Precision from propellers: How NOAA aircraft collect data above, around and in a hurricane
Hunting for hurricane data above, around and in the storm requires the right equipment–and NOAA has it.
Hunting for hurricane data above, around and in the storm requires the right equipment–and NOAA has it.
Specialized scientific tools, whether aboard or deployed from an aircraft, or on the water, collected important data and set new records.
Holiday travel comes with delays, heavy traffic, overbooked flights and other complications — but for 12 cold-stunned sea turtles, the timing was just right to fly south after an upgrade from standby status.
NOAA Hurricane Hunters flew over 100 hours for Hurricane Melissa, deploying more than 250 dropsondes and 12 uncrewed aircraft systems. Afterward, NOAA’s King Air supported Jamaica’s recovery with high-res aerial imagery.
NOAA deployed one of its two Lockheed WP-3D Orion "hurricane hunter" aircraft (N42RF) to Shannon, Ireland, on Jan. 16 to measure ocean-surface winds in winter storms over the North Atlantic.
NOAA announced on September 27 that it has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, based in Georgia, for two specialized C-130J Hercules aircraft to become the next generation of NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft.
Meet NOAA Programs and Integration Engineer Nick Underwood in this profile of NOAA Aircraft Operations Center team members.
NOAA’s fleet of 10 aircraft operate throughout the year to support NOAA’s diverse science missions.