{"id":57378,"date":"2024-10-09T04:49:26","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T02:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=57378"},"modified":"2025-10-09T14:46:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T12:46:19","slug":"the-eventful-flight-of-a-wp-3d-orion-hurricane-hunter-plane-as-it-approaches-hurricane-milton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/10\/09\/the-eventful-flight-of-a-wp-3d-orion-hurricane-hunter-plane-as-it-approaches-hurricane-milton\/","title":{"rendered":"The eventful flight of a WP-3D Orion hurricane hunter plane as it approaches Hurricane Milton"},"content":{"rendered":"

Of all the specialties an aviator can have, one of the most risky is meteorological reconnaissance.<\/p>\n

The three former WB-57 bombers that NASA uses to capture solar eclipses<\/a><\/rel>
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The United States has two units dedicated to this task, both known as \"hurricane hunters.\"<\/strong> One of them is the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the US Air Force (USAF), currently equipped with WC-130J Hercules aircraft.<\/p>\n

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The best-known unit is the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (AOC)<\/strong>. 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<\/strong> (below), modified from US Navy P-3C maritime patrol aircraft.<\/p>\n

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These aircraft are known as the \"NOAA Hurricane Hunters\"<\/strong> 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,<\/strong> including aviators and scientists. These aircraft are manned by civilian personnel (primarily scientists) and military officers from the NOAA Corps,<\/strong> a military corps established in 1917 and made up exclusively of officers who carry out their work under the responsibility of NOAA.<\/p>\n

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The Hurricane Hunters fly out of MacDill AFB<\/strong> in Tampa, Florida, a location that was not chosen at random, as it is an area routinely hit by hurricanes.<\/p>\n

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On Tuesday, one of its WP-3D Orions (the NOAA43 \"Miss Piggy\") flew towards Hurricane Milton<\/strong>, which is hitting the coast of Florida, \"to collect data to help improve forecasting and support hurricane research.\"<\/em> One of the plane's crew, Nick Underwood, has recorded an impressive video of his hectic flight:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Bumpy ride into Hurricane #Milton<\/a> on @NOAA<\/a> WP-3D Orion #NOAA43<\/a> "Miss Piggy" to collect data to help improve the forecast and support hurricane research.<\/p>\n

Visit https:\/\/t.co\/3phpgKNx0q<\/a> for the latest forecasts and advisories
Visit https:\/\/t.co\/UoRa967zK0<\/a> for information that you\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/ezmXu2Zqta<\/a><\/p>\n

— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) October 8, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n