Lockheed WC-130H Hercules
An everpresent danger to the Southeast United States is tropical hurricanes hitting the coastline. To try and avoid catastrophic death tolls, the USAF instituted early warning patrols in the Caribbean and Middle Atlantic soon after World War II. This unit, which became known as the Hurricane Hunters, was tasked with early detection of hurricanes, tracking them, and determining their strength—usually by flying into them, a dangerous task. Once inside, the Hurricane Hunter aircraft will use dropsondes, air-dropped sensors that radio back wind speeds, air pressure, and other factors in determining how powerful a hurricane is. This data is then relayed back to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, which can then more accurately gauge if a hurricane is indeed a hurricane (as opposed to a less dangerous tropical storm or depression), its path, and any evacuations that may be necessary.
The Hurricane Hunters (officially the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing; today the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron) have operated a variety of aircraft, including the WB-50 Superfortress and WB-47 Stratojet, but these were replaced by the WC-130B Hercules in 1962, which was brand-new and built to specification rather than converted. These were in turn replaced by WC-130Es and WC-130Hs in 1965 and 1973 respectively, with both versions replaced by the WC-130J in 2005. These aircraft were first used to track Hurricane Katrina; earlier WC-130s tracked every hurricane from 1962 to 2005.
This is an aircraft of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, based at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. These aircraft reflected their unique mission by being one of the few uncamouflaged C-130s in USAF service, wearing an overall light-gray scheme, with the unit’s distinctive “Weather” stripe on the tail. Modern WC-130Js are still painted like this.
Lockheed WC-130H Hercules
An everpresent danger to the Southeast United States is tropical hurricanes hitting the coastline. To try and avoid catastrophic death tolls, the USAF instituted early warning patrols in the Caribbean and Middle Atlantic soon after World War II. This unit, which became known as the Hurricane Hunters, was tasked with early detection of hurricanes, tracking them, and determining their strength—usually by flying into them, a dangerous task. Once inside, the Hurricane Hunter aircraft will use dropsondes, air-dropped sensors that radio back wind speeds, air pressure, and other factors in determining how powerful a hurricane is. This data is then relayed back to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, which can then more accurately gauge if a hurricane is indeed a hurricane (as opposed to a less dangerous tropical storm or depression), its path, and any evacuations that may be necessary.
The Hurricane Hunters (officially the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing; today the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron) have operated a variety of aircraft, including the WB-50 Superfortress and WB-47 Stratojet, but these were replaced by the WC-130B Hercules in 1962, which was brand-new and built to specification rather than converted. These were in turn replaced by WC-130Es and WC-130Hs in 1965 and 1973 respectively, with both versions replaced by the WC-130J in 2005. These aircraft were first used to track Hurricane Katrina; earlier WC-130s tracked every hurricane from 1962 to 2005.
This is an aircraft of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, based at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. These aircraft reflected their unique mission by being one of the few uncamouflaged C-130s in USAF service, wearing an overall light-gray scheme, with the unit’s distinctive “Weather” stripe on the tail. Modern WC-130Js are still painted like this.