Wikipedia

53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

The53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron,also known by its nickname,Hurricane Hunters,is a flying unit of theUnited States Air Force,and "the onlyDepartment of Defenseorganization still flying into tropical storms and hurricanes. "[3]Aligned under the403rd Wingof theAir Force Reserve Command(AFRC) and based atKeesler Air Force Base,Mississippi,with ten aircraft, it flies intotropical cyclonesin the Atlantic Ocean, theCaribbean Sea,theGulf of Mexicoand theCentral Pacific Oceanfor the specific purpose of directly measuringweatherdata in and around those storms. The 53rd WRS currently operates theLockheed WC-130Jaircraft as its weather data collection platform.

53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
WC-130J of the 53rd WRS
Active1944–1947, 1951–1960, 1962–1991, 1993–present
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
TypeSquadron
RoleTropical cycloneweather reconnaissance
Size10 aircraft, 20 flight crews
Part ofAir Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQKeesler Air Force Base,Mississippi
Nickname(s)Hurricane Hunters
DecorationsMeritorious Unit Commendation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander		LtCol Stephen Pituch
Insignia
53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron emblem(1995)[1][a]
53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron emblem(approved 1 April 1963)[2]
53rd Reconnaissance Squadron emblem(approved 15 November 1945)[2]
Aircraft flown
ReconnaissanceWC-130J Hercules
WB-47E Stratojet
WB-50D Superfortress
WB-29A/B-29A Superfortress
RB-17/TB-17 Flying Fortress
B-25/WB-25D Mitchell
A WC-130J Hercules aircraft weather loadmaster of the 53rd WRS performs pre-engine start-up inspection in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, on 16 September 2010. The SFMR antenna housing is visible under the starboard wing outboard of the number four engine.

The squadron was activated in 1944 during World War II as the 3rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, tracking weather in the North Atlantic between North America and Europe. Redesignated the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron in 1945, the term "Hurricane Hunters" was first applied to its activities in 1946. The 53rd became a part of the USAF before its inactivation in 1947, was reactivated in 1951 as a long range weather reconnaissance unit based inBermudaand England, and since 1963 has been based in thesouthern United Statesor inPuerto Ricowith its primary mission the measurement of tropical cyclones. The 53rd WRS moved to its present home station at Keesler AFB in 1973, and after being briefly inactivated again between 1991 and 1993, became an Air Force Reserve unit.

The Hurricane Hunters of the Air Force Reserve are distinct from those of theDepartment of Commerce'sNOAA Hurricane Hunters,based atLakeland Linder International Airport,Florida,[4]who use a pair ofLockheed WP-3D Orionand aGulfstream IV-SPaircraft to also fly weather reconnaissance, data collection and scientific research missions. In accordance with itsmemorandum of agreementwith NOAA, AFRC maintains a capability in the 53rd WRS for five sorties per day from its home station and two deployed locations in support of requirements for the National Hurricane Operations Plan, or two sorties a day during winter storm seasons. The 53rd also provides a subunit, the Chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination, All Hurricanes ( "CARCAH" ), at theNational Hurricane Centerto coordinate the activities of both organizations.[5]

Concurrent with its operational mission, the 53rd WRS is also tasked with recruiting, organizing and training assigned personnel to perform aerial weather reconnaissance, and its air crews are qualified to handle tactical airlift missions.

History

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Operational history

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Hurricane hunting

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Aerial reconnaissance of tropical storms first began in September 1935. In that year theUnited States Weather Bureaudecentralized its hurricane warning system, which depended to a great extent on reports from ships at sea, opening three warning centers inSan Juan, Puerto Rico;Jacksonville, Florida;andNew Orleans, Louisiana.In August the Jacksonville center followed the progress of a developing hurricane east of theBahamas,determining that it would pass through theStraits of Floridaand strike the north coast ofCuba.It contacted the Cuban weather service when ship information was no longer available, but track of the storm was lost when the Cubans observed no evidence of it. Acting on a report from aPan American Airlinespilot, a weather observation flight was requested of the Cuban Army Air Corps and on 2 September 1935 its chief training pilot, American expatriate Capt. Leonard J. Povey, volunteered to locate the system. Although he was unable to penetrate the storm in his open-cockpitCurtiss Hawk IIbiplane, Povey provided information that indicated the hurricane was moving north into theFlorida Keys.[6]The destructiveness of the1935 Labor Day hurricaneprompted Povey to recommend a regular aerial hurricane patrol.[7][b]

The1943 Surprise Hurricane,which struckHoustonduring World War II, marked the first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane. That summer, British pilots being trained as instrument instructor pilots atBryan Army Airfieldheard that the school was evacuating itsAT-6 Texantrainers in the face of the oncoming hurricane, and began teasing their instructors about the airworthiness of the aircraft. Instrument flying school commanderUSAAFLt. Col.Joseph B. Duckworth,a former airline pilot withEastern Airlineswho had developed instrument procedures for the carrier, bet his RAF students that he could safely fly into the storm and return. On 27 July 1943 he took out one of the trainers with2nd LtRalph M. O'Hairnavigatingand flew it straight into the eye of the storm. After he returned safely, the base's only weather officer, 1st Lt William H. Jones-Burdick, took over the navigator's seat and Duckworth flew into the storm (now over land) a second time, this time recording their observations and measuring temperatures within the storm.[8][9]The flights demonstrated that hurricane reconnaissance flights were feasible.[10][11]

24 days later, on 19 August 1943, the AAF weather station atWaller Field,Trinidad,recorded unusually low pressures and received a similar report fromBeane FieldonSaint Lucia.Together with a report of high winds to the east from a U.S. Navy aircraft landing at Naval Operating Base Trinidad, the data prompted the first weather reconnaissance mission to locate a previously unreported tropical disturbance, which was flown the next morning. The flight, made by aB-25 Mitchellmedium bomber assigned to the25th Bombardment Group(an anti-submarine unit at nearbyEdinburgh Field), proceeded from Waller toBarbadosand then due east at altitudes between 8,000 and 600 ft (2,440 and 180 m) into the heart ofHurricane III of 1943.Using standard navigational position fixes, the mission plotted observations inflight on a chart as they proceeded and transmitted them to Beane Field for relay to Waller andBorinquen Field,Puerto Rico.[c][12]

53rd WRS history

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The 53rd WRS was activated on 7 August 1944 atPresque Isle Army Air Field,Maine, originally as the 3 WRS.[1][13]Many of its missions were flown from a forward base atGander, Newfoundland,using B-25s. Its original mission was to fly weather tracks along aircraft ferry routes between North America and Allied Western Europe. During the 1946 season, when the 53d WRS acquired the Boeing RB-29 (laterWB-29) Superfortress as its primary aircraft, the term "Hurricane Hunters" was first used to describe its missions. While not an ideal weather reconnaissance platform, the WB-29 proved to be comparatively safe and reliable. The first medium level penetration of a hurricane took place on 19 October 1947 by an RB-29 of the 53d WRS intoHurricane Lovenear Bermuda, validating penetration of tropical storms at lower altitudes as reasonably safe.[14]

From Gander, the squadron moved to New Hampshire; Florida;Kindley Field,Bermuda;RAF Burtonwood,England, with forward basing atDhahran,Saudi Arabia; Bermuda for a short time, andHunter Air Force Base,Georgia. In 1966, now flying theLockheed WC-130,the 53rd WRS once again left the continental United States, this time forRamey Air Force Base,Puerto Rico. When Ramey closed in 1973, the Hurricane Hunters relocated to their present location at Keesler AFB, Mississippi.[10]

53rd WRS Boeing WB-29A weathership landing at its base at RAF Burtonwood in 1954
53rd WRS Boeing WB-50D weathership landing at RAF Burtonwood in 1956. The observation and sampling station is on top of the rear fuselage

On 18 September 1953, while based at Kindley, Bermuda, the squadron suffered its only mission-related loss of an aircraft, a WB-29.[d]Returning to base with a runaway propeller [clarification needed]on the inboard engine of the right wing, the propeller separated from its shaft and struck the engine beside it, causing both the wing and outboard engine to catch fire. The pilot ordered an immediate bailout, but the aircraft went out of control and only three of the 10-man crew survived.[15][e]

In 1965 the 53rd WRS became the first squadron of the Air Weather Service to operate the WC-130 after its designation as such, and from Ramey flew the first WC-130 Hurricane Hunter mission on 27 August 1965, penetrating the eye ofHurricane Betsy.[16]

In the 1970s, after its move to Keesler, the 53rd participated in two "firsts" in the changing of regulations to permit women to be qualify as aircrew. Sgt. Vickiann Esposito became the first female dropsonde operator and possibly the first fully qualified aircrew member (excepting flight nurses) in Air Force history, approved byHeadquarters Air Forcein December 1973 as a waiver of the regulation prohibiting the assignment of women, over the initial objections of the commanding general of the Air Mobility Command. In October 1977, after the regulation had been rescinded, 1st Lt. Florence Fowler became one of the first two women to beratedas navigators (nowcombat systems officers).[17][f]

In 1976, the815th Tactical Airlift Squadronof the Air Force Reserve, also based at Keesler, was redesignated the 815th Weather Squadron "Storm Trackers" and served as an associate squadron to the 53rd until 1987, when the 815th reverted to a tactical airlift unit because of reduced numbers of WC-130s. The Regular Air Force's 53rd WRS was inactivated in June 1991 for budgetary reasons and its assets and personnel transferred to the 815th TAS, which formed a flight to assume the weather recon mission while continuing its airlift role as well. On 1 November 1993, as a result of the impact ofHurricane Andrewthe year before, the 53rd WRS was reactivated as a full-time Air Force Reserve squadron to take over the weather reconnaissance mission from the 815th AS.[13]

The WC-130H airframes flown by the 53rd WRS were originally built in 1964–65 as C-130Es. Hurricane Andrew had also demonstrated a need for upgraded models to continue the Hurricane Hunter mission, and funding for ten replacements was authorized by Congress in FY1998. On 11 October 1999, the 53rd WRS received its first Lockheed WC-130, and flew its first hurricane mission in the new model on 16 November, intoHurricane Lenny.Problems with the new model, primarily damage to itscomposite material6-bladed propellers from hail and ice and a lack of sensitivity in its color radar images, delayed its Initial Operational Capability until just before the 2005 hurricane season. The propeller problem was overcome by bonding a metal sleeve to the leading edge of each blade and the radar issue by changes in the radar software coding.[18]

While in conversion to the new airframe, the unit continued its mission of aerial weather reconnaissance and added a new weather-related mission type in 2003, using the WC-130Js to drop buoys ahead of impending tropical storms. In 2004, the unit started training to support tactical airlift missions in addition to its weather mission. The landfall ofHurricane Katrinaon 29 August 2005 caused devastating damage to Keesler. An estimated one-third of the members of the parent 403rd Wing lost a home or had it extensively damaged.[19]Yet the equipment and personnel of the squadron, flying out ofDobbins Air Reserve BasenearAtlanta, Georgiawhen the hurricane struck, never missed a tasked mission during Katrina or follow-up storms.[10]

The operations of the 53rd WRS were affected by thefederal budget sequestration of 2013.Furloughs of personnel, amounting to two days in every pay period per member, resulted in a 20% cut in capability, according to the wing commander of the 403rd Wing on 24 July 2013. While sequestration was in effect, this meant the squadron was capable of working only two storms simultaneously at full mission scheduling instead of the normal three, and that pace sustainable only for five or six days.[20]

Hurricane Hunter mission

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WC-130H Hercules in flight
WC-130J Hercules on the ramp atDobbins ARB,Georgia, with another landing behind it, during reployment for Hurricane Katrina.[21]

The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, using the call signsTeal 70toTeal 79,[g]flies missions intohurricanesand weather systems for research purposes and observation. Althoughsatellite datahas revolutionizedweather forecasters' ability to detect early signs of tropical cyclones before they form, there are still many important tasks for which this information is not suitable. Satellites cannot determine the interiorbarometric pressureof a hurricane, nor provide accurate wind speed information. These data are needed to accurately predicthurricane developmentand movement. Because satellites cannot collect the data and ships are too slow and vulnerable, the only viable way to collect this information is with aircraft. Meteorological parameters measured, in order of priority, are:

The 53rd WRS is equipped with ten pallet-instrumented[h]WC-130J aircraft to collect the required meteorological data.[i]The area of responsibility for the "Hurricane Hunters" is from midway through the Atlantic Ocean west to theHawaiian Islands,although they have also been tasked to fly into typhoons in the Pacific Ocean on occasion, as well as gather data in winter storms.[j]The Hurricane Hunters are tasked to support 24-hour-a-day continuous operations with the ability to fly to up to 3 storms at a time with a response time of 16 hours. This necessitates a mission organization of ten full-time aircrews and ten part-time.[23]

The WC-130J employs a standard five person crew element of a pilot, co-pilot,Combat Systems Officer(CSO), aerial reconnaissance weather officer (ARWO), and a weather loadmaster/dropsonde operator, with a second loadmaster assigned when required. The ARWO is the flight meteorologist and acts as flight director inside the storm system. Operational crews train twice monthly at Keesler AFB and fly weather recon missions when available.[23]53rd WRS pilots and loadmasters go through their initial C-130J training at the314th Airlift Wing's tactical airlift training center atLittle Rock Air Force Base,Arkansas. CSOs and ARWOs from the 53rd WRS have no formal school and train in-house at Keesler utilizing anAir Education and Training Command-approved syllabus for their specialized mission training.[24]

The 53rd WRS usesHenry E. Rohlsen AirportonSt. Croixas its primary forward-deployed location for North Atlantic basin operations. Each May since 1996, when it switched operations fromAntiguato theU.S. Virgin Islandsto operate from U.S. soil, the squadron prepositions maintenance equipment and materiel at Rohlsen in preparation for the coming season. From July through September three crews are commonly forward-deployed to St. Croix at any given time with rotations of a week's deployment per month.[25]

Since 1969, the 53rd WRS also performs winter storm weather reconnaissance off both coasts of the United States between 1 November and 15 April in support of theNational Centers for Environmental Prediction.These missions are flown at the WC-130'sservice ceilingof 30,000 ft (9,100 m), which subjects them to turbulence, lightning and icing. The crews collect data ahead of weather systems, droppingweather buoysalong their routes, before they move off the eastern seaboard to help determine if the conditions are right to intensify intoNor'easterblizzards. In 1997 and 1998, the Hurricane Hunters also flew winter storms in theGulf of Alaska.The predetermined tracks are six to eleven hours in duration, with one to three missions flown per major winter storm event.[26]Coverage of winter storms in the eastern Pacific has become standard during the month of February, operatingTDYfrom eitherElmendorf AFB,Alaska, orHickam AFB,Hawaii.[27]

53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron andFEMAstaff discuss Hurricane Hunter aircraft operations aboard an Air Force Reserve WC-130J Super Hercules

The 53rd WRS works closely with theNational Hurricane Center(NHC), a division of theNational Weather Service(NWS) located inMiami,that tracks hurricanes to provide early warning service forAtlantic basinstorms. It maintains a subunit, theChief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination, All Hurricanes(CARCAH), at the NHC as a point-of-contact and provides the staff and equipment to coordinate Department of Commerce requirements for hurricane data, assign weather reconnaissance missions and monitor all data transmitted from weather reconnaissance aircraft of DOC and the 53rd WRS.[10]To that end CARCAH is responsible for producing, publishing, and coordinating the Tropical Cyclone Plan of the Day (TCPOD) during hurricane season.[28][k]

The 53rd WRS maintains similarly configuredsatellite communicationsground stationswithin CARCAH at the NHC and its facility at Keesler to receive and process data from the aircraft. The Keesler ground station is maintained as a backup to the primary system at NHC, which has greaterdata streamingcapability, and would be manned by CARCAH personnel in the event of a long-term satellite communications failure at NHC. During temporary outages, 53rd personnel at Keesler act as operators and relay data from the aircraft by land line to the CARCAH ground station. Processed data is transmitted to the Weather Product Management and Distribution System (WPMDS) of theAir Force Weather AgencyatOffutt AFB,Nebraska,which then relays it to the NWS Telecommunication Gateway atSilver Spring, Maryland,for worldwide distribution. The Keesler site has direct communications capability with WPMDS in the event of land line/internet failure between Keesler and the NHC. The system also provides backup transmission paths to WPMDS using local NHC servers and satellite connection to Keesler in the event of internet outages, except if an outage originates at Offutt.[29]

Tropical cyclone operational profiles

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When a tropical disturbance becomes suspect for development as a tropical or subtropical cyclone, the NHC assigns the system atemporary tracking ( "Investigation" ) number[l]and requests the 53rd WRS to determine if the winds are blowing in a counterclockwise rotation, indicating a "closedcyclonic circulation".This investigative mission is flown at an altitude of 500–1,500 ft (150–460 m) above the ocean surface in a pattern designated by the ARWO aboard the mission WC-130 based on observed conditions.[m]The ARWO, using astepped-frequency microwave radiometer(SFMR, or "smurf" ),[27][30][n]continuously monitors ocean waves to determine wind speed and direction. The low-level wind and pressure fields provide an accurate picture for NHC forecasters. Investigative missions are usually flown during daylight and may be timed to arrive in the investigative area at first light in the morning or last light in the evening. Weak pressure gradients, large areas of calm, and light winds in areas of heavy convective activity often make vortex fixes difficult to obtain in areas of weak circulation, challenging the skills of the crews.

Once NHC determines that there is circulation within the disturbance, the mission becomes a sequentially numbered "fix" mission, conducted initially every six hours by rotating flights in cooperation with NOAA missions, and then at three-hour intervals as the storm moves within specified parameters.[23][o]During the "fix" mission, the ARWO directs the aircraft to the true center orvortexof the storm by monitoring the radar presentation, temperature, pressure, and mapping the wind fields as the aircraft makes left-hand turns. Vortices determined by individual parameters including visual observation may not coincide at the same geographic location. Surface and upper-level centers may be displaced by many miles. In order to make a reliable evaluation of its size and configuration, the crew flies through the disturbance using "Flight Pattern Alpha" consisting ofintercardinalheadings with legs 105 nautical miles (190 km) in length.[p]The Alpha pattern is repeated at least twice during the mission, which will typically see a penetration of the eye of the system four times. Patterns may also be adjusted to meet circumstances encountered in the system. In August 2011, asHurricane Ireneneared theDelmarva Peninsulabetween landfalls, a 53rd WRS ARWO directed a pattern with shorter legs and more rapid turnarounds because of the proximity of land, making seven center fixes in one flight.[19]Flight weather data is continuously collected and sent directly to the NHC by satellite communications. Since the WC-130J is not equipped for aerial refueling, the alpha pattern continues until minimum fuel reserve is reached, or until the NHC has received all the data it requires.[23]

Major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher in theSaffir–Simpson scale) are entered at approximately 10,000 ft (3,000 m) altitude.[q]While penetrating theeyewall,a dropsonde is released to determine themaximum sustained windsat the surface and a second dropsonde is released in theeyeto detect the lowest pressure at the surface. After exiting the eye, the ARWO creates a Vortex Data Message that includes the precise latitude and longitude of the storm center as well as its maximum winds, maximum temperature, and minimum sea level pressure.[r]The average duration of a "Hurricane Hunter" mission is ten hours, with five to six hours on station, depending on the distance of the storm from base, when tasked to perform three fixes at three-hour intervals.[19]

Lineage

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  • Constituted as the3rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron,Air Route, Medium on 7 August 1944
Activated on 31 August 1944
Redesignated3rd Reconnaissance Squadron,Weather, Heavy on 26 January 1945
Redesignated53rd Reconnaissance Squadron,Long Range, Weather on 15 June 1945
Redesignated53rd Reconnaissance Squadron,Very Long Range, Weather on 27 November 1945
Inactivated on 15 October 1947
  • Redesignated53rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron,Medium, Weather on 22 January 1951
Activated on 21 February 1951
Redesignated53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadronon 15 February 1954
Discontinued on 18 March 1960
  • Organized on 8 January 1962
Inactivated on 30 June 1991
  • Activated in the reserve on 1 November 1993[1]

Assignments

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Stations

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Aircraft

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53rd WRS WC-130H

Awards

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Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Meritorious Unit Citation 23 May 1945 – 31 October 1945 3d Reconnaissance Squadron (later 53rd Reconnaissance Squadron)[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 December 1958–30 September 1959 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1967 – 30 June 1968 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 January 1971 – 31 December 1971 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 September 1975 – 1 May 1977 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 16 July 1977 – 16 July 1979 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 17 July 1979 – 15 June 1981 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 April 1984 – 31 March 1986 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 April 1986 – 31 March 1988 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 November 1993 – 30 April 1994 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 May 1994 – 30 April 1996 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 May 1996 – 31 August 1997 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron[1]

Cable television series

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The Weather Channelannounced in January 2012 that it would be presenting a six-episode docu-reality series (Hurricane Hunters) in July 2012 depicting the operations of the 53rd WRS during the 2011 hurricane season.[32]However even before its debut, the series and its network were beset by controversy when a 53rd WRS member, Major (then Captain)Nicole L. Mitchell,an ARWO and an on-camera meteorologist for TWC from July 2004 to January 2011, revealed on 4 June 2012 that she had filed suit 9 September 2011 in theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Georgiaagainst The Weather Channel and its owners,NBC Universaland two private equity firms,Bain Capitaland theBlackstone Group,claiming that the termination of her employment in 2010 was based on her part-time Air Force Reserve service, was discriminatory and was in violation of theUniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994.[33]A second nine-segment season, filmed in August and October 2012, aired on The Weather Channel beginning in June 2013.[34]Mitchell subsequently became the Chief Meteorologist atAl Jazeera Americaand after September 2015 became the only remaining Air Force meteorologist with personal experience flying through Hurricane Katrina.[citation needed]

See also

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Notes

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Explanatory notes
  1. ^The emblem was personally modified by the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, but the changes were registered, but not approved formally. Robertson Factsheet, 53 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (AFRC).
  2. ^Leonard James Povey was born in 1904 inNashua, New Hampshireand served in theUnited States Army Air Servicefrom 1922 to 1925. Also abarnstormer,he was recruited in 1934 by Col.Fulgencio Batistato reorganize the Cuban air force. Nicknamed "Upside-Down Povey", he is credited with inventing theCuban Eightaerobatic maneuver in 1936 while flying a demonstration at an air show in Florida. In 1938 he returned to the United States to become a flight test inspector for the new Civil Aeronautics Authority (precursor to the FAA), and in 1941 became vice president of flying operations at theEmbry-Riddle School of Aviation.During World War II he worked forFairchild Aircraftdeveloping training aircraft. (Biography of Len Povey,University of Texas at Dallas).
  3. ^The B-25, serial 43-5052, was flown by Capt. R.A. Field of the10th Bombardment Squadronand carried weather officers Major I.I. Porush, Captain J. R. Fleming, and 1st Lt. P.W. Allen. A second flight, similar to Duckworth's, took off fromAntiguawith weather officer Capt. C.H. MacDougall aboard and also observed the storm.
  4. ^Swan 38,a WC-130H of the 53rd's sister54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron,was lost on 12 October 1974, while flying an alpha pattern intoTyphoon Bess400 miles northeast ofClark Air Basein the Philippines. The Hurricane Hunter Association established the Swan 38 Memorial Scholarship for outstanding students in the 403rd Wing. (Swan 38 Scholarship).
  5. ^The WB-29 was serial 44-62277, a converted B-29A.
  6. ^Lt. Fowler's navigation school classmate 1st Lt. Ramona L. Roybal became a WC-135 navigator with the 55th WRS at McClellan AFB at the same time. A month earlier, the first rated female pilot, 2nd Lt. Carole A. Scherer, had been assigned to fly WC-130s with the 54th WRS. The first Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer (ARWO) was 1st Lt. Nancy E. Holtgard, who was also assigned to the 54th WRS on Guam.
  7. ^The 53rd picked up the call sign "Teal" in 1993 from the 815th, which had used it when designated the 815th Weather Squadron and again after 1991 when it contained a Hurricane Hunterflightin addition to its tactical airlift flights. As an active force squadron the 53rd had previously used the call sign "Gull."
  8. ^Pallet instrumentation for the WC-130J's mission consists of a Communication Navigation Identification Unit (CNIU), Satellite Communication System (SATCOM), Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS) to receive and analyze dropsonde data, Atmospheric Sounding Processing Environment (ASPEN), and the Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer's computer with Weatherbird software package, all of which are described in the External Links. Between May 2007 and February 2008 all ten WC-130J Weatherbirds were also equipped with wing-mounted Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer ( "Smurf" ) pods, described separately. In 2009 the SFMR systems were retrofitted with a new antenna that during heavy rains resulted in an over-calculation of light winds, caused by water intrusion in the radome through drain holes in the new antenna. The problem was identified duringHurricane Feliciaand found to have affected 50% of missions flown during the season. It was corrected in September 2009 by sealing the drain holes.
  9. ^>AF s/n 96-5300 through −5302, 97–5303 through −5306, 98–5307 and −5308, and 99-5309.
  10. ^The squadron previously tasked for tropical storm reconnaissance in the Western Pacific, the 54th WRS, was inactivated in 1987.
  11. ^The TCPOD is available athttp://www.nhc.noaa.gov/by clicking onAircraft Reconunder "Tools & Data" forPlan of the day.
  12. ^Numbers 90 through 99 in the cyclone numbering system are reserved for such disturbances. Although not required, the "90" series of cyclone numbers is assigned sequentially and normally reused throughout the calendar year. The number is further modified by a two-letter ocean basin code. Investigation AL97 (or "97L" in verbal shorthand) would be the seventh sequential disturbance in the North Atlantic basin, while Invest. EP92 (92E) is the second in the East Pacific basin north of the equator.
  13. ^"Suggested" investigative patterns are the X, Box, and Delta patterns, described and illustrated atNHOP 2015,pages 5–19 and 5–20.
  14. ^The SFMR is designed to continuously measure surface winds directly below the WC-130J, and is installed on the aircraft within a wing-mounted antenna pod. As the plane flies through a storm, the SFMR senses microwave radiation naturally emitted from foam created on the sea by winds at the surface. Computers determine wind speeds based on the levels of microwave radiation detected, extrapolated from the winds at the aircraft's altitude or from a dropsonde released from the aircraft. The SFMR can also determine rainfall rates within a system, which in addition to wind speeds at flight level, provides structural detail of the storm.
  15. ^A typical weather reconnaissance Tropical Cyclone Plan of the Day (TCPOD) is reproducedhere.Up to four 6-hour fixes per day are conducted when a system is within 500 nautical miles of landfall and west of 55°W in the Atlantic, and up to eight 3-hour fixes per day if within 300 nautical miles of the coast of the United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin islands, or DOD installations. Up to two "synoptic surveillance" missions per day may be flown on the periphery of systems with a potential for landfall. (NHOP 2015,p. 5–12).
  16. ^"5.8.1. Flight Pattern ALPHA Operational Details. 5.8.1.1. Flight Levels and Sequence.Flight levels will normally be 1,500 ft, 925hPa,850 hPa, or 700 hPa, depending on data requirements and flight safety. Legs will normally be 105 nm long and flown on intercardinal tracks (45 degrees off cardinal tracks). The pattern can be started at any intercardinal point and then repeated throughout the mission. Prior to starting an inbound or outbound track the aircrew should evaluate all available data, e.g., radar presentation, satellite photo, for flight safety. Once started on course, every effort should be made to maintain a straight track and the tasked altitude. A horizontal observation is required at each leg end point. This data is transmitted immediately. The ALPHA pattern may be modified to satisfy unique customer requirements (such as extending legs to examine the wind profile of a strong storm) or because of proximity of land or warning areas. "(NHOP 2015,p. 5–19).
  17. ^Atmospheric pressure is determined by deviations from "standard levels" used by meteorologists worldwide. Stronger storms have lower pressures, and the lower the actual altitude from the standard level, the lower the pressure. The Hurricane Hunters use autopilot to fly a steady atmospheric pressure of 925 (2500 ft/762 m), 850 (4780 ft/1457 m), or 700millibars(9880 ft/3011 m) of pressure. Storms of category 3 strength or greater are flown at 700mb. By using a radar altimeter to measure actual altitude above the surface, the ARWO calculates the "height of standard surface" reported to NHC to make these determinations.
  18. ^A description of the contents of the vortex data message ishere.Standard sea level pressure is 1013 millibars. A "supplemental vortex data message" gives a cross-section of weather data at 15-nautical mile intervals, both inbound and outbound, along the 105-mile intercardinal legs to locate damaging winds in the storm's quadrants. Observation requirements are summarized in Table 5-1, page 5.5,National Hurricane Operations Plan 2015,linked below. During active tropical cyclones, the most current vortex data message can be found athttp://www.nhc.noaa.gov/by clicking onAircraft Reconunder "Tools & Data".
Citations'
  1. ^abcdefghijklmnopqRobertson, Patsy (20 February 2015)."53 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (AFRC)".AFHRA. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2015.Retrieved18 December2023.
  2. ^abMarkus,et al., p. 142
  3. ^"NHC Aircraft Reconnaissance".National Hurricane Center. 2012.Retrieved25 August2012.
  4. ^"NOAA Aircraft Operations".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.7 July 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 4 September 2017.Retrieved6 September2017.
  5. ^"National Hurricane Operations Plan 2015"(PDF).Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 21 June 2015.Retrieved11 February2016.,Appendix F.
  6. ^"80th Anniversary of the Labor Day Hurricane and first hurricane reconnaissance",NOAA Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  7. ^Cuba May Use Planes to Scout for Hurricanes,AP, Schenectady Gazette, 23 Sept. 1935, p. 7]
  8. ^Bob Sheets; Jack Williams (2001).Hurricane Watch: Forecasting the Deadliest Storms on Earth.Vintage.ISBN0-375-70390-X.,pp. 98–100
  9. ^Kaye, Ken (25 July 2013)."First 'hurricane hunter' flight was made on a bet".South Florida Sun-Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon 27 July 2013.Retrieved27 July2013.
  10. ^abcd"53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron 'Hurricane Hunters' Fact Sheet".403rd Wing AFRC.Retrieved2 September2010.
  11. ^Fincher, Lew; Read, Bill."The 1943" Surprise "Hurricane".NOAA.gov. Archived fromthe originalon 27 May 2010.Retrieved30 August2010.
  12. ^Tannehill, pp. 92–93
  13. ^ab"The History of the Hurricane Hunters".Hurricane Hunters Association.com.Retrieved2 September2010.
  14. ^abRobison, Tom."The B-29 in Weather Reconnaissance".Air Weather Reconnaissance Association.Retrieved3 September2010.
  15. ^"Gone, But Not Forgotten".Air Weather Reconnaissance Association.Retrieved2 September2010.
  16. ^Fuller, John F. (1990).Thor's Legions: Weather Support to the U.S. Air Force and Army, 1937–1987.Boston, MA: American Meteorological Society.ISBN978-0-933876-88-0,p. 355
  17. ^Fuller (1990), p. 348
  18. ^Robison, Tom."Whiskey-Charlie".Air Weather Reconnaissance Association.Retrieved3 September2010.,notes 10–11
  19. ^abcMitchell, Capt. N. L. (2013)."Into the Storm: A Hurricane Hunter Member Describes Her Missions in the Air While Her Concerns are For Those on the Ground".The Officer.LXXXIX(January–February). Archived fromthe originalon 16 February 2013.Retrieved8 January2013.
  20. ^Hurricane Hunters: Flying two storms difficult, three impossible,Danielle Thomas, WLOX-TV, Biloxi, MS (Retrieved 25 July 2013)
  21. ^"WC-130".aviation spectator.com. Archived fromthe originalon 7 July 2011.Retrieved5 September2010.
  22. ^National Hurricane Operations Plan of 2015,p. 5–3.
  23. ^abcd"The Mission of the Hurricane Hunters".Hurricane Hunters Association.com.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2010.Retrieved30 August2010.
  24. ^Losurdo, Major Marnee A.C. (20 January 2015)."Hurricane Hunters investigate training options at Kirtland AFB",403rd Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  25. ^Joy Blackburn (17 May 2013). "Hurricane Hunters Are Back".The Virgin Islands Daily News, No. 22702.p. 1
  26. ^"53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron".Global Security.org.Retrieved2 September2010.
  27. ^ab"Hurricane Hunters".Hurricanes: Science and Society.Retrieved11 December2012.
  28. ^National Hurricane Operations Plan of 2015,p. 5–5.
  29. ^National Hurricane Operations Plan of 2015,p. 5–24.
  30. ^"Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer fact Sheet".403rd Wing AFRC.Retrieved12 December2012.
  31. ^Not including series, aircraft in Robertson, Factsheet 53 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (AFRC), except as noted.
  32. ^"The Weather Channel Premieres New Series Hurricane Hunters in July 2012".The Weather Channel. 2012.Retrieved12 June2012.
  33. ^Folsom, Geoff (5 June 2012)."Suit alleges Weather Channel Star was fired for military service".The Marietta Daily Journal.Retrieved12 June2012.
  34. ^Schogol, Jeff (6 May 2013)."Reservist fired after returning from deployment".Air Force Times.Archived fromthe originalon 28 June 2013.Retrieved3 June2013.

References

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