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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" utilize a fleet of specialized aircraft, including WP-3Ds and Gulfstream IV-SPs, to fly directly into and around major hurricanes like Milton, gathering critical real-time data on their structure, intensity, and path.
These missions employ advanced tools such as dropsondes and tail doppler radar to collect detailed atmospheric data and create 3D storm imagery, which is crucial for accurate forecasts by the National Hurricane Center.
To complement crewed flights, NOAA also deploys uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) from the P-3s to gather data from areas inaccessible to pilots, further enhancing the precision of predictions for highly vulnerable regions.

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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.