WC-130Js Hunting Hurricanes

After Tropical Storm Adrian formed off El Salvador in May, the National Hurricane Center called on the Hurricane Hunters from Air Force Reserve Command to track it. The 20 May mission marked the first operational mission in which a 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron crew piloted a WC-130J into an active hurricane. The 53rd WRS has been converting to the WC-130J during the past few seasons, ensuring it is a stable platform for weather reconnaissance. Previously, crews flew the WC-130J model into storms for training and evaluation but never for fulfilling a tasking from the National Hurricane Center. Winds reached 105 mph at flight level during the eleven-hour flight.