* The story of James “Big Jim” LaMont, Northwest’s first maintenance chief, who was in aviation
from the beginning and who “may have founded the Russian Air Force”.
* “New Patterns in the Night Sky”, the first story ever published (actually, the second but it was
written before the first one appeared) about Captain Bill Atkins and his “Relative Danger Light”, now used
on airliners around the world. (Bill passed up a chance to be on Minnesota Gopher coach Bernie Bierman’s
1940 National Champion football team to concentrate on his aeronautical engineering studies. He was a
letterman in 1939).
We think that when you read this book you will be even more proud to be associated with, or to
have associated with, Northwest Airlines. Copies are available from NWA History Centre, 8101 South 34th
Ave., Suite B-747 for $18.00, (members $15.00) plus $2.00 postage and handling. Or stop in and see us and
save the postage. Eleven a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
** A History of NWA Meteorology **
The following are exerts from a paper written by retired Meteorologist Ken Bourke, titled“Northwest Airlines Meteorology Department 1938 to 1982”. The complete article can be viewed
at the NWA History Centre.
The Northwest Airlines (NWA) meteorology department is administratively and operationally a
part of the flight dispatch department. Personnel assignments and salaries record of 1932 show fourteen
stations served, and seven had dispatchers with monthly salaries of $100. Of these seven, Russ Sorkness
later became a Seattle based captain. The only person without a title was Ron Stelzig who later became the
System Chief Dispatcher, a position he held for many years.
The Civil Aeronautics Act of June 1, 1938 gave requirements for licensed dispatchers. The Act did
not mention that weather forecasts had to come from the United States Weather Bureau (U.S.W.B.).
The first meteorologist and licensed dispatcher was self-taught W. Markey, based at Spokane in
mid 1938. Fred Whittimore, NWA V.P. of Operations hired Markey to develop a flight dispatch system for
NWA. Markey had been manager of Central Airlines dispatch system at Cleveland. There was resistance
from the chief pilot and other old-time pilots. Markey was the first NWA licensed dispatcher to cancel a
flight and order a pilot to deadhead back to base, and this brought about a shooting. Markey left NWA in
1940 and became an executive at Pennsylvania Central Airlines (later Capital and eventually United
Airlines). In later years I heard the pilot talk about the shooting out of the dispatch office windows.
NWA has had meteorology offices at various times at Tokyo, Shemya Island, Anchorage, Seattle,
Spokane, Minneapolis and New York. As communications and technology improved, offices were
consolidated and by 1963 were located only in Tokyo and Minneapolis.
Spokane was the site of the first meteorology office due to problems associated with mountainous
weather. In the summer of 1938 four college trained meteorologists were hired. J. Hubbard, D. VanArnum,
W. Kane and H. Wexler. The Spokane office was moved to Boeing Field (in Seattle) in 1942, then to Bow
Lake Airport in 1947, later renamed Seattle -Tacoma Airport. In 1963 its forecast duties were transferred to
Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis office began in 1943. Service to New York was started in 1945 and subsequently
New York meteorology was setup there in 1947 but that office was closed in 1950 and consolidated with
Minneapolis. Anchorage operations started out flying house parts to Anchorage for a company personnel
housing project. This office was setup in early1947 to assist in the start of service from Minneapolis to
Tokyo. The services of this office and personnel were transferred to Seattle after a few years.
The Tokyo forecast office was established in 1947 with the start of Minneapolis to Tokyo service
that July. Station Chief Meteorologist was W. Johnson assisted by G. Strom and L. Mogtath. As time went
on, they were replaced by Japanese National personnel.
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