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‘Hurricane Hunters’ Fly Into the Eye of Hurricane Milton

Pilots with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Aircraft Operations Center study the storm as it approaches Florida.

Tuesday, October 08, 2024 at 02:34 PM ET

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration uses a fleet of hurricane hunters, including this Gulfstream IV-SP nicknamed ‘Gonzo’ to study developing storms. [Courtesy: Nick Underwood/NOAA]

Key Takeaways:

NOAA's "hurricane hunters" are actively flying specialized aircraft (Lockheed WP-3Ds and a Gulfstream IV-SP) into and around Hurricane Milton to collect crucial real-time data on its structure, intensity, and path.
The gathered data, obtained through instruments like dropsondes and tail doppler radar, is immediately fed to the National Hurricane Center to generate precise forecasts essential for protecting vulnerable, densely populated areas like Florida's west coast.
Complementing crewed missions, NOAA also deploys uncrewed aircraft systems (drones) from the P-3s to gather supplementary data in areas inaccessible or too dangerous for human pilots, especially near the ocean surface.

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As Hurricane Milton barrels toward the west coast of Florida packing 155 mph winds, pilots are flying into the belly of the beast.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) houses a small fleet of “hurricane hunters,” which researchers deploy to predict a hurricane’s structure, intensity, and path. And with Milton forecast to remain a major hurricane when it impacts the Tampa area on Wednesday, the data they gather will be as important as ever.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.