Retired Fairchild master sergeant now on-air TV meteorologist

Published May 7, 2012
By Scott King
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- He can be seen 'live' most weekends and periodically throughout the week on KHQ 6 News delivering current and future weather forecasts for the Inland Northwest - meteorologist, Dave Law, owes a great deal of his success to his 23 years in the Air Force.

"My four years as the Chief of Weather Operations at Fairchild was the grand finale of my extraordinary Air Force career," Law said. "It's simply been an amazing journey, especially when I look back to basic training where it all began."

He joined the Air Force in 1982 as open general [without a guaranteed job] and just days before basic training graduation, was told by his training instructor "Law, you're gonna' be a weatherman." Throughout the following years, his passion and respect for weather grew quickly.

"I started in an era when weather practices were pretty much akin to those of the 40's and 50's, consisting of teletypes, manual plotting and free-hand analysis," Law said. "But, technology changed all that, and it was really exciting to be on the cutting edge of it all with computers, satellites and radar all coming into play."

Law retired from the Air Force at Fairchild in 2005 and turned his sights toward KHQ 6 News after meeting with George Maupin, another KHQ 6 on-air personality. Maupin suggested Law apply based on his lengthy Air Force service, his outgoing personality and the fact that he did a lot of public speaking.

"When he [Maupin] suggested I apply, I thought 'why not' with a ton of forecasting experience and after years spent briefing weather to aircrews and command staff, I figured I might 'have the stuff' it takes to be on TV," Law said. "The technical training, college and public speaking experience the Air Force provided me was the foundation that boosted my confidence in this endeavor - I honestly believe the Air Force was a major force-shaping tool in the professional I am today."

As expected, being on live TV could prove to be nerve-racking for anyone, and Law was no different.

"I'll never forget my first demo taping with anchor Shelly Monahan," he said. "We were at the news desk reading the news and doing a weather forecast, when she leaned over and said, 'you need some makeup,' grabbed a paper towel and proceeded to wipe the sweat off my face. You betcha' I was nervous - but I was hired."

Law also has some fond memories of his time in the Air Force.

"Some of my fondest memories still make me chuckle," Law said. "Like, issuing a tornado watch during an air show, playing beach volleyball with the Navy Seals in Kuwait and flying back to base in a 'Kiowa' Helicopter to shower after days in a concealed foxhole just to name a few - I do miss those days."

There's another pretty cool aspect to his job.

"When I'm not doing weather, I'm probably out fishing, and most folks know 'I love to go fishing,'" he said. "Now, KHQ has also tapped into that passion by allowing me to do weekly fishing reports from our local lakes and rivers throughout the fishing season. How cool is that? Getting paid to fish -
life is good."

Thirty years later, Law is a KHQ 6 News weekend meteorologist and still a weatherman. "And I owe a great deal of my success to the Air Force - it paved the way for me."