The New York Times interviewed Delta Airlines' lead meteorologist. The airline has 28 meteorologists on staff who monitor global weather 24/7/365. Not only do they talk to dispatchers and ground crews they can speak directly to the pilots in the air. One interesting factoid is that for every degree over 100F, a plane must be 1400 lbs lighter. The article is gifted.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/travel/delta-airlines-meteorologist.html?unlocked_article_code=sWn-LK9Syq3blFzNC38P5RckYL5UkMgCu1P4mWnpzydolGDhRZ9-1KLLjeaPqna2Eey_uY2jChpaOYWe4axkfsi5zjLFBnf0uQ4T0ryWUq2WyXyAXeVIFgUHd4jgIFHDyyMp9pKVM9uCH7ODkFOMsqmnmp0C0xVVYuJcrh1jzbsw6WCKZZWr3327eI3Wo9wgN74pBSmKXpOgZcytPmxkCXRqBml4n8AbzECIabC-WTpCcFTrpIH7N_oO-MRNKqpIjqN-Vg150BMrlDi0DcJBvY7t3EG7DZnuROZNDfWJGWEn0ZDHXF6WIplTNYHkxFC7EltjlL_OTNBSJv0WctxfoIruMA_c&smid=url-share
Posted by
Southeastern US
2608 posts
Thanks for gifting.
😄 True words:
If we had an inch of snow here in Atlanta, obviously everything comes to a grinding halt. We’re just not equipped to handle that type of stuff.
Posted by
Tucson, Arizona
502 posts
Very interesting. Thanks for gifting, Trotter.
Posted by
West Coast
436 posts
I was in Phoenix when it hit a record high- 122 degrees. Appallingly hot. The airport had to shut down for a time because they didn’t have the info needed to let planes take off at that temp. With the weight limits from the article, they’d have to dump all cargo and limit passengers to a luggage weight that could be challenging even for the best of packers here!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14741 posts
Thank you for gifting, Trotter. That was an interesting article! I didn’t know Delta had that big a meteorological team and it makes me happy. One more reason for Delta to remain my go-to.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7804 posts
Thanks for sharing that article, Trotter! Interesting to consider all of the aspects of weather changes & continuous monitoring to optimize all of the air traffic. I sure would love a tour of their facility but realize that’s not possible!