Jim Lawson, S Met O Cranwell

[langleybaston]

I have no details as yet, but have heard that Jim Lawson has died. Many of you will have known Jim as S Met O Cranwell in the 1980s.
Jim was always immaculate in dress and manners, and a first class meteorologist, expert in the mysteries of East Anglian and eastern Midlands weather.

On his well-deserved promotion to Principal he became a long-serving and dedicated Deputy Chief Met Officer, HQ Strike, smoothing the path of the odd idiosyncratic C Met O. He was awarded a richly deserved OBE.

[langleybaston]

I am a little surprised that nobody on the Forum appears to remember Jim Lawson.

I was very fortunate to have his steady hand on the Cranwell Met tiller in the turbulent years during which I was nominally i/c all Met teaching to the RAF .. ..... I say nominally because the various lecturers [Leeming, Linton, Church Fenton, Finningley and Cranwell all had different approaches to the mysteries of Corioli. Now it is all water down plugholes ....................

[Fortissimo]

Well I remember him, but didn't appear to do so as I have not been logged in for a few days. Sorry, LB.


He was after my time at Cranwell but I do recall him from STC. Apart from being a gent, he produced excellent forecasts and good advice when wheels were becoming over-enthusiastic about the art of the possible. I trust he is now enjoying permanent CAVOK.

[Dan Winterland]

I remember him at Cranwell, a lovely chap. RIP Jim.

[Algy]

A classic ARIA (Always Remembered Instructor's Advice) from Jim when teaching us basic met at Cranwell was in response to a cocky stude (later to be Red 4) who challenged him on the theory of adiabatic expansion. "You keep saying in a perfect model this happens and that happens, but it's not really like that is it??" quoth the stude, or words to that effect. Jim peered out of the classroom windown as if something had suddenly caught his attention. "Beautiful cumulus building up this afternoon isn't there...lovely crisp, white edges, extraordinary thing..." he noted. Cue light bulb over stude's head (and mine).

[BEagle]

Some years earlier at RAFC our Groundschool was in those old huts on the eastern edge of Cranwell South aerodrome. So everyone, including the lecturers, had to drive there.

One day the Bikini state was increased, leading to long traffic delays for anyone coming in from Cranwell village. No problem for those of us driving there from the College though. But we had Met first thing and there was no sign of the lecturer - until he turned up late to announce "Quite some queue this morning, isn't there?"

To which one of our number (aka 'Mr. Gumby') replied "Cu? Looks more like stratus to me, Sir!"

Met lectures were often something of a light relief. But to this day, despite the efforts of the lecturers, I've never understood the concept of 'thermal winds'....:\

[langleybaston]

Shall I rise to the bait?

Only to say that I doubt if the concept matters or mattered to aviators, who well understand that the "real wind" vector always changes with increasing height/altitude, and the "something" that changes it is real but not a wind.