Hurricane Hunters: The Real Men and Women of the 53rd Reconnaissance Squadron

Comprised of members of the Air Force Reserve, the 53^rd Reconnaissance Squadron is the only governmental organization that investigates tropical storms and hurricanes to gather information to release to the public. Based out of the Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS, the elite group has been in operation since World War II. Supplied with 10 aircraft and often accompanied by reporters and photographers, the Squadron flies beneath the bottom of the weather storm. It is, after all, the weather that will affect the ground that they are interested in. Besides, the top of a hurricane can be over 50,000 feet high, which is higher than the Squadron’s planes are able to fly. The average altitude is from 1-10,000 feet above ground, at which level the Squadron proudly boasts more than 100,000 accident-free flights. 

Being accident-free, however, does not mean that the flights are not exciting. The crew and pilots of the Squadron’s flights identify flying into the eyewall of the storm, the area in which the strongest winds are gathered, as the most eventful period. As it is the area in which the Squadron gathers most of its information, entering the eyewall is a component of the majority of their flights. On a flight, the Squadron gathers the temperature, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure and humidity of the hurricane. This information is essential because, aside from knowing the location of the eye of the storm, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) knows little else about the storm. Because of this, the Squadron’s job is to gather the needed information and relay it to the NHC. To do so, the crew releases a “dropsonde”, which is an instrument attached to a parachute that gathers the specifics about the storm. The dropsonde relays the information to the Squadron, and the Squadron passes it on to the NHC.

• Hurricane Hunters Association: The site of the 53^rd Reconnaissance Squadron. The site provides information on the crew, history and planes used.
• 403rd Wing: This site is provided by the military. It discusses the basic facts about the 403^rd Wing.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association: The National Hurricane Center’s page that provides information about the Squadron.
• Harrison County Development Commission: This page discusses the Squadron and its home at the Kessler Air Force Base. The article also discusses the other, related squadrons and why the job of hurricane hunting is so important.
• Kessler Air Force Base: The Air Force’s page dedicated to the base the Squadron calls home. 

History of the 53^rd Reconnaissance Squadron

Believe it or not, but the beginnings of the 53^rd Reconnaissance Squadron are due to a dare. On August 7, 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Duckworth used one of the planes his squadron typically used for reconnaissance work pertaining to World War II and flew it into the eye of a hurricane. It wasn’t long before Duckworth’s action drew attention and planes scattered throughout North America to gather information on storms. It wasn’t until 1945, however, that the first Air Force planes were intentionally flown into a hurricane for research purposes; the 53^rd Squadron was the force responsible for that first flight.

• Global Security: This site is dedicated to all aspects of the military and global security issues. The page dedicated to the 53^rd Squadron discusses its history and purpose.
• Air Weather Reconnaissance Association: This site is dedicated to the Squadron, providing information on its history and photos of the Squadron’s evolution.
• Military Aircraft Historian: This page discusses the history of the Squadron.
• The Washington Post: This page discusses the Squadron’s history and aircraft.
• Into the Eye of the Storm: A reporter’s discussion of the history of the 53^rd Squadron that appeared in Military Officer magazine.

Hurricane Hunter Crew

There are four main persons aboard each flight crew: pilot, navigator, aerial weather officer and dropsonde operator. The pilot, of course, flies the plane through the storm; the navigator sets the flight plan and assists the pilot to stay on course; the weather officer monitors the gathered information; the dropsonde operator has to main tasks: preparing the plane prior to takeoff and after takeoff releasing the dropsonde and collecting the data it transmits. There are twice as many pilots than other crew members. Air Force Reservists and Air Reserve Technicians (ART) both work on the flights, but Reservists are only employed part-time. ART’s earn much more than reservists. To obtain employment as a member of the Squadron, an individual must contact the Squadron’s recruiting officer to determine whether he is eligible to become a reservist and work with the Squadron.

• National Association of Storm Chasers and Spotters: This article discusses the official titles of the Squadron’s crew.
• Aviation Spectator: This site provides photos of the 53^rd Squadron’s planes and crew. 
• Air Force Reserve: The site is the official recruiting website for the Air Force.

Aircrafts

The planes used by the Reconnaissance Squadron have changed several times since 1944. The WC-130J is the plane used today. This plane has a wingspan a little over 132’, is 38’ high and 97’ high. It can fly at 417 mph and can carry 155,000 pounds. The aircrafts are not reinforced against the high wind speeds and pressure they will inevitably encounter on each flight. The WC-130J can fly for as long as 14 hours, but normal flight missions last 11 hours.

• Windows to the Universe: This page, provided by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, discusses why the Squadron uses different types of planes in their flights.
• The B-29 in Weather Reconnaissance: This page contains an article discussing the crew members on the original and subsequent flights of the Squadron.
• Federation of American Scientists: This organization’s page provides information on the planes used by the Squadron.
• 103J: Lockheed-Martin, the maker of the Squadron’s planes, article covering the flight range of the 103J.
• Whiskey Charlie: This page discusses the planes used by the Squadron.
• Lockheed Martin: The plane developer’s website that discusses the WC-130J Weatherbird Plane, including its specifications.

Mission

The normal flight pattern of the Squadron is in the shape of an X and includes two sweeps over the storm’s eye. Overseen by a coalition of the Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce, the Squadron is capable of operating 24-hours a day with three flights operating at the same time. There are several different types of flight missions, fix, winter storm and research missions, including low level investigations and buoy drops. The flight pattern and purpose of each mission differs, but the overall intent is the same: to provide information for the NHC and population as much information as possible to protect themselves against oncoming storms.

• Inside Ike, Airmen Weather a Bumpy Ride: The official Air Force newspaper, this page describes what it is like to fly with the Squadron.
• Bumpy Flight Offers a Birds-Eye view of Ike: MSNBC article about flying with the Squadron on a mission.
• Caribbean Hurricane Network: Written by a lay-person, this article covers being introduced to the Squadron and learning about its workings.
• Tracking the Tropics: This page contains a list of the terms commonly used by storm hungers.
• Stateline: This organization’s page provides links to national weather organizations.