Yesterday had its moments of busy flurries of inbound/outbound traffic as well as plenty of aircraft requesting pattern work. The radar was full of VFR traffic in all directions and the lake shore seemed to be one of the most popular places to be.

It was a little windy this morning at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK), and I guess with gusts up to 20kts, it might be a little too strong for most. I surely expected to be working a lot harder separating and sequencing all my pilot-friends today…holiday weekend and all. Turbulence was an issue for many aircraft at altitude this afternoon, so maybe staying home was the right choice. I’m sure the couch in your family room probably has a little smoother ride than what you would have experienced today in the Chicago area.

It’s obvious that weather conditions are a huge factor for safety and definitely put a damper on plans to take the family Cessna, Beech, or Piper out for a spin. What happens when your destination gets hit with unexpected weather, such as a line of thunderstorms. I’ll tell you what you do…Trust your air traffic controller! See how well the controllers at Memphis Center and Memphis Approach handle a few arrivals into Memphis Airport while a line of thunderstorms move through the area. This short video was provided by FedEx Ops.