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I have flown storms for the last six years. This flight to Hurricane #Ian on Kermit (#NOAA42) was the worst I’ve ever been on. I’ve never seen so much lightning in an eye.
This was the eye. You can see the curvature. Understand this is at NIGHT. The light is from LIGHTNING.
This was the eye. You can see the curvature. Understand this is at NIGHT. The light is from LIGHTNING.
Absolutely wild. All of this in the eye, in which we circled for some time to deploy the UAS (uncrewed aerial system).
A high end Cat 4 storm. Nearly Cat 5.
All of this at 8,000 feet above the ocean. I’m glad we only did one pass.
A high end Cat 4 storm. Nearly Cat 5.
All of this at 8,000 feet above the ocean. I’m glad we only did one pass.
The UAS worked great. I’m sure you’ll see news stories on it later. We were all very impressed. Years of work to make today happen.
Let’s talk about different types of hurricane hunting aircraft. We have the WP-3D Orions and Gulfstream-IV of @NOAA_HurrHunter, Kermit (#NOAA42), Miss Piggy (#NOAA43), and Gonzo (#NOAA49), respectively.
And there’s also the TEN WC-130Js of @53rdWRS (#TEAL70, etc.)
And there’s also the TEN WC-130Js of @53rdWRS (#TEAL70, etc.)
The WP-3Ds and WC-130Js fly directly into the storms, usually between 8,000-10,000 feet over the water. These are the aircraft you get the eye views from. The WP-3Ds have three radar systems (shown by arrows), can launch scientific instruments, and collect lots of other data.
Our WC-130J friends may not have as many radars as the WP-3Ds, but they also launch scientific instruments and collect plenty of data. They also typically get tasked earlier for low level invests down at just 1,500 feet above the water, which is pretty low! (image from WP-3D)
