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  • Members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron fly into Hurricane Sally to gather data on September 14, 2020, in the Gulf of Mexico. The Hurricane Hunters fly through tropical systems to gather weather data that they provide to the National Hurricane Center for their use in updating the storm forecast warnings. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shelton Sherrill)

    Tracking Sally

    From tropical storm to hurricane, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron“ Hurricane Hunters,” flew nine missions into Sally to track the storm and gather data.­The 53rd WRS, an Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 403rd Wing, started flying missions into then-Tropical Storm Sally from their home station, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi,
  • Capt. Julie Fantaske, navigator for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base Miss., looks on as her pilot crew members steer through Hurricane Douglas from Barbers Point Kapolei, Hawaii, July 26, 2020. The 53rd WRS is part of the Air Force Reserve 403rd Wing and is the only unit of its kind in the entire Department of Defense. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Kristen Pittman)

    Hurricane Hunters: navigators guide through storms

    The 403rd Wing’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based out of Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, is the only Department of Defense organization that flies weather reconnaissance. In this specialized unit of Reserve Citizen Airmen, a crew is made up of a minimum of five members consisting of a pilot, copilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance
  • Warren Madden, senior meteorologist and lead of Chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination All Hurricanes team, talks with local media during the Hurricane Awareness Tour May 10, 2019, in Brunswick, Georgia. The purpose of the HAT is to help create a weather-ready nation by raising awareness for the upcoming hurricane season occurring June 1 - Nov. 30, with emphasis this year on raising awareness about inland flooding. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza)

    CARCAH key to coordination, storm support

    Coordination—it is the key to any successful organization or event; and, when that event happens to be a hurricane, which requires aerial reconnaissance to gather life-saving weather data for forecasts—it’s imperative.In order for the Hurricane Hunters, whether that’s the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force
  • Chief Master Sgt. Rick Cumbo, loadmaster for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, stands in front of the tail of a WC-130J Super Hercules at Kona International Airport, Hawaii, July 28, 2020. Cumbo became the recordholder for most eyewall penetrations, with 341, after flying Hurricane Douglas July 24. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kristen Pittman)

    Hurricane Hunter sets unit record for eyewall penetrations

    In the Air Force, the number 341 typically elicits an unpleasant memory. Like that time someone in your group of three marching at basic military training forgot to put their cover on, so you all were vehemently reprimanded by a military training instructor and had your 341 pulled.Or that time you failed to fill out all of your 341s in tech school,
  • Maj. Tobi Baker, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, reviews weather data collected while flying in Hurricane Douglas July 26, 2020. The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew flew into the first hurricane of the Pacific season to collect weather data to assist the Central Pacific Hurricane Center with their forecasts. The 53rd WRS, assigned to the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, departed July 22 to conduct operations out of Barbers Point Kapolie Airport, Hawaii. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Marnee A.C. Losurdo)

    Hurricane Hunters fly first Pacific hurricane of the year

    The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrews flew five weather reconnaissance missions into Hurricane Douglas, the first hurricane in the Pacific, July 24-27, 2020, collecting data to assist Central Pacific Hurricane Center forecasters.The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, assigned to the 403rd Wing, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi,
  • Lt. Col. Phillip Dobson, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron navigator, explains the duties of a navigator to Capt. Garrett Black, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer during a flight, June 17 over Caribbean. The Hurricane Hunters deployed to St. Croix to fly training missions over the Caribbean in preparation for the 2020 hurricane season. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza)

    Hurricane Hunters conduct deployment for training

    The Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron deployed to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, June 15 to 19 to fly training missions over the Caribbean in preparation for the 2020 hurricane season. The Hurricane Hunters are Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 403rd Wing based at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and are the only Department of
  • Maj. Kendall Dunn, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron pilot, conducts the preflight checklist of a WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft June 5, 2020 at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The Hurricane Hunters were tasked to fly a fixed mission to locate the center of Cristobal and the data gathered was sent to the National Hurricane Center for their weather model forecasts. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza)

    Hurricane Hunters finish flying Tropical Storm Cristobal

    The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron finished flying Tropical Storm Cristobal June 7.The squadron flew seven missions into the storm, which began June 1 as Tropical Depression Three. The Hurricane Hunters provided reconnaissance starting June 2 from the Bay of Campeche in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico until the storm made landfall over the
  • A WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft from 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron takes off May 16, at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The Hurricane Hunters departed today on their first storm tasking of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season to investigate an area for possible development into a tropical depression or storm near the Bahamas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza)

    Hurricane Hunters fly first mission of 2020 Atlantic Season

    The Hurricane Hunters departed today on their first storm tasking of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season to investigate an area for possible development into a tropical depression or storm near the Bahamas.
  • Hurricane Preparedness graphic with information about hurricane preparations and planning. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Jessica L. Kendziorek)

    Are you ready for hurricane season?

    May 3-9 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week and hurricane season is less than a month away, starting June 1. Are you ready?
  • Maj. Ashley Lundry, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer and chief scientific officer, shows a weather data-gathering instrument called a dropsonde to Dr. Fred “Marty” Ralph, Researcher and Director for the Center of Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Nov. 29, 2017, at Brown Field Airport, San Diego, California. Hurricane Hunters met with Ralph and other Scripps scientists that day to discuss plans for participating in atmospheric river reconnaissance missions in early 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)

    Hurricane Hunter squared

    “I can think back to when I was in pre-school,” said Ashley Lundry. “It’s one of those vague memories that you have. I remember one of the local meteorologists coming into my pre-school class, and she brought a board that had the magnetic weather symbols and talked about the weather. It was a female meteorologist, so I thought that was really cool
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