Monitoring the Hurricane Hunters and More During the Hurricane Season

The July issue of The Spectrum Monitor is going to be released today and my monthly Milcom column will have detailed coverage of frequencies and call signs used by the US Government/Military agencies to study, track and report on hurricanes and tropical systems. It includes the latest information on the US Air Force and NOAA Hurricane Hunters.

It has been almost a decade (2008 in Monitoring Times magazine) since my last article on this subject so I had a lot of updates and information to share.

Yesterday, Curt Phillips shared with the Tarheel Scanner Group a list of Amateur Radio frequencies you can monitor during the hurricane season. With possible tropical activity developing off the southeast US coast or Gulf of Mexico in the next few days, my TSM list and this ham radio frequency list from Southgate should be helpful to stay informed.

From Southgate

On the IARU Region 1 site Greg Mossop G0DUB reports on the amateur radio nets that may be active during the Atlantic Hurricane Season June 1 to November 30

So it is time to remind the wider Amateur Radio community that the following frequencies may be in use by nets in North and Central America to track and deal with the consequences of these severe weather events. Radio Amateurs in Region 2 play their part in gathering and distributing information for the weather and emergency services as they do every year.

Radio Amateurs in Region 1 are reminded it is possible to cause unintentional QRM to these nets so please listen carefully if operating near these frequencies:

Belize: 7.177MHz
Caribbean Emergency & Weather Nets (CEWN): 3.815 & 7.162 MHz
Caribbean Emergency: 14.185 MHz
Central America: 7.090 & 3.750 MHz
Cuba: 3.720, 3.740, 7.110 and 7.120 MHz
Eastern Caribbean Narrow Band Emergency System Net: 7.036 MHz USB (Olivia & MT63)
Guatemala: 7.075 MHz
Mexico: 3.690, 3.693(Alternative), 7.060 & 14.120 MHz
Nicaragua: Main Frequencies 3.798, 7.098, 14.298 MHz Alternate Frequencies 3.898, 7.108, 14.198MHz
Panama: 7.085 MHz
Republica Dominicana: 3.780, 7.065 (Main), 14.280 MHz

USA:
Maritime Mobile Service Net: 14.300 MHz
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN): 14.265 MHz
Hurricane Watch Net: 14.325 MHz (day) 7.268MHz (Night)
National Hurricane Centre ( WX4NHC ) 14.325MHz

Other local emergency communications groups may also activate if a hurricane approaches their area and those frequencies would be announced at the time.  Thanks to the National Societies and Emergency Communications Groups of IARU Region 2 for updating their frequency information.

IARU Region 1 http://iaru-r1.org/

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2018/june/atlantic-hurricane-season-ham-radio-nets.htm#.WzT9i9JKjIU

You can get you copy of the July TSM issue that will include my column (electronic pdf format) from Spectrum Monitor for only $3 at https://www.thespectrummonitor.com/. Even better you can get a full year subscription to TSM for only US$24 and never miss any of my monthly Milcom columns. TSM is the only full spectrum radio hobby magazine in the US marketplace.

If you monitor radio you need a TSM subscription.

Hurricane Hunters Freqs on HF/VHF/UHF Update

Hurricane Hunter aircraft comms a ircraft to aircraft: VHF 123.05 MHz, Secondary: UHF 304.8 MHz, Back-up: HF 4701 kHz . They have also been using MWARA CAR-B freqs 3455 and CAR-A 5550 kHz USB.

Keep an eye out on the following:

CAR-A MWARA: 2887.0  5550.0  6577.0  8846.0  11396.0  13297.0 kHz
CAR-B MWARA: 3455.0  5520.0  6586.0  8918.0  11220.0  17907.0 kHz

And then there are these two reports from my friend Mac McCormick, KF4LMT, posted to the Milcom newsgroup:

Hurricane Hunter WC-130Js from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler AFB are flying missions into Hurricane Joaquin from Hunter AAF in Savannah, GA. Over the last 24 hours, I've caught three WC-130Js on both the radios and Mode-S arriving and leaving Hunter: WC-130J, 97-5303, 53 WRS (Mode-S AE0114), WC-130J, 97-5304, 53 WRS (Mode-S AE0115), and WC-130J, 97-5305, 53 WRS (Mode-S AE0116).

They’ve been flying as TEAL 7# and TEAL 8# flights. Earlier this morning, I caught TEAL 71 (WC-130J, 97-5304, 53 WRS) depart Hunter AAF just before 0500 local/0900 UTC. It routed to the south on 132.925 and 124.675 with Jacksonville Center, advising they that were on a mission to the hurricane. Later, they told Center that they would be delaying in the Hurricane for approximately 5 hours. I lost TEAL 71 on the radio as they went out of range, but Jacksonville Center’s sites were still patched together for the night, so I could still hear the controller passing information to them. Just after 0530 local/0930 UTC they were given 3.445/5.550 for New York HF
and switched over shortly thereafter.

---

53rd WRS WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft are continuing to fly missions to Hurricane Joaquin from Hunter AAF in Savannah. TEAL 72 (WC-130J, 97-5303, 53 WRS) arrived back at Hunter from the mission it flew around 0315 local/0715 UTC this morning. Just before 0400 local/0800 UTC, TEAL 73 (WC-130J, 97-5305, 53 WRS) departed Hunter headed out to Joaquin.

With Joaquin’s change in position as it moves to the northeast, the frequency sequence used this morning is different from yesterday’s. The sequence this morning for TEAL 73’s departure was 124.975 with Hunter AAF to 120.400 with Savannah Approach/Departure, followed by 132.925 with Jacksonville Center to 135.050 with Jacksonville Center. The HF air traffic control frequencies relayed to TEAL 73 this morning were 8.918 and 6.586 USB.

According to the National Hurricane Center’s Plan of the Day, there will be missions from TEAL 71 and 72 later today (10/4/2015) and this evening:

    1. HURRICANE JOAQUIN
       FLIGHT ONE -- TEAL 71           FLIGHT TWO -- TEAL 72
       A. 04/2330Z                                  A. 05/1130Z
       B. AFXXX 1611A JOAQUIN         B. AFXXX 1711A JOAQUIN
       C. 04/2000Z                                  C. 05/0830Z
       D. 33.0N 66.9W                            D. 35.0N 65.5W
       E. 04/2300Z TO 05/0200Z            E. 05/1100Z TO 05/1400Z
       F. SFC TO 10,000FT                     F. SFC TO 10,000FT

There is another interesting flight scheduled according to the NHC Plan of the Day, a research mission to Joaquin by a WB-57, NASA 928, from Robins AFB:

3. REMARKS: NASA WB-57(NASA 928) WILL FLY A 6HR RESEARCH MISSION AROUND JOAQUIN SUNDAY. TAKEOFF FROM WARNER-ROBINS
WILL BE AT 04/1500Z. FLIGHT LEVELS 55,000-65,000FT. ANTICIPATING 71 DROPS.

'Hurricane Hunters' busy with missions on both coasts

Lt. Col. Jon Talbot points to the eye of Hurricane Julio during a hurricane flight off the coast of Hawaii Aug. 9, 2014.Talbot is a 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jessica

By Maj. Marnee A.C. Losurdo, 403rd Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) -- It's been a busy two weeks for the Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunters, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew their last of 15 missions into Hurricane Ana in the Pacific Oct. 20, while gathering weather data for the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

On the other side of the globe, the hunters wrapped up a week-long deployment to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, flying their last Hurricane Gonzalo mission Oct. 16, in the Atlantic.

It's not unusual to have storms this late in the season, said Maj. Jon Brady, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer.

"The peak of the season is in September, but there is a historical trend for it to re-spike in October. Some of the biggest storms and hybrid storms form in October," he said, adding that Hurricane Sandy struck in October and was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

What is extremely rare is to have a third hurricane hit Hawaii in the same season, Brady said, who added the Hurricane Hunters only deploy to the Central Pacific when Hawaii is threatened. Hawaii has been hit by five hurricanes since 1952, until this year the last hurricane to strike the islands was Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

The Hurricane Hunters deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii for the second time this season and began flying missions into Ana Oct. 16. The unit deployed to Hawaii in August to fly Hurricanes Iselle and Julio. The last time the squadron deployed to Hawaii was in 2007, for Hurricane Flossie, which wasn't a direct hit and brought light damage to the islands.

"The Pacific is much warmer than normal," Brady said. "This is indicative of an El Nino, which gets the water much hotter than normal and causes more storms to form in the Pacific than the Atlantic, which was the case this year."

Ana, the 21st named storm in the Pacific, became a Hurricane Oct. 18, passing to the south of the Hawaiian Islands, but caused severe weather and heavy rains during the weekend.

The National Weather Service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu and the National Hurricane Center in Miami rely on satellite images and Doppler radar for their forecasts models. The data the hurricane hunters provide improves the accuracy of the track forecast by 15 to 20 percent, said Dennis Feltgen, NHC public affairs officer.

"When you look at the satellite imagery you are not sure what is going on inside the storm. Sending the Hurricane Hunters into a storm is the equivalent of going to the doctor's office and getting an MRI," he said.

To gather this data, aircrews fly through the eye of a storm four to six times to locate the low-pressure center and circulation of the storm. During each pass through the eye, they release a dropsonde, which collects weather data on its descent to the ocean surface, measuring wind speed and direction, temperature, dew point and pressure. During storm flights, the aircrews transmit weather data via satellite communication every 10 minutes to the NHC or CPHC providing forecasters vital data on a storm's intensity and direction, assisting them with their forecasts and storm warnings.

The NHC used this data earlier in the month for forecast and storm warnings for the Caribbean Islands impacted by Hurricane Gonzalo.

The squadron deployed to the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix Oct. 10 to track the weather system that formed into Tropical Storm Gonzalo Oct. 12 and became a hurricane Oct. 14.

As the system made its way through the Caribbean Islands, the deployed aircrews relocated to Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, Oct. 13. Aircrews continued around-the-clock reconnaissance of the hurricane until Oct. 16. They flew out of Homestead and Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The squadron flew 15 missions gathering data on the storm, which at its strongest was a Category 4, and caused damage in Antigua, Saint Martin and Bermuda. The storm struck Bermuda Oct. 18 as a Category 2. The storm's remnants hit the United Kingdom late Monday.

While crews recover from Hurricanes Ana and Gonzalo, the squadron is moving on to the next storm. The Hurricane Hunters are flying a low level investigation mission today on a storm forming in the Gulf of Mexico near the Bay of Campeche west of Yucatan.

Hurricane Hunters provide critical data during major storms

The sun tries to break through the thick clouds surrounding the WC-130J aircraft as it penetrates Tropical Storm Lee Sept. 2, 2011. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters,” were gathering atmospheric data to relay to the National Hurricane Center for their forecast models. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Valerie Smock)

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) -- As the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the "Hurricane Hunters," wrap up their mission flying through Hurricane Isaac, one of the unit's pilots provided an insight into who they are and some facts and figures about how they perform during their dangerous missions.

Lt. Col. Jeff Ragusa is based with the unit out of Keesler Air Force Base, in Biloxi, Miss., and posted a series of quick facts about the unit on Facebook.

The unit flies with 10 WC-130J aircraft equipped with palletized meteorological data-gathering instruments and can put together as many as 20 aircrews. Ragusa and his crew are currently flying out of Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Texas, as Keesler is in the path of Hurricane Isaac. He pointed out a few facts that aren't commonly known about the unit and its mission:

-- While commercial airliners often fly at 40,000 feet, we never fly storms above 10,000 feet. Hurricanes can extend up to 60,000 feet.

-- We only fly storms over water. When the storm hits land, our mission is complete.

-- Our missions can last as long as 14 hours and use as much as 60,000 lbs. of fuel.

-- We have a minimum crew of five: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, weather officer and loadmaster/dropsonde operator.

-- There are only 12 planes in the world allowed to fly into hurricanes and we have 10 of them. The other two are flown by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

-- We can fly a storm 24 hours a day. It takes at least three planes and crews.

-- We fly as low as 500 feet during the infancy of a storm.

-- Hurricane Katrina, on a similar path as Isaac, devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where Keesler is located on Sept. 29, 2005. Many of the Hurricane Hunters, who are all Air Force Reservists, live near the base.

-- Despite great personal losses, the unit never missed a tasking from the National Hurricane Center.

-- Data and observations gathered by the Hurricane Hunters helps make the forecasts by the NHC 30 percent more accurate allowing local officials to make critical decisions about safety and property

The Hurricane Hunters organization actually goes back to 1943, when on a barroom dare, two Army Air Corps pilots flew a propeller-driven, single engine AT-6 "Texan" trainer into the eye of a hurricane. Maj. Joe Duckworth actually flew into the hurricane twice that day - once with a navigator and later with a weather officer. His efforts paved the way for the unit's activation a year later at Gander, Newfoundland with the mission to fly weather tracks between North American and allied Western Europe. Since then, the unit has been headquartered in New Hampshire, Florida, Bermuda, England, Saudi Arabia, Georgia, and Puerto Rico before settling at its current location.

The center of circulation of Tropical Storm Lee can be seen as the WC-130J aircraft flys over Tropical Storm Lee Sept. 3, 2011. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters,” were heading back to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss, after penetrating the storm Sept. 2. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Valerie Smock)

Hurricane Hunters track Isaac as SOUTHCOM, NORTHCOM prepare

by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (AFPS) -- With Tropical Storm Isaac bearing down on the Dominican Republic and Haiti and threatening to strengthen over the eastern Caribbean, the "Hurricane Hunters" from the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron are in the air, relaying critical data to National Weather Service forecasters in Miami.

Meanwhile, staffs at both the U.S. Southern and Northern Commands are monitoring the storm closely and ensuring they are ready to provide support to civilian authorities, including the U.S. Agency for International Development and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Three six-person crews from the 53rd WRS and their maintainers and support staff deployed to St. Croix from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., last weekend, Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, the squadron's chief meteorologist, told American Forces Press Service. Operating out of the international airport there, they began flying their specially equipped C-130J Hercules aircraft through the storm Aug. 21.

On a typical mission that can run up to 12 hours, the aircrews crisscross the storm in what the teams call an "alpha pattern," he explained. Sophisticated onboard instruments and small canisters dropped by parachute to the ocean's surface collect accurate measurements of the storm's location and intensity.

That information is fed continuously to the National Hurricane Center via an onboard satellite link. In addition, the aircraft sends automated messages every 10 minutes, relaying barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and other measurements.

"The reason this data is critical is because, with satellites, you can track where storms are and get a general picture, but you can't peer into the storm and physically measure what is happening at the ocean's surface," Talbot said. "That is the important piece of information you need to know when it comes to providing warnings to the public. The emergency management community needs to know what is going on near the surface of the ocean, because those are the winds that are going to come ashore."

With about six missions already under their belts during the past three days, Talbot said, the pace will pick up considerably as Isaac moves west toward the United States. "Currently, we are doing about three missions a day, but that will go up to four or five when the storm comes within 300 miles of the U.S. coastline," he said.

The Hurricane Hunters expect to move west along with the storm, redeploying to Keesler Air Force Base to resume those missions beginning this weekend. In the event that the crews have to evacuate Keesler, Talbot said, they already have alternate operating sites lined up. "We track these things pretty closely, because if we end up having to jump from here, we still have to continue flying and providing that data while we are evacuating our own resources," he said. "It becomes a big, tangled web, but it always works out pretty well."

As a precaution, aircraft and ships are being moved out of the storm's possible path and other assets are being secured, according to Southcom spokesman Army Lt. Col. Darryl Wright. Planning teams are busy running rehearsal meetings and preparing to verify personnel and resource requests, if USAID issues them, he said.

Wright emphasized that military support, if provided, would be part of a coordinated U.S. response led by civilian authorities. "We conduct close coordination and planning and provide DOD support to relief efforts upon request," he said. "Through this close coordination, we ensure that we respond with the most efficient means available to the U.S. government."

In terms of disaster response, Wright said efficiency is typically more important than speed in reducing suffering and saving lives.

Northcom, too, is in a monitoring mode. But with the storm expected to intensify late this weekend when it hits the Atlantic and the Florida Straits, the command deployed a defense coordinating officer and element to Puerto Rico on Aug. 20 to support FEMA, John Cornelio, Northcom's media operations chief, told American Forces Press Service.

The element of about 20 people is assessing the situation and standing ready to provide assistance, if requested. "We have learned the value of being forward enough to cut down on the response time, if required," Cornelio said.

With Isaac's path still anyone's guess, officials say it's too soon to know whether it will hit Tampa, site of next week's Republican National Convention. Northcom has a team deployed there to support the Secret Service during the convention, Cornelio reported.

Hurricane Hunters

Whenever a hurricane threatens the U.S., an Air Force Reserve unit is responsible for obtaining data for the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Hunters

FEMA administrator visits Hurricane Hunters

A WC-130J Hercules from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters flies a mission. The Air Force Reserve squadron is part of the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The data collected by the Hurricane Hunters increases the accuracy of the National Hurricane Center Forecast by 30 percent. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

by Senior Airman Kimberly Erickson, 403rd Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) -- Craig Fugate, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, visited the Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron April 29 to address hurricane preparedness as the June 1 storm season approaches.

"The Air Force does a lot for FEMA," Mr. Fugate said in an address to the 53rd WRS Hurricane Hunters. "(You're) part of the Department of Defense team that supports us as we support the needs of state and local government."

Response by emergency management services, such as FEMA, is directly affected by the weather data the Hurricane Hunters collect to increase forecasting accuracy, Mr. Fugate said.

"From the standpoint of FEMA, the better the forecast is, the better the decisions we make, particularly when it comes to evacuation decision making," he said.

Evacuation practices in that critical decision-making response time ultimately affect how a community responds to natural disaster, Mr. Fugate said.

"The National Hurricane Center can give a much more accurate forecast with the data these aircraft provide," he said of the WC-130J Hercules, "to the point where the NHC can give more lead times for hurricane warnings and watches by a factor of over 12 hours."

Mr. Fugate said that benefiting from better forecasting hinges on community preparedness.

"No matter how good the forecast is, if people aren't ready and aren't prepared, you can't change the outcome," he said.

"People will always want to know how many hurricanes will happen," Mr. Fugate said. "The question is, are you ready for the hurricane that may threaten your community?"

For those supporting emergency management, making sure their families are ready is critical to allowing the focus to be on taking care of American citizens in their time of need, he said.

Extending that approach to the community can affect the outcome of natural disaster.

"Going into hurricane season, everyone needs to plan like their community could be affected," Mr. Fugate said.

During his tour of the 53rd WRS, he said it's the people who operate the equipment, not just the equipment, who make the mission.

"We focus on the aircraft and facilities on these tours, but it's the dedication and hard work of these folks that allow them to provide the data they collect when they're looking at forecast models," Mr. Fugate said.

Over the past 20 years, that data has resulted in a reduction of average forecasting time from five days to 72 hours.

In addition to stressing the importance of hurricane preparedness, Mr. Fugate spoke about the roots of the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter mission.

"I was impressed that Mr. Fugate was as knowledgeable and well versed about our background as he was," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Talbot, a veteran 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer. "If you don't understand something, you can't make recommendations for how to make it better in the future, and his understanding further solidified my belief of his interest in the future of our mission."

"No one knows how many hurricanes or missions the Hurricane Hunters will fly this year," Mr. Fugate said. "But we do know that without them, we would not have the most accurate forecast the hurricane center could give us."

Hurricane Hunters fly first winter storm

Flightline personnel ensure a WC-130J is prepared to fly a winter storm mission by de-icing the aircraft.

by Senior Airman Kimberly Erickson
403rd Wing Public Affairs

12/21/2009 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) -- Members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron here have been tasked by National Weather Service officials to fly their first winter storm of the season on the East Coast starting Dec. 25.

The Air Force Reserve's 53rd WRS "Hurricane Hunters," assigned to the 403rd Wing here, normally collect weather data during tropical storms, enabling forecasters to make more accurate predictions.

Between hurricane seasons, the Hurricane Hunters have a lesser known, but equally important role: collecting weather data during winter storms.

"Whenever there's a system track that will cause an impact, there's potential for winter storms," said Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer since 1992.

To prepare for a winter storm flying mission, the Hurricane Hunters carefully plan the mission, review which flying route they will take and make altitude reservations by coordinating with air traffic control, said Lt. Col. Roy Deatherage, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer.

"The National Weather Service runs computer models that forecast the weather three to five days in advance of a storm," Colonel Talbot said. As an aerial reconnaissance weather officer, he acts as a mission director and liaison between the National Weather Service and his crew.

"Winter storms have a lot of impact," he said, detailing the emergency services and salt trucks that are used once the threat of a winter storm has been confirmed.

The Hurricane Hunters have two winter storm missions, Colonel Talbot said. The first is the Pacific mission. "We average 20 missions over 30 days when we deploy our airplanes to either Alaska or Hawaii." The second is flying winter storms locally in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic Ocean.

"The goal is to improve the weather forecast for the East Coast because we have a lot of people and money tied up in the Washington to Boston corridor," Colonel Talbot said.

The return of investment for flying winter storms and collecting data is an estimated 15 percent greater accuracy in weather forecasting.

"There are some 5,000 salt trucks in New York City alone," Colonel Talbot said. The increase in forecasting accuracy directly impacts emergency management capabilities by reducing the unnecessary dispatch of resources, which can be costly.

"If you collect the right information at the right place -- over the Pacific Ocean -- you can make a big impact to the forecast four to five days later," Colonel Talbot said. The idea is to fly winter storms before they happen to make the forecast better for the entire Northeastern community.

Colder weather at high altitudes presents a unique challenge to the Hurricane Hunters since the crew must remain cognizant of icing, said Maj. Kevin Fryar, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer.

The Hurricane Hunters fly WC-130Js at high altitudes, typically 5 to 10,000 feet above their normal range, and drop small weather canisters, or dropsondes, designed to collect weather data in key locations of high-weather activity.

Weather information collected from the dropsondes is then transmitted to the National Weather Service and is ultimately used by forecasters to assess weather patterns enabling them to forecast more accurately.

In a storm, data is transmitted to the National Weather Agency and is later passed on to the Air Force Weather Network, Colonel Talbot said.

"When you fly a hurricane mission, you know you're making a difference," Colonel Talbot said. "With this mission, we know there are people waiting for the information we give to make the best possible forecast. It's essentially the same thing (as a hurricane mission)."

To Colonel Talbot, a 24-year veteran to the weather field, the experience is as rewarding as it is beneficial.

"What other meteorologists get to fly? You get the best of both worlds." he said.

To the people waiting for the forecast, the information he collects can mean the difference between spending hundreds of thousands in preparing for the weather rather than millions of dollars reacting to it.

Hurricane Hunters Track Felcia

The Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunters flew out of Hawaii's Hickam Air Force Base into former Hurricane Felicia.

Hurricane Hunters take on winter storms

A WC-130J readies for takeoff at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Reserve Hurricane Hunters of the 403rd Wing from Keesler AFB, Miss., deployed for a month to collect weather data ahead of pending winter storms. The data they collect increases the accuracy of the National Weather Service forecast by 10 to 20 percent. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

Keesler Air Force Base Airmen and two WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft deployed to Anchorage, Alaska, Jan. 17 for a month-long mission in support of the 2009 Winter Storm Reconnaissance Program.

The 403rd Wing team includes Reserve aircrews, operations, maintenance, aerial porters, and others to improve winter storm forecast models.

Operations are directed by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, a part of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Like their tropical reconnaissance missions, winter storm routes can keep crews in the air more than 12 hours at a time.

When a tasking for a flight comes in to the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron's deployed operations center at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, a WC-130J crew is alerted and maintenance Airmen ensure there is an aircraft ready to fly.

Showtime and pre-flight are similar to the Hurricane Hunters' normal missions except, depending on weather, maintenance teams de-ice the aircraft. Winter missions require crews to fly at altitudes above 30,000 feet, which is higher than they normally fly in tropical weather systems.

"On average, the data we provide along with the (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) aircraft lead to a 10 to 20 percent reduction in error in the targeted forecasts," said Lt. Col. Roy Deatherage, the mission commander for the 53rd WRS and an aerial reconnaissance weather officer since 1988. "As a result, numerical forecast guidance issued 48 hours prior to the events become as accurate as 36-hour lead time forecasts."

Use of weather reconnaissance aircraft have improved the forecast models more since 1999 than the previous 25 years of satellite data, according to the NCEP.

Unlike in tropical storms, on a winter mission the crew is not trying to pinpoint the center of the storm, in fact, there may not even be a "storm."

"Often, the crews are flying from one to four days in advance of a potential storm system in the Pacific that appears headed for either Alaska or the continental U.S.," Colonel Deatherage said.

On board the aircraft, the aerial reconnaissance weather officer and weather reconnaissance loadmaster take atmospheric observations at predetermined points along a flight track where the measurements are expected to have the greatest chance of improving the forecasts.

The weather reconnaissance loadmaster drops highly sensitive devices, called dropsondes, which fall at about 2,500 feet per second, in areas of the atmosphere as requested by NCEP officials. As they fall toward the ocean, the dropsondes measure temperature, wind speed, humidity and pressure. Aircraft follow what are called synoptic patterns, which are huge ovals sometimes more than 3,000 miles round-trip.

Colonel Deatherage said that during a typical tropical mission, dropsondes are released at certain points defined by the National Hurricane Center. This is usually four drops every time the aircraft passes through the eye with an additional four to eight per mission in the most significant wind bands. In contrast, Pacific winter missions average 16 to 22 sondes dropped. For impending Atlantic winter missions the average is lower, closer to five.

The information collected is checked onboard and then relayed by satellite to the NOAA Weather Service supercomputer that incorporates it into the agency's numerical prediction models. This information helps "fill-in-the-blanks" or bolster the data in computer climate models that forecast storms and precipitation for the entire U.S.

"The goal is to make a good forecast so cities can be prepared with snow plows, and other snow removal and mitigation equipment to diminish the impact of a winter storm on a city," Colonel Deatherage said. "If they are better prepared, they can recover more quickly. That can be crucial for residents living in harm's way. These forecasts provide people in the path of the storms with warnings that can save lives."

While the Hurricane Hunters are patrolling the north Pacific, NOAA officials are using its Gulfstream G-IV aircraft to fly missions from Honolulu. Between the two units, they are able to cover the parts of the Pacific that directly affect the U.S.

Each year, the 53rd WRS and NOAA rotate deployed locations to better improve the forecasting models. The G-IV flies higher and collects a slightly different data set than that of the WC-130J.

Since 1996, the two organizations have been flying these missions in support of the NCEP.

This project does not encompass the entirety of the 53rd WRS staff's winter taskings. The unit also receives taskings for the East Coast of the U.S. to assist forecasters with pending Nor'easter storms.

The Hurricane Hunters normally fly several of these missions in support of the National Weather Service each season beginning Dec. 1 and ending April 30.

In seasons past, the tropical storm season, beginning June 1 and officially ending Nov. 30, has crossed over into the winter storm season. In 2005, the Hurricane Hunters flew winter storm missions and tropical missions at the same time. That year, the final storm of the hurricane season was recorded in early January.

Hurricane Hunters fly nonstop into Ike

by Maj. Chad E. Gibson 403rd Wing Public Affairs
Lt. Col. Mark Carter looks at the sunset after flying nine hours on a Hurricane Ike mission on board a WC-130J Hercules Sept. 10 over the Gulf of Mexico. The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters of the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss, fly 24-hours-a-day, collecting data inside the heart of Hurricane Ike. The data collected by the Hurricane Hunters improve the National Hurricane Center forecast by 30 percent. Colonel Carter is a pilot with the 403rd Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Chad E. Gibson)

As residents of the Texas coastline flee to safe havens, the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters continue fly right into the center of Mother Nature's fury Sept. 12 from here.

Hurricane Ike is projected to make landfall Sept. 13 along the Texas coast near the city of Galveston as well as provide tropical storm force winds along the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines.

Keesler Air Force Base Hurricane Hunters have been flying nonstop for more than three weeks into hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike.

WC-130J Hercules aircraft, flown by the Airmen of the 403rd Wing, pass through the eye of Hurricane Ike every three hours, 24 hours a day, collecting lifesaving data that is sent directly to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

This data increases the accuracy of the National Hurricane Center's forecasts by 30 percent. With the warning bubble expanded by nearly a third, hundreds more communities would be forced to evacuate ahead of the storm. At a cost of $1 million per mile of coastline to evacuate, the increased accuracy saves tens of millions of dollars on every flight. In addition, more lives are saved because residents heed the more accurate National Hurricane Center's warnings.

Hurricane Ike has been slow to change in reaching the coast, leading National Hurricane Center forecasters to believe the storm will not significantly increase in strength. However, by the time Ike reaches landfall Sept. 13 it could near Category 3 wind speeds. The additional concern is the storm surge created by Ike, already covering some low-lying roadways along the Louisiana and Mississippi coastline with water.

Officials in the 403rd Wing said they will continue to track the hurricane until it makes landfall.

Hurricane Hunters track Ike

by Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett 403rd Wing Public Affairs



Barreling toward the Texas coast, Hurricane Ike is regaining strength as officials along the Texas coast began evacuations of the first of millions of residents in the forecast path of the storm Sept. 10.

Warm gulf waters contributed to renewed strength for Hurricane Ike after it passed over Cuba during the night, and Airmen aboard a WC-130J Hurricane Hunter were in the storm pinpointing the center and sending flight-level and surface-level readings back to the National Hurricane Center via satellite.

Citizen Airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron from Keesler Air Force Base, charged with flying directly into the eye of nature's most powerful storms, continue around-the-clock flights into Ike giving forecasters at the NHC the best possible data.

Hurricane Ike, now a Category 2 on the Safir-Simpson Scale, is a large tropical cyclone and is expected to intensify before making landfall the morning of Sept. 13. The storm has killed already 80 people in the Caribbean and took a significant toll on parts of Cuba, especially areas previously affected by Hurricane Gustav. At this time, the storm has hurricane force winds extending outward up to 80 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extending to 205 miles, according to the NHC.

The latest reports from the Hurricane Hunters show the storm is strengthening with the minimum central pressure dropping and surface winds increasing.

Residents in the projected path and near those regions are urged to pay close attention to government and news sources in their areas for critical watches and warnings.

Hurricane Hunters support weather study from Guam

by Tech. Sgt. Brian Bahret, 36th Wing Public Affairs


ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) -- Two Air Force Reserve WC-130J Hercules and a Naval Research Lab P-3 Orion deployed here recently to conduct meteorological research on tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific from August through September.

During the project, labeled Tropical Cyclone Structure-2008, aircrews from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., will work with scientists from the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

The agencies, both located in Monterey, Calif., are conducting a multi-national study to understand, observe and predict the potential impacts of Pacific tropical cyclones.

"It is part of a nine-nation project under the umbrella of the World Meteorological Organization, which is an arm of the United Nations," said Patrick Harr, a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and lead scientist for the program. "The overall goal is to increase predictability associated with all aspects of tropical cyclones over the western North Pacific."

Russell Elsberry, a professor of meteorology at the NPS who is assisting with the study said researchers from Japan, Korea and Taiwan are supporting the endeavor. He added Germany, England, France and the European Union are also assisting because the information learned in the Pacific could be applied to predicting similar events in the Atlantic.

To facilitate the study, scientists enlisted the aid of the 53rd WRS and their WC-130s.

"The WC-130J is an essential component of the observational strategy to study the typhoon life cycle," said Professor Elsberry.

Fifteen 53rd WRS maintainers and 13 flyers are deployed to Andersen to ensure the aircraft are ready to fly 24 hours a day, according to Lt. Col. Roy Deatherage, 53rd WRS mission commander. The seasoned aircrews will monitor the cyclone and eventually fly into the storm's eye wall when it matures, chasing the storm until it transcends into something else entirely.

"Our mission here is to better understand the structure, the formation and what makes a tropical system tick out there in the Pacific," said Colonel Deatherage. "In its infancy, before it is even a tropical depression or hurricane, we'll go out and collect data."

The Hurricane Hunters are conducting their portion of the research using WC-130s fitted with a variety of equipment used for weather research.

"In flight, the aircraft measures 28 parameters including wind speed, direction, temperature -- all of this is sent real time via satellite from the plane to the customer back here [at Andersen]," said the colonel.

He said the equipment and sensors onboard will help provide key data for the research project.

According to the 53rd WRS officials, a critical piece of equipment onboard the aircraft is the dropsonde system. The GPS Dropsonde Windfinding System is a cylindrically-shaped instrument about 16 inches long and 3.5 inches in diameter and weighs approximately 2.5 pounds. The dropsonde is equipped with a high frequency radio and other sensing devices and is released from the aircraft about every 400 miles over water.

The scientists will rely heavily on the data collected by the dropsondes as they fall to the ocean.

"A critical mission of the WC-130 with its dropsonde deployments, and especially the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer, is to observe the typhoon intensity and wind structure in as many conditions as possible from the formation stage to the extra-tropical transition stage," said Professor Elsberry.

As the instrument descends to the sea surface, it measures and relays to the aircraft a vertical atmospheric profile of the temperature, humidity and barometric pressure and wind data, explained Colonel Deatherage.

Professor Elsberry said the aircrews will actively monitor and report on how tropical cyclones form, intensify and change through their life cycle and the impact they may later have across the North Pacific and potentially North America.

"The measurements will fill a critical gap in the validation of the satellite-based techniques for intensity estimation, which thus far have only been validated in the Atlantic where the WC-130Js of the 53rd WRS regularly fly such missions," said Professor Elsberry. "Since the typhoons typically form from monsoon conditions and have different structures than hurricanes, these WC-130J measurements are extremely important."

From Guam, the information is processed and sent to the operations center at the NPS in Monterey.

"They're the brain trust for all of this. They'll put it into a computer model," said Colonel Deatherage.

The data collected by the WC-130s at Andersen are only one piece of the puzzle; three other research aircraft will measure different aspects of the storm.

"There are four aircraft in total that will be moving about the (Western Pacific) from Andersen (Air Base) to Kadena (AB, Japan) to Atsugi, Yokota and Misawa in Japan to collect data on the storms as they approach Japan," said Professor Elsberry.

A Naval Research Libratory P-3 Orion, also flying from Andersen AB, will collect data using its ELDORA radar which maps the structure of the storm. An Astra business-class jet will fly out of Taiwan and a Falcon business-class jet will fly from the U.S. Naval Air Facility-Atsugi, Japan. Both aircraft are modified with equipment for meteorological studies.

In addition to the aircraft, scientists working from Hawaii will launch high-altitude driftsondes to round out the research. Driftsondes are zero-pressure balloons that go up to 60,000 feet, according to Colonel Deatherage. He said the balloon has a gondola that has small dropsondes the scientists can release remotely by satellite.

"It is really the first research program that plans to observe the entire lifecycle of a tropical cyclone from formation near Guam to transition into the midlatitudes near Japan," said Professor Harr. He said the data collected will be invaluable to helping scientists understand and predict similar events in the Pacific and the Atlantic.

AFNORTH Responds: EPLOs, Hurricane Hunters, MedEvac

EPLOs move in place to support hurricane efforts

As Hurricane Gustav nears landfall, Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers from all over the nation have been brought in to help.

EPLOs from as far away as Alaska have moved into place in Louisiana, Texas and Alabama to coordinate military assets to support civil authorities.

Lt. Col. Kelly Carmen, an Alaska-assigned EPLO, is in place in New Orleans supporting the aeromedical evacuation efforts. Along with Lt. Col. Carmen, two other EPLOs, Col. Jeff Theulen from Nebraska, and Lt. Col. Steve Flanagan from Hawaii, are deployed to the state.

In El Paso, Texas, EPLO Col. Andy Anderson is serving at the Federal Coordination Center, helping to find hospitals that have the room to shelter evacuated patients.

Col. Linc Larson is deployed to Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., where responders are preparing to receive outbound evacuees from the Gulf Coast, as well as inbound support from across the nation.

Several EPLOs have deployed here to help coordinate emergency preparedness activities nationwide, including possible support for Tropical Storm Hanna.

“With another storm on the rise behind Gustav, two liaison officers are at the FEMA Headquarters in Atlanta,” said Col. Michael Hare, Air Forces Northern Emergency Preparedness Agency director.

Working with officers from the Navy, Marines and Army, these EPLOs respond to civilian requests for assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

EPLOs are geographically assigned to each state and the 10 FEMA Regional Coordination Centers. The officers come from a wide range of career fields including air operations, logistics, medical, security forces, and public affairs.

AFNORTH Hurricane Hunters on the move for Gustav & Hanna

Eight Hurricane Hunters with five crews on three missions are deployed to assess the severity of conditions of Hurricane Gustav, with one Hurricane Hunter deployed to prepare for Tropical Storm Hanna.

The Hurricane Hunters are Air Force WC-130J aircraft deployed to support Gustav from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and now from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., to predict the path of Hurricane Gustav.

“Hurricane Hunters currently anticipate and determine surface conditions of the expected landfall area,” said Master Sgt. John Williams, operations duty officer at Tyndall’s 601st Air and Space Operations Center.

Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, the Joint Forces Air Component Commander at Tyndall for Air Forces Northern maintains tactical control and visibility of the Hurricane Hunters for coordination during contingencies.

“The Hurricane Hunters deploy for each major storm to measure vertical atmospheric profile of the temperature, humidity and barometric pressure and wind data ahead of the storm,” said Sergeant Williams.

According to Williams, an instrument called a Global Positioning Dropsonde Windfinding system is dropped 10,000 ahead of the hurricane to take readings and relay those readings to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., which increases the accuracy of hurricane predictions by approximately 30 percent.

“Hurricane season gainfully employs the Hurricane Hunters flying current missions over Guam, the Gulf and Atlantic and provides hurricane data to agencies that need it the most,” he said.

The National Hurricane Center feeds the information to the National Weather Service. Civilian and federal organizations use the data collected by the Hurricane Hunters to get keep the public informed with the latest information.

The Hurricane Hunters are temporarily operating out of Homestead Air Reserve Base, but they call the 53rd Fighter Wing at Keesler AFB home.

While actively supporting Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna, this month the Hurricane Hunters have also flown missions into Tropical Storm Fay, Tropical Storm Edouard and Hurricane Dolly.

AFNORTH assisting with Gustav MedEvac

Air Forces Northern here is coordinating with numerous civilian and government agencies in Texas and Louisiana to assist with the evacuation of critical-care patients in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav’s landfall.

AFNORTH is providing U.S. Northern Command with visibility on all Air Force assets available for medical evacuation such as Mobile Aero-Medical Staging Facilities, already in place at Beaumont, Texas., Lake Charles, La., and Lake Front, La.

These MASFs provide the ability to receive, process, and support patients awaiting aeromedical evacuation by Air Force aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster III or C-130 Hercules.

“We are using a total force team of active, Guard and Reserve forces to assist these critically-ill citizens evacuate to safety,” said Maj. Gen Hank Morrow, AFNORTH commander. “We allow the NORTHCOM commander to effectively utilize all assets available to mitigate human suffering and prevent the loss of life.”

USNORTHCOM is working closely with local, state, and federal medical authorities to identify where the need is greatest.

The MASFs and patient evacuations will continue until the airports are closed for Gustav’s landfall.

Military Tracks Hurricane Dolly, Readies Relief Support

Blog Editor Note: The cover story in the August issue of Monitoring Times magazine has an extensive article on monitoring the hurricane hunters. Issue is on sale now on newstands or is available from Grove Enterprises at http://www.grove-ent.com.

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 - "Hurricane Hunters" from the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew through Hurricane Dolly last night and this morning as it headed toward the Texas coast, relaying critical data to National Weather Service forecasters in Miami.

Six-person crews from the squadron have been tracking the storm since July 16, when it was a tropical disturbance over St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, reported Air Force 1st Lt. Douglas Gautrau, a squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer aboard last night's mission.

Since then, the squadron has been flying its C-130J aircraft 24/7 out of its base at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., delivering near-real-time data to the National Weather Service.

Gautrau and his fellow crewmembers took off from Keesler at about 7 last night for a 10-hour mission, crisscrossing Dolly in what Gautrau described as an "alpha pattern." They used sophisticated onboard instruments and small "dropsonde" canisters dropped by parachute to collect the most accurate measurements of the hurricane's location and intensity. The canisters relay details about barometric pressure, wind speed and direction and other measurements to the aircraft during their descent until they hit the water, Gautrau explained.

After a quick quality-control check on the data collected, the crew forwarded it every 10 minutes to the National Hurricane Center.

The aircrews, which consist of an aircraft commander and copilot, flight engineer, navigator, weather officer and dropsonde operator, fly through rough turbulence and heavy rains during the missions. The heaviest turbulence occurs in the "eye wall," the circular area directly around the hurricane's eye.

Gautrau described last night's turbulence as "moderate," but "nothing too bad" as the aircraft encountered 75-knot wind speeds. "It can get pretty bumpy," he said.

Toward the end of the mission, Hurricane Dolly had strengthened, and its leading edge was approaching the Gulf Coast near the Texas-Mexico border. Heavy rain and sustained 95 mph winds pounded the coast as Dolly's eye headed toward Brownsville, Texas.

For Gautrau, last night's flight through Hurricane Dolly was a rite of passage: his first hurricane mission without the benefit of an instructor watching over his shoulder.

"At some points, I'd think, 'Holy cow. I'm in a hurricane,'" he said. "Other times, I'd think, 'Holy cow. I still have to do my job.'"

But with that mission now complete, Gautrau said, he's thrilled to have "the best weather job out there." A native of New Orleans, he said he understands the impact of severe weather and knows he and his fellow crewmembers are giving the National Weather Service the best data possible so it can make accurate forecasts.

"I get a lot of joy out of this job, and I feel that what we are doing is a great benefit to the public," he said.

As the Hurricane Hunters continued their missions, some 600 Texas National Guard members were on the ground, preparing to offer assistance after Hurricane Dolly makes landfall, reported Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gregory Ripps, a Texas Guard spokesman.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry authorized the call for up to 1,200 Texas Guardsmen, to assist civilian emergency responders preparing for the first storm to threaten the United States this hurricane season.

Troops were fanning out across the region, poised to provide search-and-rescue support and emergency relief as required, Ripps said. Shelter management teams were standing by in Brownsville and McAllen, and the Guardsmen set up distribution points in the towns of Alice and Weslaco.

Meanwhile, the Texas Guard's Joint Operations Center is maintaining contact with the State Operations Center, as both monitor the hurricane.

Officials predict rain accumulations of four to eight inches, with isolated deluges of 15 inches, over much of southern Texas during the next few days. Coastal flooding of four to six feet above normal tide levels, with dangerous battering waves, was predicted north of the storm's landfall.

Hurricane Hunters deploy to U.S. Virgin Islands

Blog Editor Note: My monthly Milcom column in the August issue of Monitoring Times will feature an indepth article on monitoring the NOAA/USAF Hurricane Hunters. Loaded with the latest callsigns and frequencies, it hits the newstands and subscribers mailboxes just in time for the peak of the hurricane season in the next two months. If you aren't a subscriber and you read this blog, it is an issue you don't want to miss.



KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) -- Hurricane Hunters have deployed from the Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing here to a forward operating location on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to be in position for storm flights.

After Citizen Airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew missions into Hurricane Bertha recently, the National Hurricane Center again has called on them to provide critical data on a new storm system brewing just east of the windward islands.

The C-130J Hercules aircrews are investigating the strong tropical wave which is a westward-moving disturbance gaining a significant amount of convection in the past 24 hours. Heavy showers and gusty winds are sweeping over Barbados as the system approaches. Other windward island locations can expect similar conditions soon.

Satellite images and surface data indicated that the area of low pressure located 225 miles east of the islands had become better organized and that it could become a tropical depression.

The Hurricane Hunters will be flying a mission into the disturbance to provide information to NHC forecasters. Data gathered through aerial reconnaissance is more accurate and gives forecasters a better picture of what is going in inside the disturbance.

Follow-on flights may be scheduled depending on the needs of the NHC.

USAF WC-130J Crews Hunt Atl Coast Hurricanes

I will be publishing Hurricane event related frequencies on the sister blog to this one, my Btown Monitoring Post at http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/ during the hurricane season which starts June 1. Be sure to check often.

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNEWS) -- Although the 2007 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season officially starts June 1, Keesler Air Force Base's Hurricane Hunters got off to an early start.

Flying a specially equipped WC-130 Hercules, Airmen from the Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing tracked their first tropical disturbance May 9 off the coast of Georgia.

Timing of the mission was reminiscent of the early start of the 2005 record-breaking-hurricane season which stirred up May 20 with Tropical Storm Adrian.

The state-of-the-art WC-130J equipped with a Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer measures surface winds directly below the aircraft.

"The SFMR will be the biggest advance I can think of to improve hurricane intensity forecasts," said Max Mayfield, the former director of the National Hurricane Center.

Data collected by the Hurricane Hunters resulted in the National Hurricane Center naming the storm Subtropical Storm Andrea.

Andrea's minimum central pressure was at 29.62 inches, moving west at 3 mph with sustained winds at 45 mph extending outward up to 115 miles.

The radiometer can also determine rainfall rates within a storm system. This information in addition to wind speeds at flight level provides structural detail of the storm.

Information collected by the Hurricane Hunters increase the accuracy of the National Hurricane Center's forecasts by as much as 30 percent. This data enables the National Hurricane Center to predict more accurately the path of storms in order to save lives and narrow areas of evacuation, center forecasters said. They expect the accuracy of their forecasts to increase with the use of the SFMR.

Two Hurricane Hunter aircraft will be equipped with the radiometers by the end of June with one added each month until all of the 403rd Wing's 10 WC-130J aircraft are outfitted with the SFMR pod.

Hurricane Hunters track Pacific winter storms

A WC-130J Hercules, also known as a Hurricane Hunter, takes off with an aircrew from the 815th Airlift Squadron and support members from the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. Airmen and two Hurricane Hunters from Keesler AFB are on a month-long mission to support the winter storm reconnaissance program in Anchorage, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Here is a heads up to my west coast readers, especially my readers in Alaska, you may have an opportunity to monitor the world famous hurricane hunters on the HF-GCS net over the next month of so. Listening closely for the Teal ## callsign.

The current station list for the HC-GCS net is as follows:

Andersen AB, Guam (Voice call Guam Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Andrews AFB, Maryland (Voice call Andrews Global) HC-GCS CNCS
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 8058.0 11053.0 11159.0 11181.0 11214.0 11220.0 13960.0 14863.0 18015.0 kHz

Ascension Island (Voice call Ascension Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 9043.0 11159.0 11226.0 14497.0 kHz

Croughton AB, United Kingdom (Voice call Croughton Global)
4724.0 6712.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 4894.0 5708.0 5117.0 6728.0 6731.0 6993.0 7567.0 7933.0 8032.0 9025.0 10648.0 11118.0 11129.0 11180.0 11181.0 11220.0 11226.0 11232.0 11271.0 13822.0 15042.0 15091.0 kHz

Diego Garcia NS, Indian Ocean (Voice call Diego Garcia Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 9012.0 11181.0 11226.0 11244.0 11269.0 13254.0 15095.0 20910.0 kHz

Elmendorf AFB, Alaska (Voice call Elmendorf Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Voice call Hickam Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 11181.0 13242.0 kHz

Lajes AB, Azores (Voice call Lajes Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 11220.0 13440.0 14896.0 23265.0 kHz

McClellan, California (Voice call McClellan Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Offutt AFB, Nebraska (Voice call Offutt Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequency: 10589.0 11053.0 11159.0 11181.0 12087.0 kHz

Salinas, Puerto Rico (Voice call Puerto Rico Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 Khz
Discrete Frequencies: 7690.0 9006.0 10648.0 11056.0 11220.0 11484.0 15087.0 kHz

Sigonella NS, Sicily, Italy (Voice call Sigonella Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Yokota AB, Japan (Voice call Yokota Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Hurricane Hunters track Pacific winter storms by Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett
403rd Wing Public Affairs

2/13/2007 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNEWS) -- While most people flee when a pending storm is coming, Keesler AFB Airmen go right into the heart of storms to provide detailed information about storms to warn people of hazardous weather.

Airmen and WC-130J Hercules aircraft, also known as Hurricane Hunters, left here Feb. 12 for Anchorage, Alaska, for a month-long mission in support of the 2007 winter storm reconnaissance program.

In addition to two WC-130Js, Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing officials put together a team composed of aircrew, operations, maintenance, aerial port and other specialties. Like tropical reconnaissance missions, winter storm routes can keep crews in the air more than 12 hours at a time.

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction, part of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, directs the operations. When a tasking for a flight comes into the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron's deployed operations center at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, a crew is alerted and aircraft maintainers prepare an aircraft for the sky.

Showtime and pre-flight are similar to the Hurricane Hunters' normal missions except, depending on weather, maintenance teams de-ice the aircraft just prior to take off.

Winter missions require crews to fly at higher altitudes than they normally fly in tropical weather systems, above 30,000 feet. The new WC-130 J-model is an improvement over the previous WC-130H in that it can fly much higher, allowing for collection of more data and thereby improving the forecast models even more than in the past.

"On average, the data we provide along with the NOAA aircraft lead to a 10 to 20 percent reduction in error in the targeted forecasts," said Lt. Col. Roy Deatherage, the mission commander for the 53rd WRS and an aerial reconnaissance weather officer since 1988. "As a result, numerical forecast guidance issued 48 hours prior to the events become as accurate as 36-hour lead time forecasts."

Use of weather reconnaissance aircraft have improved the forecast models more since 1999 than the previous 25 years of satellite data, according to the NCEP.

Unlike in tropical storms, on a winter mission the crew is not trying to pinpoint the center of the storm, in fact, there may not even be a "storm."

"Often, the crews are flying from one to four days in advance of a potential storm system in the Pacific that appears headed for either Alaska or the continental United States," Colonel Deatherage said.

On board the aircraft, the aerial reconnaissance weather officer and weather reconnaissance loadmaster take atmospheric observations at predetermined points along a flight track where the measurements are expected to have the greatest chance of improving the forecasts.

The weather reconnaissance loadmaster drops highly sensitive devices called dropsondes, which fall at about 2,500 feet per second, in areas of the atmosphere as requested by NCEP. As they fall toward the ocean, the dropsondes measure temperature, wind speed, humidity and pressure. Aircraft follow what are called synoptic patterns, huge ovals sometimes more than 3,000 miles round-trip.

Colonel Deatherage said during a typical tropical mission, dropsondes are released at certain points defined by the National Hurricane Center. This is usually four drops every time the aircraft passes through the eye with an additional four to eight per mission in the most significant wind bands. In contrast, Pacific winter missions average 16 to 22 sondes dropped. For impending Atlantic winter missions the average is lower, closer to five.

The information collected is checked onboard and then relayed by satellite to the NOAA Weather Service supercomputer, which incorporates it into the agency's numerical prediction models. This information helps "fill-in-the-blanks" or bolster the data in computer climate models that forecast storms and precipitation for the entire United States.

"The goal is to make a good forecast so cities can be prepared with snowplows, and other snow removal and mitigation equipment to diminish the impact of a winter storm on a city," Colonel Deatherage said. "If they are better prepared, like we've seen with several cities already this year, they can recover more quickly. That can be crucial for residents living in harm's way. These forecasts provide people in the path of the storms with warnings that can save lives."

While the Hurricane Hunters are patrolling the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, NOAA is using its Gulfstream G-IV aircraft to fly missions from Honolulu. Between the two units, they are able to cover the parts of the Pacific Ocean that directly affect the United States.

Each year, the 53rd WRS and NOAA rotate deployed locations to better improve the forecasting models. The G-IV flies higher and collects a slightly different data set than that of the WC-130J. Since 1996, the two organizations have been flying these frosty missions in support of the NCEP.

People taking part in the first half of the deployment, about 57 of them, left for Anchorage Feb. 12 for two weeks. Another rotation departs about halfway through with all expected to return by March 13.

This project does not cover all of the 53rd WRS's winter taskings. Due to an unusually warm winter so far this year, the unit has only received minimal taskings for the East Coast of the United States to assist forecasters with pending Nor'easters.

The Hurricane Hunters normally fly several of these missions in support of the National Weather Service each season beginning Dec. 1 and ending April 30.

In seasons past, the tropical storm season, beginning June 1 and officially ending Nov. 30, has crossed over into the winter storm season. In 2005, the Hurricane Hunters flew winter storm missions and tropical missions at the same time. That year, the final storm of the hurricane season was recorded in early January.