Coastal Processes FAQ - How do the specialized planes that fly directly into hurricanes work and what kind of information do they gather?

The propeller-driven aircraft known as Hurricane Hunters fly directly into the center of hurricanes to collect data for the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. These specially equipped National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration aircraft provide meteorological data that are integral to hurricane forecasting.

The first "hurricane hunting" airborne reconnaissance flight took place in 1943. Colonel Joseph B. Duckworth, an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, flew an AT-6 Texan single-engine aircraft into a hurricane. Ralph O'Hair was the navigator on this experimental instrument flight which took place as part of a bet with British pilots who didn't think Duckworth could fly an AT-6 into the hurricane and return. Duckworth and O'Hair successfully completed the test flight through the hurricane, and both the military and the Weather Bureau were convinced about the utility of reconnaissance flights to assist forecasters in determining a storm's exact strength and location.

During the 2003 hurricane season, two types of aircraft provided critical meteorological data that was incorporated into NOAA computer forecast models. NOAA WP-3D Orion turboprop aircraft are hurricane-hunting workhorses at low altitudes (1,500 - 10,000 feet), often flying right through the eye wall of a hurricane. NOAA also utilizes a Gulfstream IV Special Performance jet which flies at an altitude of 45,000 feet and obtains data on weather systems in the upper atmosphere.

During a hurricane, the the P-3 turboprop plane flies directly through the eye wall of the hurricane, collecting information on pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind speed and direction. The plane is equipped with instrumentation such as radar (C-Band and X-Band), cloud physics stations, cameras, and computer stations.

The nose radar (C-Band) is mounted on the front of the plane. Additional integral research components include the dropsonde station and launch tubes. Dropwindsondes are devices that continuously radio back meteorological measurements on pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed as they drop from the airplane toward the sea. These data provide a detailed look at the intensity and structure of the storm in a vertical direction.

The information provided by both the G-IV jets and the P-3 turboprop planes comprise comprehensive data set that is used by hurricane forecasters in their numerical model forecasts. The aircraft also provide real-time indicators of the meteorological conditions associated with hurricanes, which results in improved knowledge and understanding of these powerful and dangerous storms.

The Atlantic basin hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th. For more information on the hurricane seasons and hurricane preparedness, refer to the information provided at www.nhc.noaa.gov. Additional information on disaster preparedness is available on the following web sites: www.fema.gov and www.redcross.org.