Tour of USAF Reserve Hurricane Hunter Aircraft

I am continuing to write about US AirForce Reserve Hurricane Hunter Aircraft. The Hurricane Hunters recently finished up a week long tour [They stopped in several Atlantic Coast cities (Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada); Atlantic City, NJ; Norfolk, VA; Myrtle Beach, SC; St. Augustine, FL; and Marathon, FL.] I wrote about the tour stop in Atlantic City, NJ on May 12th.

If I understand the military designation correctly they are the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the 403rd Wing of the Air Force Reserve (403rd Wing home page and on Facebook).

The C-130 Hurricane Hunter has a crew of five: two Pilots, a Navigator, an Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer, and a Weather Loadmaster/Dropsonde Systems Operator, go to the Hurricane Hunter Associations “People” Page for a description of what each crew member does.

Join Meteorologist Chrissy Warrilow with Georgia Public Broadcast on a tour of one of the USAF 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s C-130 Hurricane Hunter aircraft. She had an opportunity to tour this C-130 Hurricane Hunter when the aircraft was visiting Georgia on a tour. You will hear Captain Tina Smith, Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer discuss the plane and the mission. Master Sergeant Amy Lee, the Load Master/Dropsonde Officer talks about how the Dropsonde is deployed and the types of data it records. You will also meet the pilot, Lieutenant Jarod Hamblin, and Dan Darbe a NWS Forecaster. The video was published on Youtube in February 2012.


direct to link to video by Chrissy Warrilow on Youtube

Up next (Monday May 26) Chrissy Warrilow’s two part interview with Captain Tina Smith, Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer.