Gustavo Carneiro

by Gustavo Carneiro
(Goiania GO BRASIL)

I'm a pilot.

Barry's Response - I'm not. I'm a meteorologist.

Pilots need weather information for every trip they make. That's why METAR and TAF codes exist. To serve aviators by providing weather data in the most efficient way possible.

Unexpected conditions in the air provides the most common threat to flight safety. Please see https://www.stuffintheair.com/weatherstations.html for a greater explanation.

How do we Meteorologists help?

Storms, such blizzards and thunder-cells give pilots great reason for exercising caution. Meteorologists study these things, keeping an eye out for dangerous surprises such as tornadoes.

We tell the public, including pilots and other travellers, when to seek shelter, or to avoid certain areas. Meteorologists constantly check relevant data, numerical values as well as graphical presentations (e.g., satellite and radar images) and make important and timely calls (decisions). We rely heavily on computers and other technology to help us do this.

Pilots put their lives in our hands, and find it inconvenient but (thankfully) necessary if we declare that airports should suspend operations based on observed and forecast conditions. We work as partners.

For more about the interactions between aviation and the weather in my home country of Canada, check out this page: https://www.stuffintheair.com/aviation-weather-Canada.html