Air International 2019-01
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M.Broadbent - Riders of the storms /Parapublic/
NOAA Lockheed WP-3D Orion N42RF 'Kermit' photographed in October 2016 following a major overhaul and upgrades.
The WP-3Ds can fly for more than nine hours and range out to more than 2,500 nautical miles in their storm-chasing flying activities.
The Orions will typically make four passes through a hurricane on one flight from different directions. This was the eyewall of Hurricane Katrina viewed from the WP-3D.
The view from inside Hurricane Matthew in 2016, as seen from WP-3D N43RF 'Miss Piggy'.
Close cooperation between the crew is necessary in the challenging environment flying into hurricanes. Here is the flight deck of WP-3D N42RF during an August 2017 flight into Hurricane Harvey.
A flight director on N43RF during the ocean winds project, one of the climate research projects in which the WP-3Ds are involved outside of hurricane season.
Gulfstream IV-SP N49RF (c/n 1246) 'Gonzo', used for obtaining measurements from high altitude, departs Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in August 2017.