Hurricane Hunters

Description

Not much on planet Earth comes close to the raw power of a Hurricane, and that is on full display when brave people fly through them in Airplanes! Chris Ferguson brings the drama with this work inspired by those daring folks as they navigate these terrible storms. We know you and your audiences will love “Hurricane Hunters.”

Program Notes

“Hurricane Hunters” takes inspiration from the aircrews of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron located at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. The mission of these brave men and women is to fly into hurricanes, tropical cyclones, and blizzards to gather weather data.

It all started as a dare in 1943 when two Army Air Corps pilots challenged each other to fly through an approaching hurricane. This paved the way for future flights to help safeguard communities from approaching storms. While modern satellites have improved the ability to detect large storms before they form, only aircraft are able to accurately measure the interior data. Air crews deploy tube-shaped data tracking sensors (called “dropsondes”) into the center of the storm to help predict the development and movement of these storms.