Albuquerque Center Weather Service Unit/Weather Forecast Office Join Forces for Major Aviation Event
(L - R) - Ken Widelski, WFO Senior Forecaster/Co-Aviation Program Leader; MIC James Reynolds; and CWSU Forecaster Neil Haley (Photo: Amber Reynolds)
(May 25, 2011) - The National Weather Service Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) and Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Albuquerque joined forces May 22 to promote their products and services at the second annual Cutter Aviation Open House.
Located at New Mexico's largest commercial airport, the International Sunport, the theme for this year's open house was "Find Your Place in Aviation". The event drew more than 2,000 aviation enthusiasts.
Employees from the National Weather Service offices staffed a couple of information booths to provide information and answer questions about their operations, products and services including Interactive NWS-News, NOAA Weather Radio and the SKYWARN storm spotter program.
Albuquerque CWSU Meteorologist-in-Charge Jim Reynolds said, "It was very gratifying to see the work of both the local CWSU and WFO clearly displayed at a single outreach event. Public awareness of both National Weather Service programs was definitely raised through this event."
Launched in the 1980s, the Center Weather Service Unit in Albuquerque provides detailed forecasts and hazardous weather advisories for aviation users. The primary goal is to enhance both the safety and the efficient flow of air traffic through the Albuquerque airspace.
CWSU meteorologists provide twice-daily weather briefings to FAA supervisors within the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) as well as verbal briefings to individual controllers at the Center and tower control facilities around the ARTCC's airspace.
In addition to aviation advisories for the Albuquerque International Sunport, the WFO provides the public with severe thunderstorm, tornado, flash flood and high wind warnings; as well as winter weather watches, warnings and advisories. The office also offers specialized watches and warnings highlighting windy and dry conditions to various land management agencies in support of the fire weather program.
The Cutter Aviation open house was hosted by New Mexico Aviation Career Education Solutions, which is a joint-venture organization initiated by Del Sol Aviation, Enchantment Helicopters Inc. and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Founded over eighty-three years ago, Cutter Aviation has been the leading aviation services provider for the Southwestern United States and one of the most well-known brands in General Aviation.
