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Hurricane hunters

January 14, 2023

Hurricane hunters, typhoon hunters, or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Hunters. Such missions have also been flown by Navy units and other Air Force and NOAA units. Other organizations also fly these missions, such as Government Flying Service Hong Kong.

A NOAA WP-3D Orion weather reconnaissance aircraft

The first crewed flight into a hurricane happened in 1943 when a pilot-trainer flew into a Category 1 hurricane near Galveston, Texas on a bet.[1]

In the past, before satellites were used to find tropical storms, military aircraft flew routine weather reconnaissance tracks to detect formation of tropical cyclones. While modern satellites have improved the ability of meteorologists to detect cyclones before they form, only aircraft are able to measure the interior barometric pressure of a hurricane and provide accurate wind speed data, information needed to accurately predict hurricane development and movement.

Units

USAFR 53rd WRS

Main article: 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

The Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the world's only operational military weather reconnaissance unit, is based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi; most weather recon flights originate there. The term "hurricane hunters" was first applied to its missions in 1946.

The USAFR hurricane hunters fly weather missions in an area midway through the Atlantic Ocean to the Hawaiian Islands, and have on occasion flown into typhoons in the Pacific Ocean and gathered data in winter storms.

The 53rd WRS hurricane hunters operate ten Lockheed WC-130J aircraft, which fly directly into hurricanes, typically penetrating the hurricane's eye several times per mission at altitudes between 500 feet (150 m) and 10,000 feet (3,000 m).

NOAA Hurricane Hunters

Main article: NOAA Hurricane Hunters

The civilian and NOAA Corps crew members of the NOAA Hurricane Hunters, originally based at the Aircraft Operations Center at MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Florida, mainly perform surveillance, research, and reconnaissance with highly instrumented aircraft including airborne Doppler weather radar measurements in both Atlantic and Pacific storms. In June 2017[2][3] the Hunters moved into a new facility at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida, after being at MacDill since 1993. They fly two Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft, heavily instrumented flying laboratories modified to take atmospheric and radar measurements within tropical cyclones and winter storms, and a G-IV Gulfstream high-altitude jet above 41,000 feet (12 km) to document upper- and lower-level winds that affect cyclone movement. The computer models that forecast hurricane tracks and intensity mainly use G-IV dropsonde data collected day and night in storms affecting the United States.

Government Flying Service Hong Kong

Since 2009 the Government Flying Service of Hong Kong (GFS) have conducted regular flight data collection in cooperation with the Hong Kong Observatory. In 2011, the cooperation between GFS and the Observatory extended to reconnaissance flights to capture weather data for tropical cyclones over the South China Sea.[4] In September 2016 they introduced the dropsonde system, which collects extra meteorological data on tropical cyclones to enhance the monitoring of typhoons.[5]

History

 
View of the eyewall of Hurricane Katrina taken on August 28, 2005, by a NOAA P-3.

Among the types of aircraft that have been used to investigate hurricanes, are an instrumented Lockheed U-2 flown in Hurricane Ginny during the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season. Other types include the A-20 Havoc, 1944; B-24, 1944–1945; B-17, 1945–1947; B-25, 1946–1947; B-29, 1946–1947. WB-29, 1951–1956; WB-50, 1956–1963; WB-47, 1963–1969; WC-121N 1954–1973; WC-130A, B, E, H, 1965–2012.

The idea of aircraft reconnaissance of hurricane storm trackers was put forth by Captain W. L. Farnsworth of the Galveston Commercial Association in the early 1930s. Supported by the United States Weather Bureau, the "storm patrol bill" passed both the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives on June 15, 1936.[6]

1943 Surprise Hurricane

The 1943 Surprise Hurricane, which struck Houston, Texas, during World War II, marked the first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane. It started with a bet.

That summer, British pilots were being trained in instrument flying at Bryan Field. When they saw that the Americans were evacuating their AT-6 Texan trainers in the face of the storm, they began questioning the construction of the aircraft. Lead instructor Colonel Joe Duckworth took one of the trainers out and flew it straight into the eye of the storm. After he returned safely with navigator Lt. Ralph O'Hair, the base's weather officer, Lt. William Jones-Burdick, took over the navigator's seat and Duckworth flew into the storm a second time.

This flight showed that hurricane reconnaissance flights were possible, and further flights continued occasionally. In 1946, the moniker "Hurricane Hunters" was first used, and the Air Force and now Air Force Reserve have used it ever since.

VW-4

 
Lockheed WP-3A Orion weather reconnaissance aircraft of VW-4 Squadron at its NAS Jacksonville Florida base in 1974

The United States Navy's VW-4 / WEARECORON FOUR Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Four, "Hurricane Hunters" was the seventh U.S. Navy squadron dedicated to weather reconnaissance. They flew several types of aircraft, but the WC-121N "Willy Victor" was the aircraft most often associated with flying into the "eye of the storm." The squadron operated WC-121s between late 1954 and 1972.[7] VW-4 lost one aircraft and crew in a penetration of Hurricane Janet,[8] and another to severe damage in a storm, but the severely damaged Willy Victor (MH-1) brought her crew home, although she never flew again. During 1973–1975, VW-4 operated the turbine-propeller Lockheed WP-3A Orion.

Hurricane Katrina

The landfall of Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005 devastated Keesler Air Force Base, home of the 53rd WRS. The equipment and personnel of the squadron were flying out of Dobbins Air Reserve Base near Atlanta. Despite heavy equipment losses, the squadron never missed a mission from the National Hurricane Center. The 53rd has since returned to Keesler.

Aircraft losses

In popular culture

A reality television series featuring the USAFR 53rd WRS, entitled Hurricane Hunters, debuted on The Weather Channel in July 2012.[15]

The story of a NOAA flight during Hurricane Hugo was shown as part of the Mayday television show on the during 2015.[16]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ McMahon, Bucky (September 8, 2017). "Into the Eye of the Storm". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "NOAA hurricane center once housed at MacDill opens in Lakeland". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  3. ^ "NOAA Hurricane Hunters Have New Home In Lakeland". WUSF Public Media. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  4. ^ "Aircraft Meteorological Observation for Tropical Cyclones". www.hko.gov.hk.
  5. ^ "HKO and GFS join forces to introduce dropsonde system". www.hko.gov.hk.
  6. ^ Associated Press. "Storm Patrol Bill Passed to President" Hurricane Archive[dead link] Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  7. ^ Marson, 1982, p. 318
  8. ^ Garland, Harlin (October 1966). "U. S. Navy Hurricane Hunters". ESSA World. Environmental Satellite Services Administration: 7.
  9. ^ "The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions, Part I: the Oct 1, 1945 typhoon" Weather Underground Retrieved: 3 April 2020.
  10. ^ "The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions, Part II: Typhoon Wilma, 1952" Weather Underground Retrieved: 3 April 2020.
  11. ^ "The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions, Part III: Typhoon Doris, 1953" Weather Underground Retrieved: 3 April 2020.
  12. ^ "The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions, Part IV: Hurricane Janet, 1955" Weather Underground Retrieved: 3 April 2020.
  13. ^ "The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions, Part V: Typhoon Ophelia, 1958" Weather Underground Retrieved: 3 April 2020.
  14. ^ Robison, Tom "Whiskey-Charlie!" Air Weather Reconnaissance Association website. Retrieved on 2008-09-26.
  15. ^ "Official website for the TV series".
  16. ^ "Smithsonian Channel: It's Brighter Here".

Bibliography

  • Marson, Peter J., The Lockheed Constellation Series, 1982, Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, Tonbridge, Kent, ISBN 0-85130-100-2.

External links

  • NOAA Hurricane Hunters
  • Hunting Hurricane Hugo Flight of NOAA42
  • Navy Hurricane Hunters homepage
  • 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron homepage
  • 403rd Wing Homepage
  • Air Weather Reconnaissance Association homepage
  • ASN Accident description 13 OCT 1974 Lockheed WC-130H Hercules 65-0965
  • NHC Reconnaissance data archive 2008-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
  • Why and how people fly into hurricanes – USA Today – sidebar, "Fatal flights"

January 14, 2023
hurricane, hunters, examples, perspective, this, article, deal, primarily, with, united, states, represent, worldwide, view, subject, improve, this, article, discuss, issue, talk, page, create, article, appropriate, september, 2017, learn, when, remove, this, . The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject You may improve this article discuss the issue on the talk page or create a new article as appropriate September 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Hurricane hunters typhoon hunters or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data In the United States the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s Hurricane Hunters Such missions have also been flown by Navy units and other Air Force and NOAA units Other organizations also fly these missions such as Government Flying Service Hong Kong A NOAA WP 3D Orion weather reconnaissance aircraft The first crewed flight into a hurricane happened in 1943 when a pilot trainer flew into a Category 1 hurricane near Galveston Texas on a bet 1 In the past before satellites were used to find tropical storms military aircraft flew routine weather reconnaissance tracks to detect formation of tropical cyclones While modern satellites have improved the ability of meteorologists to detect cyclones before they form only aircraft are able to measure the interior barometric pressure of a hurricane and provide accurate wind speed data information needed to accurately predict hurricane development and movement Contents 1 Units 1 1 USAFR 53rd WRS 1 2 NOAA Hurricane Hunters 1 3 Government Flying Service Hong Kong 2 History 2 1 1943 Surprise Hurricane 2 2 VW 4 2 3 Hurricane Katrina 3 Aircraft losses 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksUnits EditUSAFR 53rd WRS Edit Main article 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron The Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron the world s only operational military weather reconnaissance unit is based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi Mississippi most weather recon flights originate there The term hurricane hunters was first applied to its missions in 1946 The USAFR hurricane hunters fly weather missions in an area midway through the Atlantic Ocean to the Hawaiian Islands and have on occasion flown into typhoons in the Pacific Ocean and gathered data in winter storms The 53rd WRS hurricane hunters operate ten Lockheed WC 130J aircraft which fly directly into hurricanes typically penetrating the hurricane s eye several times per mission at altitudes between 500 feet 150 m and 10 000 feet 3 000 m NOAA Hurricane Hunters Edit Main article NOAA Hurricane Hunters The civilian and NOAA Corps crew members of the NOAA Hurricane Hunters originally based at the Aircraft Operations Center at MacDill AFB in Tampa Florida mainly perform surveillance research and reconnaissance with highly instrumented aircraft including airborne Doppler weather radar measurements in both Atlantic and Pacific storms In June 2017 2 3 the Hunters moved into a new facility at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland Florida after being at MacDill since 1993 They fly two Lockheed WP 3D Orion aircraft heavily instrumented flying laboratories modified to take atmospheric and radar measurements within tropical cyclones and winter storms and a G IV Gulfstream high altitude jet above 41 000 feet 12 km to document upper and lower level winds that affect cyclone movement The computer models that forecast hurricane tracks and intensity mainly use G IV dropsonde data collected day and night in storms affecting the United States Government Flying Service Hong Kong Edit Since 2009 the Government Flying Service of Hong Kong GFS have conducted regular flight data collection in cooperation with the Hong Kong Observatory In 2011 the cooperation between GFS and the Observatory extended to reconnaissance flights to capture weather data for tropical cyclones over the South China Sea 4 In September 2016 they introduced the dropsonde system which collects extra meteorological data on tropical cyclones to enhance the monitoring of typhoons 5 History Edit View of the eyewall of Hurricane Katrina taken on August 28 2005 by a NOAA P 3 Among the types of aircraft that have been used to investigate hurricanes are an instrumented Lockheed U 2 flown in Hurricane Ginny during the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season Other types include the A 20 Havoc 1944 B 24 1944 1945 B 17 1945 1947 B 25 1946 1947 B 29 1946 1947 WB 29 1951 1956 WB 50 1956 1963 WB 47 1963 1969 WC 121N 1954 1973 WC 130A B E H 1965 2012 The idea of aircraft reconnaissance of hurricane storm trackers was put forth by Captain W L Farnsworth of the Galveston Commercial Association in the early 1930s Supported by the United States Weather Bureau the storm patrol bill passed both the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives on June 15 1936 6 1943 Surprise Hurricane Edit The 1943 Surprise Hurricane which struck Houston Texas during World War II marked the first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane It started with a bet That summer British pilots were being trained in instrument flying at Bryan Field When they saw that the Americans were evacuating their AT 6 Texan trainers in the face of the storm they began questioning the construction of the aircraft Lead instructor Colonel Joe Duckworth took one of the trainers out and flew it straight into the eye of the storm After he returned safely with navigator Lt Ralph O Hair the base s weather officer Lt William Jones Burdick took over the navigator s seat and Duckworth flew into the storm a second time This flight showed that hurricane reconnaissance flights were possible and further flights continued occasionally In 1946 the moniker Hurricane Hunters was first used and the Air Force and now Air Force Reserve have used it ever since VW 4 Edit Lockheed WP 3A Orion weather reconnaissance aircraft of VW 4 Squadron at its NAS Jacksonville Florida base in 1974 The United States Navy s VW 4 WEARECORON FOUR Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Four Hurricane Hunters was the seventh U S Navy squadron dedicated to weather reconnaissance They flew several types of aircraft but the WC 121N Willy Victor was the aircraft most often associated with flying into the eye of the storm The squadron operated WC 121s between late 1954 and 1972 7 VW 4 lost one aircraft and crew in a penetration of Hurricane Janet 8 and another to severe damage in a storm but the severely damaged Willy Victor MH 1 brought her crew home although she never flew again During 1973 1975 VW 4 operated the turbine propeller Lockheed WP 3A Orion Hurricane Katrina Edit The landfall of Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005 devastated Keesler Air Force Base home of the 53rd WRS The equipment and personnel of the squadron were flying out of Dobbins Air Reserve Base near Atlanta Despite heavy equipment losses the squadron never missed a mission from the National Hurricane Center The 53rd has since returned to Keesler Aircraft losses EditOctober 1 1945 A United States Navy Consolidated PB4Y 2 Privateer Bureau Number 59415 of VPB 119 went down in a Category 1 typhoon over the South China Sea Six of the seven crew members were killed 9 October 26 1952 A United States Air Force Boeing WB 29 Superfortress Serial Number 44 69970 from the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was lost in Super Typhoon Wilma over the Pacific with 10 men aboard 10 December 16 1953 A United States Navy Consolidated PB4Y 2 Privateer Bureau Number 59716 of Airborne Early Warning Squadron VW 3 was lost during reconnaissance of Super Typhoon Doris All nine members of the crew were killed 11 September 26 1955 A United States Navy Lockheed P2V Neptune of Airborne Early Warning Squadron Four VW 4 disappeared in Hurricane Janet over the Caribbean Sea with nine Navy men and two Canadian journalists aboard 12 January 15 1958 A United States Air Force Boeing WB 50 Superfortress Serial Number 49 295 from the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron went down southeast of Guam while flying into Super Typhoon Ophelia with nine men aboard 13 October 12 1974 In 1974 a newly converted Lockheed WC 130 Hercules Serial Number 65 0965 was transferred to the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron the Typhoon Chasers at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam The aircraft was sent to investigate Typhoon Bess The crew departed Clark Air Base in the Philippines with the callsign Swan 38 Radio contact with the aircraft was lost on 12 October 1974 apparently as the aircraft was heading into the typhoon s eye to make a second position fix There were no radio transmissions indicating an emergency on board and search teams could not locate the aircraft or its crew All six crew members were listed as killed in action 14 Swan 38 was the only WC 130 lost in a storm In popular culture EditA reality television series featuring the USAFR 53rd WRS entitled Hurricane Hunters debuted on The Weather Channel in July 2012 15 The story of a NOAA flight during Hurricane Hugo was shown as part of the Mayday television show on the during 2015 16 See also Edit Tropical cyclones portalStorm chasingReferences EditNotes McMahon Bucky September 8 2017 Into the Eye of the Storm Popular Mechanics Retrieved September 11 2017 NOAA hurricane center once housed at MacDill opens in Lakeland Tampa Bay Times Retrieved 2020 11 15 NOAA Hurricane Hunters Have New Home In Lakeland WUSF Public Media Retrieved 2020 11 15 Aircraft Meteorological Observation for Tropical Cyclones www hko gov hk HKO and GFS join forces to introduce dropsonde system www hko gov hk Associated Press Storm Patrol Bill Passed to President Hurricane Archive dead link Retrieved on 2008 06 06 Marson 1982 p 318 Garland Harlin October 1966 U S Navy Hurricane Hunters ESSA World Environmental Satellite Services Administration 7 The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions Part I the Oct 1 1945 typhoon Weather Underground Retrieved 3 April 2020 The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions Part II Typhoon Wilma 1952 Weather Underground Retrieved 3 April 2020 The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions Part III Typhoon Doris 1953 Weather Underground Retrieved 3 April 2020 The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions Part IV Hurricane Janet 1955 Weather Underground Retrieved 3 April 2020 The 6 lost Hurricane Hunter missions Part V Typhoon Ophelia 1958 Weather Underground Retrieved 3 April 2020 Robison Tom Whiskey Charlie Air Weather Reconnaissance Association website Retrieved on 2008 09 26 Official website for the TV series Smithsonian Channel It s Brighter Here This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations April 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Bibliography Marson Peter J The Lockheed Constellation Series 1982 Air Britain Historians Ltd Tonbridge Kent ISBN 0 85130 100 2 External links EditNOAA Hurricane Hunters Hunting Hurricane Hugo Flight of NOAA42 Navy Hurricane Hunters homepage 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron homepage 403rd Wing Homepage Air Weather Reconnaissance Association homepage ASN Accident description 13 OCT 1974 Lockheed WC 130H Hercules 65 0965 NHC Reconnaissance data archive Archived 2008 08 08 at the Wayback Machine The NOAA Aircraft Operations Center homepage VW 1 All Hands Alumni Association homepage Why and how people fly into hurricanes USA Today sidebar Fatal flights Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hurricane hunters amp oldid 1122502701, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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