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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 into Hurricane Milton to collect crucial real-time data on its structure, intensity, and path, vital for accurate forecasting in vulnerable, populous regions like Florida's west coast.
These missions involve aircraft like the WP-3D Orions (e.g., "Miss Piggy") penetrating the storm's eye and a Gulfstream IV-SP ("Gonzo") flying around it, deploying dropsondes and utilizing tail doppler radar.
The gathered data is immediately transmitted to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to refine weather models, and NOAA also deploys uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) for data collection in challenging areas, supported by the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters.

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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.