Of all the specialties an aviator can have, one of the most risky is meteorological reconnaissance.
The United States has two units dedicated to this task, both known as "hurricane hunters." One of them is the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the US Air Force (USAF), currently equipped with WC-130J Hercules aircraft.
The best-known unit is the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (AOC). You can see its hangar above. NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This civilian agency of the US government operates one Gulfstream IV-SP jet aircraft and two older WP-3D Orion four-engine turboprop aircraft (below), modified from US Navy P-3C maritime patrol aircraft.
These aircraft are known as the "NOAA Hurricane Hunters" because their mission is to fly through hurricanes to collect data and conduct scientific research on these meteorological phenomena. The WP-3D Orion aircraft carry between 18 and 20 crew members, including aviators and scientists. These aircraft are manned by civilian personnel (primarily scientists) and military officers from the NOAA Corps, a military corps established in 1917 and made up exclusively of officers who carry out their work under the responsibility of NOAA.
The Hurricane Hunters fly out of MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida, a location that was not chosen at random, as it is an area routinely hit by hurricanes.
On Tuesday, one of its WP-3D Orions (the NOAA43 "Miss Piggy") flew towards Hurricane Milton, which is hitting the coast of Florida, "to collect data to help improve forecasting and support hurricane research." One of the plane's crew, Nick Underwood, has recorded an impressive video of his hectic flight:
Bumpy ride into Hurricane #Milton on @NOAA WP-3D Orion #NOAA43 "Miss Piggy" to collect data to help improve the forecast and support hurricane research.
Visit https://t.co/3phpgKNx0q for the latest forecasts and advisories
Visit https://t.co/UoRa967zK0 for information that you… pic.twitter.com/ezmXu2Zqta— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) October 8, 2024
You can watch another video released by NOAA Hurricane Hunters showing their WP-3D Orion and the conditions they often fly in here:
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Photos: NOAA / U.S. Air Force.
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