Hurricane Hunters

weather · extreme jobs · storms · aviation

Flying into danger. Hurricane hunters are specially trained aircrews who pilot planes directly into the heart of tropical storms and hurricanes. They do this dangerous work to gather real weather data that meteorologists use to predict where storms will go and how strong they'll become.

Data collectors. While flying through the wild winds and rain inside a hurricane, these brave crews use instruments to measure things like wind speed, pressure, temperature, and moisture. This information is beamed back to weather centers where scientists use it to issue warnings and help keep people safe.

US teams lead the way. In the United States, two main organizations fly these missions: the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and NOAA's Hurricane Hunters. Both teams have specialized aircraft tough enough to handle the extreme conditions inside a storm.

Around the world. Hurricane hunting isn't just an American job, the Navy has flown these missions too, and other countries like Hong Kong also send planes into typhoons and cyclones to gather weather data for their regions.

Special training required. These pilots and crew members undergo intense training to handle flying in one of nature's most violent environments, where wind speeds can exceed 150 miles per hour and conditions change by the second.