCOIC of the Weather Flight. "We make observations, forecast and brief."

The resources protected go beyond planes and other military hardware. They include human resources, people who depend on accurate, up-to-date weather information to plan and carry out missions.

"There is a lot on the line," said Sergeant Mendez, referring to the importance of predicting the weather.

The weather flight begins to get particularly busy this time of year, as the Florida weather warms and there is a greater threat of thunderstorms and the high winds that can accompany them. Florida also is approaching the hurricane season, and it is the job of the seven members of the weather flight to monitor everything from common afternoon thunderstorms to hurricanes.

In addition to briefing the 310th Airlift Squadron, the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, and transient flights, as well as supporting U.S. CENTCOM, U.S. SOCOM, NOAA, the weather flight keeps the Command Post updated with regular bulletins. Lightning warnings familiar to most on base originate with the weather flight.

Monitoring various weather services like the Air Force Army Weather Information Network, and instruments including Doppler radar, the weather flight also communicates with pilots near MacDill via Pilot to Metro Service radio, advising on local weather conditions.

Despite being briefed by other sources prior to their flight, pilots flying into or near MacDill often need updates to stay current.

"Weather can change fast, especially in Florida this time of year," said Sergeant Mendez. "We're a link to the latest weather conditions around the base."