The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season begins on Saturday, and forecasters are preparing for what could be an extremely active season. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell got an inside look at how hurricane hunters prepare to fly into dangerous hurricanes to gather potentially life-saving information.
Hurricane science will soon experience a boost as the NOAA announced that it will purchase another aircraft to support its forecasts, research and missions.
The aircraft will be a fully modified G550 aircraft, designed to fly fast, for great distances and at a maximum altitude of 51,000 feet, NOAA said.
Its agility allows the aircraft to fly right above hurricanes and tropical cyclones, gathering highly detailed information about the storms.
Artist concept of NOAA G550.
(Gulfstream / FOX Weather)
This information will be used to refine forecasts looking at the track and intensity of hurricanes. Having improved forecasts that are also available earlier in a storm’s lifespan will provide a longer lead time for cities and citizens to prepare for oncoming storms.
“The acquisition of these highly capable aircraft is a major step forward in the recapitalization of NOAA’s aircraft fleet, which forecasters, researchers and decision-makers depend on for life-saving information,” said Vice Adm. (select) Nancy Hann, director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations.
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The G550 will join NOAA’s fleet known as Hurricane Hunters in 2028, NOAA said. It will be the second jet of its kind that the agency ordered, with the first expected to be delivered in 2025.
View from NOAA’s Gulfstream IV-SP as it flies over an atmospheric river system during a mission on January 9, 2023. The Gulfstream IV-SP will be replaced by the G550 aircraft that will be delivered to NOAA in 2025.
(Rich Henning / NOAA)
Both G550s will support the work of other aircraft in the Hurricane Hunters fleet – two Lockheed WP-3D Orion turboprop aircraft. Whereas the G550s have two engines and are capable of flying above hurricanes, the larger Orions have four engines and fly directly into storms to gather data.
“These new state-of-the-art aircraft will greatly enhance NOAA’s ability to gather data critical to hurricane research and forecasting, atmospheric river research and forecasting, climate studies and other missions,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Infrastructure investments like this protect both lives and livelihoods.”
Waddington (left) and CAPT Kristie Twining (right) in the cockpit of NOAA’s Gulfstream-IV Hurricane Hunter jet.
(CDR Brad Fritzler / NOAA)
The upcoming G550s will be produced by Georgia-based Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. The aircraft will be based in Lakeland, Florida, where the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center is located.