[2] McCaskill joined the RAF in 1959 as part of his National Service and became an airman meteorologist, first in Scotland and then in Cyprus.

He left the RAF in 1961 and joined the Met Office, working at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Malta and Manchester.

[3] McCaskill was known for his soft-spoken demeanor,[1] and his presentation style was widely imitated, including by the satirical comedy show Spitting Image and by impersonator Rory Bremner.

[3] McCaskill worked as a motivational speaker, and appeared on the BBC Television shows MasterChef and on Have I Got News for You, as well as in a number of TV advertisements.

In 2006, he co-wrote the book Frozen in Time, about Britain's worst ever winters, with Paul Hudson.