Columbia Weather Systems

February happenings! We enjoyed visits from friends at our sister company Hinds Instruments as well as gathering for our annual anniversary dinner at a local favorite, Stanford's . We’re grateful for the people who make Columbia Weather Systems what it is! ☀ Anniversary dinner at Stanford's Tanasbourne. Steak tips were a favorite at the anniversary dinner. David and Connie from Hinds Instruments dropped by for a tour and chat! Nader gives guests a tour of our facilities.

Accurate, On-Site Weather Monitoring for Flight Testing Electra.Aero is an aerospace company pioneering a hybrid-electric aircraft designed to take off and land in short distances. Their vision of "Direct Aviation" is built around the ability to operate aircraft in unconventional and often remote locations without established runways. An Electra aircraft takes off with a Magellan MX500 Portable weather station providing live data to the flight test team. “We’re able to deploy the Magellan MX and have real-time weather data available to the entire flight-test team in under five minutes, which has significantly improved both the safety and efficiency of our operations at Electra . . . Overall, the MX series delivers professional-grade capability with minimal setup, maintenance, or operational effort.” James Maxwell, Flight Test Operations Manager While this expands where operations are possible, it also introduces practical challenges during flight testing, particularly when i...

                        In honor of Black History Month and National Weather Person’s Day, we are highlighting the legacy of Archie Williams, an accomplished meteorologist, Olympic gold medalist, and educator. Born in 1915 in Oakland, California, Williams expressed an early interest in both aviation and athletics. While studying mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, he excelled in track and field, setting a world record and qualifying for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won a gold medal in the 400-meter race.                       After an injury ended his running career and engineering jobs were denied due to racial discrimination, Williams redirected his focus toward aviation and meteorology. During World War II, he became one of 14 African Americans commissioned through the Army Air Forces aviation meteorological cadet program. Following gr...