Hurricane Hunters showcase aircraft flown into storms ahead of hurricane season

Captain Nate Kahn, commander of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, provides a look behind the scene of the plane used to fly to hurricanes.

Lakeland, fla. – The hurricane season is on the horizon, and NOAA hurricanes hunters are ready to fly to any storm to keep Americans safe.

Fox Weather Brandy Campbell’s correspondent spoke with Captain Nate Kahn, commander of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, about hurricane hunters and how it is to fly to a hurricane.

“Flying storms is an exercise, I would call it, nine hours of slight intercalated discomfort with two or three minutes of pure and absolute terror,” Kahn told Campbell.

Captain Nate Kahn.

(Brandy Campbell / Fox Weather)

He pointed out how, sometimes, conditions are such that pilots cannot see where they are going. The pilots also have to navigate the storms, just when the conditions make the aircraft fly to the sides.

“When you are in winds of 200 mph, a significant angle is needed to keep the plane in motion in the right direction, which is part of the magic,” he said.

Something unusual is happening in the tropics

Despite the thesis conditions, hurricane hunters persevere in order to collect information to save lives.

Kahn said that the two P-3 Orion aircraft of NOAA affected “Kermit” and “Miss Piggy”, aboard a team of about eight researchers who collect and process data on storms.

Then, these data are sent to the National Hurricane Center of NOAA, where meteorologists use the data to form forecasts for people who could be affected by the storms that hurricane hunters are studying.

While NHC meteorologists are developing forecasts, hurricane hunters have a meteorologist as part of their team. This individual helps the team maintain the safe duration of the flight.

How to see Fox’s climate

The hurricane season for the Eastern Pacific Ocean begins on May 15, and the season for the Atlantic Ocean begins on June 1.