Summer is Great for Travelers, but Annoying for Aircraft Dispatchers
Summer is the best season of the year, especially after a brutal winter and scattered spring. When summer rolls around, the weather is typically clear skies and sunny all day. At least, that is what we can hope for.
For the flight crew in the sky and the aircraft dispatchers down below, summer is not all rainbows and butterflies. Summer can actually bring dangerous weather conditions that are not ideal for airline employees who are trying to make sure aircraft depart and land as safely as possible.
In Fort Lauderdale Florida, where Sheffield School of Aeronautics is based, the summer thunderstorms are a daily nuisance. It goes without saying, that thunderstorms are a great threat to flights. Summer storms in South Florida are known for being spontaneous and having heavy lightning storms that are very hazardous. Aircraft dispatchers in Florida must be on their toes throughout the summer months, in order to foresee a storm or act accordingly when one arises.
As an aircraft dispatcher, it is important to know thunderstorms inside and out. Thunderstorms require three things:
- Lift
- Moisture
- Atmospheric Instability
Thunderstorms need moist air to be lifted to saturation. The air lifted must be moist in order for the air to condense into the clouds. Then, there is atmospheric instability; which basically entails that the condensed air continues to rise. The atmospheric instability becomes more unstable the more the temperature decreases with altitude.
Although South Florida is a region prone to summer storms, it is not the only location across the United States that experiences summer thunderstorms.
There are other weather patterns that occur over the summer months that are known as air mass storms. These storms are threatening to aircraft because they may cause intense surface heating. Air mass storms are developed during the peak heat in the afternoon and diminish as the sun sets.
There are a number of factors that the aircraft dispatchers must take into account from the time they clock in until the time they leave. Before every flight, dispatchers obtain weather conditions and resolve questions before hand. With erratic weather patterns and unforeseeable events, flight dispatchers and other aircraft employees must be well trained. At Sheffield School of Aeronautics, flight dispatchers graduate feeling well prepared and confident in their work.
Looking to learn more about aircraft dispatching?
You have come to the right place! Sheffield School of Aeronautics has been one of the leading flight dispatcher schools from the start, producing top-of-the-line dispatchers with successful careers ahead of them. Call or visit Sheffield online today, and find out about their upcoming class schedule. Sheffield provides a number of classes, every quarter that will surely work with your schedule. Become a qualified aircraft dispatcher today and have a brighter future tomorrow!
