Tag Archives: Weather

Cold Weather in Daytona Beach

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Hey y’all!
Cold weather in Daytona Beach is always a little surprising. One day it feels like summer, and the next everyone is reaching for hoodies and long pants. While I’m definitely more of a warm weather person, I have to admit that the colder days here have their own kind of charm.


What “Cold” Really Means Here
In Daytona, cold doesn’t usually last long, which honestly makes it more tolerable. Anything under 65 degrees feels like a big deal, but it’s usually gone before you know it. The sun is still out, the sky is still blue, but if you’re anything like me you will still be bundled up. In my opinion anything below 65 degrees calls for thick hoodies and a good pair of comfy sweatpants.

The Fun Side of Cold Days
Even though I prefer the heat, cold days give a good excuse to slow down. Cozy outfits finally make sense, hot coffee feels extra comforting, and evenings are perfect for movie nights or baking something warm. I recently made a batch of strawberry white chocolate cookies, and they were absolutely amazing. I’ll include the recipe at the bottom.


Campus During Cold Weather
Campus feels different when it’s cold. People move a little slower, everything feels a bit more relaxed, and staying awake in class feels a little bit harder. I highly recommend the yellow Red Bull. It is a lifesaver for those early morning classes. If you are not an energy drink person a hot tea or coffee still does the trick!


Making the Most of It
Since cold weather doesn’t stick around long in Daytona, I try to enjoy it while it’s here. It’s a nice break from the usual heat and a reminder to appreciate the little seasonal changes when they happen. Even if I am appreciating it from the comfort of my dorm, it is still nice to pause and think about things. It is just a cozy, and peaceful time of year.


Final Thoughts
Cold weather in Daytona Beach may not be my favorite, but it’s still enjoyable in its own way. Between cozy moments and cooler evenings, it adds a small change of pace before the warmth returns.
Until next time,
Olivia Strickland ✈️

Cookie Recipe:

1 box of strawberry cake mix

2 large eggs

1/3 cup of oil

1 cup of chocolate chips(white or milk chocolate)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl mix all ingredients except for the chocolate chips together. Once the ingredients are evenly combined fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop two tablespoon balls of dough onto parchment paper and bake for 8-11 minutes depending on how you prefer your cookies. I baked mine for 8 and they came out soft and gooey. Then let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Class trip to the Airport

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One of the benefits about attending Embry-Riddle is its proximity to the airport. This is not only helpful to Aeronautical Science majors, as it provides some benefits to meteorology majors too. A few weeks ago my WX 327 (Operational Analysis and Forecasting) class has the opportunity to take a trip to the airport to visit the Automated Surface Observing System, also known as the ASOS.

The ASOS at Daytona Beach International Airport.

The ASOS is an unmanned weather station located at most airports that provides measurements of temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation type, and visibility. All of this information is critical for the smooth operations of an airport, ensuring that all pilots and air traffic controllers are aware of current landing conditions to land planes safely.

After meeting at the airport, my class boarded buses where we were driven to the ASOS, which sits at the end of the runway on a patch of grass. This ensures that all the measurements are accurate, and that there are no close buildings or pavement to throw them off.

The fire station at Daytona Beach International Airport.

While we have been learning about this device in the classroom for the entire semester, being able to see it in person was a very valuable experience. I never realized the true scale of this system, as it is very tall and very long. This is one of the great things about Embry-Riddle, getting this real life learning experience on an average Wednesday since we are so fortunate to have the airport in our backyard. It has allowed myself and all the other students interested in meteorology to see an element of this first hand, something you can’t get just by going to a lecture.

Let me know what other trips you have been on for your classes down below!

Day in the Life at Riddle

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With the semester in full swing, I wanted to take you all along for a day in my life as a student at Embry-Riddle. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a junior Communication major on the Broadcast Meteorology Track with a minor in Emergency Management. Outside of classes, I currently serve as the Managing Editor of the Avion, our school’s magazine and news source, and the Secretary of the American Meteorological Society chapter on campus. I also work in the weather lab and with the Virtual Communication Lab.

Tuesdays are my busy day on campus, where I have 4/5 of my classes this semester, an Avion meeting, and a shift in the weather lab.

8:00 AM – I arrived at campus at this time, parked in my garage spot, and quickly walked to COAS to start my day.

8:15 AM – I have three classes back to back starting at this time: Fundamentals of Emergency Management, Emergency Management Strategy/Policy, and Editing & Multimedia Production. In my first two classes, we discuss the different hazards and risks that disasters and emergencies can bring into our communities. In my third class, we have been discussing the fundamentals of copy editing and practicing these skills every class.

12:30 – For the next hour and a half, I have my lunch break of the day. On this particular day, I got Qdoba through the new GrubHub ordering system on campus. In this break, I also helped break down the table for The Avion at the RSO fair.

2:15 – At this time, I have my fourth and last class of the day: Crisis Communication. In this class, we have been discussing the PR fallout that crises can cause, and how to properly manage it. This class counts for both my major and my minor, and will be the last course I need to finish for my minor.

3:30 – Next up in my day is a quick shift in the weather lab. The weather lab is a tutor lab located in the College of Aviation where we provide assistance to students in the introductory weather classes. Besides being a great place to get weather help, it is also a quiet place to do your homework with great views for cloud watching.

5:00 – Today was the first Student Government Association (SGA) General Session of the semester. General Sessions are monthly meetings where the entire SGA convenes to hear updates from each branch and division, and vote on any bills that may pass. The Avion is a division of the SGA, and this is just one of the many ways that we contribute to the SGA and helping to improve the student experience on campus.

7:00 – My last meeting of the day was our weekly Avion meeting, which takes place in the Student Union Chamber. In our meetings, we provide updates on our operations over the week, provide coverage events for our members to get involved, and hold workshops. On this particular night, we did a photo training workshop, teaching all our members how to use our cameras.

9:00 – Finally, my day came to an end on campus. On this night it was down pouring, so my friends and I ran over to the parking garage with our umbrellas and got in our cars to head home.

While not every day is this busy, I try to make the most of my time on campus. I love being involved in so many activities and getting to learn more in all my classes. I hope this gave you a glimpse into one of the busiest days of the semester I will probably have. I will be sure to write more of these this semester! 🙂

Fall Break & Breeze

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Happy October everyone! October is my favorite month, and therefore it is appropriate to wish you all a Happy October. I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach, Florida.

I spent my fall break on campus working duty day shifts for my RA position, doing physics, statics, and calculus homework, and running! Although the last part may not sound like the best part for some people, the running was actually my favorite part of every day. Also fear not, as per usual I drank lots of coffee and tea.

My fall break didn’t feel like much of a break, but I am extremely thankful that I got to sleep in, or in other words have the luxury of waking up when the sun has already woken up. I must say I do enjoy being awake as the sun rises, but when I don’t get back to my room until it’s dark outside as per a typical school day, by the time I do homework, study, and get ready for bed I’m absolutely exhausted.

Even on my days off I usually wake up with the sun.

Aside from all of my responsibilities, my plants are thriving and deserve to be highlighted this week. I highly encourage succulents or cacti for dorm plants because even if you don’t have enough time to water them (me), they still do great with a little sunlight and a lot of positive energy (also me).

Some of my dorm plants!

As it is still hot in Florida, even though it’s late October, we’ve had great weather that’s been perfect for early morning beach PTs with AFROTC, which is always nice. It’s becoming the time of year when the weather is almost perfect for working out. I gauge the prime temperature for running to be when the air is cool enough that you aren’t sweating before you start working out, but not too cold that it stings your lungs. If it is cold enough that you are able to see your breathe when you exhale, I would prefer the temperature to increase slightly. Thankfully, in Florida, the weather ranges between extremely hot, mildly hot, temperate, and cool, but the cool doesn’t happen until about mid-winter, so lately the fall breeze had been extremely lavish!

Post beach PT with some of my favorite wingmen!

Currently we’re about half way through the fall semester and everyone around campus is extremely busy. Course loads are heavy, there’s lots of homework to be done, tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, and not a lot of time. In my personal experience I’m still on the journey to figuring out how to balance everything. I’ve heard so many times from professors that they encourage students to prioritize school work and really focus on their time management, and while this is true, I must counter this from the perspective of a college student- realistically there are not enough hours in a day. All we can do is try our best and hope for the best. Just keep swimming folks, will report back soon!

Here I am Rock You Like a Hurricane

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With Hurricane Matthew rapidly approaching, I really don’t know how I feel. On one hand, I would really like to experience a hurricane, as stupid as it sounds. On the other, I really don’t want to see the devastation that would happen because of Matthew. With the storm only a few days away, it’s too early to tell what will happen.

Sadly, nothing major to report so hopefully I’ll have some really fun hurricane stories and video to share with you all! For now, please be safe, don’t do anything crazy, and I hope to see you all in another two weeks!

Snow? During Spring Break?

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Wow, here I am back in NJ, and it’s snowing on the First Day of Spring. None of it is sticking however, but it’s nice to see snow falling after spending so much time in Florida.

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Someone please tell me that isn’t jet fuel being dumped out of my plane before landing…

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Surprisingly this is the 2nd time I’ve flown out of Daytona Beach Int.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, my break hasn’t been all that eventful thanks to Mother Nature’s winter-weather-fury. I manage to visit my friend who goes to school at the University of Delaware, got to go back to my high school and visit my friends in the drama department, had dinner at my friends’ house, and spent some quality time with my family; what more could you ask for?

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I found the University of Delaware’s equivalent of the COAS.

I got a nice chunk of my homework done, but there’s still more to accomplish so hopefully I don’t get sidetracked. Speaking of sidetracked, the snow is actually sticking! All the lawns on my street are turning white!

I’m glad we had a week off for Spring Break (technically 10 days for me but I digress.) I definitely needed the break to take some time to think about what I need to accomplish when I get back to Riddle. Not only that, it was nice to see my friends rooting for me because we all need a little motivation in life.

With that said, I think I’m ready to come back to school. I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things. I definitely need nicer weather to get more practice with my quadcopter so I’m excited. So, on that bombshell, I’ll see you all soon!

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12:41 “Eh, nothing’s gonna happen.”

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1:14 “NO WAY.”

 

Fall Semester Comes to a Close

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Greetings, everyone!

It’s official: Fall 2013 has ended and winter break is upon us. Although here in Daytona Beach it certainly doesn’t feel like it, with temperatures continuing to hover around the low-80s. Everybody back home loathes me this time of year, when they’re starting to get the big snow falls and I’m just wishing I could wear a sweatshirt. I suppose nobody is really ever happy with the weather they have. I got this photo from my aunt, taken outside her window:

and responded with this one, taken outside mine:

Usually my Facebook posts about the weather aren’t well-recieved. But it’s just so much fun. 😉

My last post was right before Thanksgiving break, so I suppose I can start there. I had a good time spending a few days back home, even though I spent a lot of the time working on homework and final projects. The end of the semester was poorly timed this year, because the week after the break was the last one, so everything is due. I don’t know what the general opinion is, but I think that the last week of classes is way more stressful than finals week. Finals week is actually pretty chill – you only have to go to school for finals, and have a lot of free time. Which is, of course, deceiving, because you really *should* be studying, and not staying up until 5 am playing Pokemon Y or anything along those lines. But I digress. Nonetheless, it was nice to see my family and friends back home, even though I’ve adapted to Florida and spent the whole three and a half days perpetually cold. It’s only funny to make fun of them for the weather when I’m not there, I suppose.

This is what was happening in my simulations for my Spaceflight project – the blue is the orbit of the Earth and the green is the orbit of the moon. Which isn’t so much an orbit, but a beeline straight out of the solar system.

I got back to Daytona early on Saturday, and had a massive homework assignment due at 11:59 PM that night. So much for having a break. I think I turned it in at like 11:58:43 or something like that – oops. Then it was final projects, papers, and exams for the next week and a half. My biggest project was probably the one for my Spaceflight Dynamics class, which involved simulating a three-body orbital problem in MATLAB. It was going well until I made some calculation error and was flinging the moon straight out of the solar system. But I ended up fixing that, woo! Aside from that and the ten page paper on black holes that I had to crank out in one night, everything else wasn’t too bad. I had finals in thermodynamics and astronomy that I thought were pieces of cake (not that I didn’t study, mind you.) The only thing that gave me real trouble was my EP 501 final exam – I only needed a 62 on the final to get an A in the class, thanks to my midterm exam and homework successes, and I was legitimately worried I didn’t even get that. But I managed to pull off a 78 (don’t even know how I scored that high, to be honest) and thus managed to secure my 4.0 Master’s GPA for another semester. Still waiting on grades for my undergrad classes, but from my calculations I am looking at straight A’s! Not to brag 🙂

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch as seen from campus!

Another cool feature of last week was SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch, which scrubbed on the first two launch dates but went off the third time. And I got to see it from campus! It was super cool; we went up to the top of the AMS building where there is an observation deck for watching planes go in and out of the airport, and got a really great view. Even saw the stage separations of the rocket!

Stage separations of the rocket as it went up into space!

This week I’ll spend some time helping pack up the labs to move over to the new College of Arts and Sciences building, and then I’m homebound on Wednesday for about a week and a half. It’s crazy how quickly this semester went; I feel like it just started yesterday. But that’s life I guess!

That’s all I have to talk about in this entry. Haven’t gotten word if I will be writing again next semester, but I hope to be able to continue to share my stories with you! Feel free to always email me questions, or just to say hey, and I wish you all a happy holiday season and a successful rest of the school year!

Also before I close out, I’d like to dedicate this entry to my dog, Skip, who passed away last Friday. We got Skip as a rescue in April of 2001, when he was thought to be 2-4 years old, so he had a long life, and was always very happy and full of energy. He was a really great dog, and we all miss him very much.

My brother and I with Skip, 2004

 

 

Weather… or not?

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Hey there readers, stop scrolling and remain here for a spell.

Some of the most difficult choices  I’ve had to make as a flight student here at Riddle are when it comes down to the classic “Go or no-go” decision. Sometimes, it can be a very daunting task. If conditions for safe flight are not prevailing, then  your instructor will cancel the flight for weather. If conditions are fair, but not conducive to a productive flight (Such as scattered clouds at 2,000 when ground ref is to be done, or 20 kt gusting winds when your soft-field landings need work) your instructor will cancel the flight for weather.
Or worse, they will leave the weather decision for you to make.

Of course, I am only kidding. Making decisions for yourself as a pilot is the best way to prepare yourself for being a top quality Aeronautical Decision Maker. It puts a lot more pressure on you as a flight student when you have to make the call. I remember myself thinking of all of the variables in such a decision:

  •  An urge to complete the activity, a desire to progress to an end. —Impatience.
  •  A fear of making the wrong decision and being forced to turn back, the wasted money and time. —A potential for real risk.
  • An uncertainty of my instructors intentions, does he think we can go but just wants to hear me say it? is it a test?  —A pressured decision.

To say the ultimate truth, being a pilot is far more than just flying the plane…

Professional pilots are Decision Makers.

Aeronautical Decision Making is defined as a systematic approach to the mental process used by aircraft pilots to consistently determine the best course of action in response to a given set of circumstances.

 

So, Moving on…

“Yeah, I got weathered today” — ERAU flight students, thousands of times a year.

It happens to the lot of us and It is not uncommon for students to get backed up pretty far in their training due to cancellations for weathered activities. It’s really easy for frustration to set in. As a private student with a mid-morning flight block in the Fall of 2011, I experienced my fair share of cancellations. I believe I stopped counting after 20 or so. The uncontrollable external circumstances led to an internal struggle for me with confidence in the airplane.

At the cost of being very cliché, let me extend a healthy invitation for you  to weather the storms you may encounter in life. Though you may feel blinded by zero visibility with nothing around you but stinging rain and shattering lightning, the storm will always pass. When I look back on the storms in my life I see the growth I have sustained due to those experiences and how I was sharpened and improved by them. Long ago a wise man wrote in a book  that as Gold is refined through fire, a man is refined by his experiences in life. And surely I can attest to this fact.

When storms roll in, I find assurance in taking a long-term perspective

Here at Embry-Riddle you will have the resources to bring you far in life as long as you aspire to work hard each day and weather the storms when they build. Looking back at myself as a freshman student pilot who barely knew what the parts of an airplane were I’m amazed at how far I’ve come in  a short two years. I keep in mind the fact that I will always be a student of the skies and there will be more to learn with each change in the winds. The future is truly bright.

An action Point: Being a weather minor at ERAU and a member of humanity, I must add that we be mindful of the current relief efforts in the Philippines during the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Those people have gotten the brunt of nature’s effects and need help. If you feel compelled, please consider donating to relief efforts. You can find many organizations to donate to with a quick google search

Thank you for reading, I wish you a pleasant day

God’s blessings be with thee.

You may always contact me at wilkinsz@my.erau.edu with questions or if you just want to get to know me.

October 5, 2008

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It is already October. I am amazed at how fast this semester is flying by (no pun intended). Classes continue to progress, and it is sometimes hard to keep up. However, I have done enough studying and I haven’t missed a single class, so I am pleased with my grades. One of my classes continues to give me more troubles than the others, but I am working very hard to fix the problem.

Task Force One is really kicking into high gear. In our last two meetings we have discussed all sorts of things. One thing we are preparing for is homecoming, where we will be competing against other clubs in chalk-art and float building contests. Each club on campus has chosen a board game (the theme of this fall’s homecoming) and has to use that theme for their creations. Also, we have proposed t-shirt designs and discussed our first campus and community service activities.

My mother and sister came to visit this past weekend from Missouri. They visited campus and my dorm room and met a few of my new friends. Although I am not homesick, it was very nice to see some familiar faces again. We had a lot of fun, and they enjoyed their tour I gave them of Daytona Beach. Also, I finally had someone to cheer with me for the Mizzou Tigers football game!

My intramural volleyball team has played two games so far this fall. Although we have lost both games, one of them was very close. We continue to improve, and one of these weeks I am hoping for a victory. Intramural sports are a great way to get involved and have fun. I have met a lot of people by playing volleyball, and it is great to be active during the week. It is amusing to watch some of the volleyball matches because there are teams with differing amounts of skill. Some teams have obviously played competitively, while others are pretty much terrible. However, everyone has a good time.

I thought I would give another update on our toilet situation. After writing my last journal, the toilet proceeded to break down the next day. After A LOT of laughs, we sent in our maintenance request and the toilet was fixed the next day. Two days later, and the toilet goes out of service AGAIN. At this point we know the maintenance workers and they know exactly what has happened when they see our room number. Once again it was promptly fixed the next morning. Since then, our toilet has been running for almost 10 days! How great! The positives of this situation: we know exactly how to fill out a maintenance request and we are in close contact with our Resident Assistant.

Although I didn’t mention it, my friends and I went spotting in Orlando a few weeks ago and I thought I would include a few pictures for the airplane lovers (like myself) to enjoy. The weather is still great in Daytona and I am still very happy at Embry-Riddle. Let me know if there are any questions I can answer.

Until next time,
Mack