Shemya Island operations started in 1947 as a refueling and crew change base for Tokyo flights, using the Army Weather Services. In 1954 the Army discontinued service and NWA operations were moved to Cold Bay, Alaska. Northwest felt Shemya was more suitable and set up its own facilities in 1956. Two well regarded meteorologists, W. Pfeifer and G. Varney were stationed there, and I believe D. Springer and R. Vanatta relieved them at times. Service was terminated in 1960 with the start of a non-stop DC-8 service Seattle to Tokyo.

            Northwest’s first six meteorologists were college trained but by 1944 all had left the company for other careers. By 1942 meteorologists were being aviation trained and required little additional NWA training. Two sources were the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, OK, attended by Dan Sowa and Don Springer. The other was the Boeing School of Aeronautics (a division of United Airlines) in Oakland, CA. Those trained at Boeing School were Vane, Arny, Glenn, Linklater, Beresford and Bourke. Linklater
came from Pan American Airways. He was a member of the historic PAA B-314 Clipper flight that went around the world immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

            Bourke had five years experience with Pennsylvania Central Capital and (later United) and Continental Airlines. He arrived in Seattle at 9 P.M. after an all day flight from New York and relieved Linklater at 11 P.M. The on duty Dispatcher briefed him on NWA procedures and forecast requirements. First pilot in the morning was senior pilot Earl Hale, and all went well with him. At that time there were only two meteorologists at the Seattle office, Chief J. Page and Bourke.

            In 1948 seventeen meteorologists came and went after a short period. I recall Dispatcher S. McClellan’s comment not to introduce a new meteorologist until they had been with the airline at least three months. On one occasion we were training an outstanding prospect who was to go to the Orient as he had a strong background in Orient weather. He was sent on a familiarization flight to Anchorage and he returned with Capt. Bob Carstenson. He got off the aircraft at Seattle and told the Captain that he would not
work for such a disorganized airline. He did not come back to the office and never picked up his paycheck. Most of those who did not stay could not take the Seattle weather, living conditions, and low wages or had conflicts with pilots or dispatchers.

            By 1977 those working in the Minneapolis office were about the same age and very close in seniority, and would be retiring in the next few years. At this time a new group of meteorologists came in who were university trained in meteorology theory. These new meteorologists had to be trained in practical aviation meteorology.

            The first airline to have a meteorologist was Pan American in 1927. In 1929 Western Air Express (later Western Airlines) and Transcontinental Air Transport (later TWA) began employing meteorologists. Between 1932 and 1937 meteorologists were employed by American, Panagra, United and Eastern Airlines. Departments were started at Northwest, Mid-Continent, Trans Canada, Braniff, Pennsylvania Central, Continental, Chicago & Southern, Northeast, Delta and American Export Airlines between 1938
and 1942. The size of meteorology staffs leveled off in the 1950s due to technological advances in aircraft, piloting and navigational facilities. Increased availability of government weather data and analysis through high-speed communications and computer facilities were other factors, as were consolidation and demise of airlines.

            Generally meteorologists used the Norwegian school of fronts and air mass analysis to determine causes of weather and future changes. Northwest meteorologists plotted and analyzed surface weather maps every six hours. Data came via teletype from 550 United States Weather Bureau Stations spaced rather uniformly distanced apart along civil airways in the United States, Alaska and Hawaii. There were another 250 reporting stations spaced less uniformly off airways. Every six hours a winds aloft chart would be constructed from reports of 150 pilot balloon reporting stations giving winds up to the cloud base, and on
clear conditions to 25,000 feet.

            Twice daily radiosonde reports were received from 50 stations. These reports gave atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity up to 50,000 feet or more. These reports were plotted on adiabatic charts and used to determine freezing level, inversions, cloud bases and tops, stability and to calculate