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  • A WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, aka Hurricane Hunters, taxis its way to its parking spot after completing its mission into Hurricane Dorian, Sep. 5, 2019 at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The Hurricane Hunters, have flown 25 missions in support of Dorian. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza)

    Hurricane Hunters finish flying Dorian

    Operations began with three WC-130J aircrafts and one C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 403rd Wing departing Keesler Air Force Base, Aug. 25, for Curaçao to provide weather reconnaissance support of what was then Tropical Storm Dorian.
  • A WC-130J Super Hercules from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, aka Hurricane Hunters, taxis to the runway Aug. 25, 2019 at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The Hurricane Hunters staged their aircraft in Curacao and began flying into Tropical Storm Dorian Monday night.

    Hurricane Hunters fly Hurricane Dorian

    Due to a lack of radar and weather balloons availability over the Atlantic Ocean, the 53rd WRS flies into the storms, gathers the data and provides this data to the NHC to assist with their forecasts and storm warnings by transmitting the information gathered via satellite communication approximately every 10 minutes.
  • Maj. Kendall Dunn, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron pilot, poses for a photo in front of a WC-130J Super Hercules at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, May 30, 2019. The 53rd WRS aka Air Force Reserve ‘Hurricane Hunters,’ is the only Air Force unit tasked with mission of flying into the eye of hurricanes to collect data from the inside of a storm. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza)

    Reserve Airmen hunt hurricanes

    This specialized unit of Reserve Airmen is made up of a five-person crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance weather officer and loadmaster who is also the dropsonde operator.
  • Maj. Tobi Baker, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, talks about his duties and responsibilities as an ARWO during an interview May 10, 2019, in Brunswick, Georgia. Media interviews were conducted during the Hurricane Awareness Tour to help create a weather-ready nation by raising awareness for the upcoming hurricane season occurring June 1-Nov. 30, with emphasis this year on raising awareness about inland flooding. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza)

    Building a weather-ready nation

    The purpose of the tour is to help create a weather-ready nation by raising awareness for the upcoming hurricane season occurring June 1 – Nov. 30, with an emphasis this year on raising awareness about inland flooding.
  • Carlos A. Graulau, Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency Zone 4 volunteer, translates for Lt. Col. Jeff Ragusa, Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron pilot and aircraft commander, during the Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour at the Rafael Hernández Airport, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, April 13, 2019. NOAA hurricane specialists and the U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters discussed hurricane preparedness, resilience and how they can become “weather-ready” during the 2019 Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour April 8-13, 2019. As part of the event, dignitaries, students and the public toured the Air Force Reserve Command’s WC-130J “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft to learn how scientists collect hurricane information. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Marnee A.C. Losurdo)

    International outreach mission builds relationships, promotes hurricane preparedness

    Hurricane season starts June 1 and to help communities prepare, the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters visited six throughout Mexico and the Caribbean April 8-13 as part of the annual Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour.
  • A 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron WC-130J aircraft taking off out of Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California for an 8.5 hour mission for one of the missions into an Atmospheric River Feb. 1, 2019. The Atmospheric Rivers research missions are flown during the winter season to provide weather data forNational Center for Environmental Protection, who runs the Global Forecast System models and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo.)

    Hurricane Hunters fly Atmospheric Rivers

    In November 2018, California experienced one of its most destructive fires with more than 150,000 acres burned, 18,000 homes destroyed, over 80 deaths, and with the winter rainfall season ahead, heavy rain can bring flooding and mudslides.
  • Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, reviews data prior to sending the data to the National Hurricane Center for Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 storm, which made landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida, today. The Hurricane Hunters gather data from inside the storm to assist the National Hurricane Center in improving the cone of uncertainty that comes with tracking the path of a tropical cyclone. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek)

    Hurricane Hunters close out active 2018 hurricane season

    The 2018 hurricane season, which ended Nov. 30, was an active one for the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, who flew more than 655 hours and 83 missions into 12 named storms over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
  • Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, reviews data prior to sending the data to the National Hurricane Center for Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 storm, which made landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida, today. The Hurricane Hunters gather data from inside the storm to assist the National Hurricane Center in improving the cone of uncertainty that comes with tracking the path of a tropical cyclone. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek)

    Hurricane Hunters inside eye as Michael makes landfall

    The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron started flying into Hurricane Michael Oct. 7 and over the next four days observed it intensify from a possible tropical depression to a Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 10.
  • U.S. Navy Midshipman Suwen Jordan Sun helps read data for the Navy Airborne Expendable Bathythermographs deployed from the WC-130J Hercules during an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter mission from the Air Dominance Center, Savannah, Ga., Sept. 12, 2018. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, or Hurricane Hunters, provides critical and timely weather data for the National Hurricane Center to assist in providing up-to-date and accurate information for storm forecasts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chris Hibben)

    US Naval Academy tests waters with Hurricane Hunters

    When the subject of summer internships comes up, thoughts of fetching coffee and doing paperwork or answering phone calls come to mind. What does not come to mind is working 10,000 feet in the air in an Air Force Reserve WC-130J Hercules flying through a hurricane for the sake of research.
  • U.S. Air Force Reserve Pilots Lt. Col. Jerry Rutland (left) and Maj Eric Chapman begin their mission into Florence, a hurricane about to hit the Southeast Coast of the United States. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, or Hurricane Hunters, took off in a WC-130J Hercules Sept. 12, 2018, to gather critical and timely weather data for the National Hurricane Center to assist in providing up-to-date and accurate information for storm forecasts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chris Hibben)

    Hurricane Florence edges closer to East Coast, Hurricane Hunters continue reconnaissance

    As the storm moves closer to the East Coast, members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron continue flying through Hurricane Florence from the Air Dominance Center, Combat Readiness Training Center, Savannah, Georgia.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Florence, conduct search and rescue

    Members of the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron assisted the U.S. Coast Guard with a search and rescue mission Sept. 11, locating a white 41-foot Bali sailing catamaran after completing their mission for Hurricane Florence.The vessel was making a trans-Atlantic voyage from Portugal to the Bahamas, and was not

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Hurricane Hunters

    What started as a dare more than 70 years ago turned into the way we predict hurricanes today. Find out how the Air Force got started in a critical mission that saves lives by flying through hurricanes.
  • The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron departed Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, Sept. 9, 2018, to operate out of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Savannah, Georgia. The Reserve Citizen Airmen will start flying reconnaissance missions into Hurricane Florence Sept. 10, 2018. The Hurricane Hunters also started flying missions into Hurricane Olivia out of the Kalaeloa Airport, Hawaii, Sept. 8, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Marnee A.C. Losurdo)

    Hurricane Hunters fly Hurricanes Florence, Olivia

    The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is flying missions into Hurricane Florence over the Atlantic Ocean and Hurricane Olivia over the Pacific Ocean this week. The 53rd WRS is the only Defense Department unit that flies reconnaissance missions into severe tropical weather during the hurricane season, June 1 through Nov. 30,
  • Tech. Sgt. Zachary Ziemann, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron loadmaster, checks the data from a dropsonde after it was released near the eye wall of Hurricane Lane Aug 20, 2018. The 53rd WRS provides data vital to the National Hurricane Center to assist the forecasters in providing an updated model of the projected path of the storm. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek)

    Hurricane Hunters fly Hurricane Lane as storm targets Hawaiian Islands

    The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters are continuing to monitor Hurricane Lane which is projected to hit the main Hawaiian Islands the afternoon of Aug. 23. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squdron, based out of Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, began flying into Hurricane Lane out of the Kalaeloa Airport Aug. 20, to collect weather data for
  • The U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron spent part of June in Sri Lanka flying missions over the Indian Ocean as part of a research project to study the island’s atmosphere and predict monsoon patterns. (Courtesy photo)

    Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters assist with monsoon research

    The U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron spent part of June in Sri Lanka flying missions over the Indian Ocean as part of a research project to study the island’s atmosphere and predict monsoon patterns.
  • Tech. Sgt. Zachary Zieman, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron loadmaster and dropsonde operator, assists the aircrew with the engine startup prior to takeoff for a mission into Tropical Storm Chris July 8, 2018, to gather weather data for the National Hurricane Center for use in their forecasts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Marnee A.C. Losurdo)

    Hurricane Hunters fly Tropical Storms Beryl, Chris

    The Air Force Reserve’s Hurricane Hunters spent the weekend flying weather reconnaissance missions into Tropical Storm Chris off the North Carolina coastline and Tropical Storm Beryl in the Caribbean Sea to gather data for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
  • Lt. Col. Ed Garcia, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron pilot, talks about the Hurricane Hunter mission during a Facebook Live session with the National Weather Service May 10, 2018. The 53rd WRS, an Air Force Reserve unit in the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, took part in the 2018 NOAA Gulf Coast Hurricane Awareness Tour May 7-11, 2018. This is the fourth year the Hurricane Hunters participated in all five stops of the awareness and preparedness event, which was in conjunction with National Hurricane Preparedness Week. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Marnee A.C. Losurdo)

    Prepare now for hurricane season

    Hurricane season begins June 1 and now is the time to prepare. To promote this message, an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew with their WC-130J Super Hercules and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane experts visited five Gulf Coast cities as part of this year’s Hurricane Awareness Tour May 7 through 11, 2018.
  • Maj. Devon Meister, pilot, and Maj. Ashley Lundry, aerial reconnaissance weather officer, are members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, referred to as the Hurricane Hunters, which is a unit in the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Heather Heiney)

    Women of Weather: Hurricane Hunters make a difference

    Those goals became reality for Maj. Ashley Lundry, an aerial reconnaissance weather officer, and Maj. Devon Meister, a pilot, both members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, referred to as the Hurricane Hunters, a unit in the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.
  • Pilots from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron fly a WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft over San Diego, California during a mission to collect data from atmospheric rivers over the Pacific Ocean Jan. 28, 2018. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy photo)

    Hurricane Hunters complete atmospheric river reconnaissance

    Much like a river on the ground carries water in streams through the earth, an atmospheric river carries water vapor in streams through the sky.
  • Aircrew members from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” taxi a WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft to its parking spot on the runway at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, after a winter storm flight Jan. 12, 2018. In addition to their hurricane taskings, Hurricane Hunters fly winter storm missions to gather weather data used by forecasters in generating models for systems that could affect the East, West or Gulf Coast of the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)

    Their continuing mission: Hurricane Hunters gather data for winter storms

    For members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known as the Hurricane Hunters, the hurricane tasking is only one part of their overall data-gathering mission. Hurricane Hunters track winter storms off the East and West Coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. While the normal flying season for these missions runs Nov. 1 to March 31, some missions can take place either before or after these dates depending on the weather that season.
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