Research Plane Encounters Violent Turbulence Inside Hurricane Milton

Photo : Screenshot / Youtube / AFP

The Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft, affectionately known as ‘Miss Piggy,’ recently flew directly into Hurricane Milton, capturing the harrowing experience on camera. A video released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aircraft Operations Center shows the research plane enduring intense turbulence as it navigated through heavy rain.

The footage, shared via NOAA's social media, reveals a bumpy ride as the aircraft collected vital data to aid in forecasting and hurricane research. The video was captioned, “Bumpy ride into Hurricane #Milton on @NOAA WP-3D Orion #NOAA43 'Miss Piggy' to collect data to help improve the forecast and support hurricane research.”

Inside the plane, at least four NOAA researchers were present, including Electrical Engineer Tom Brannigan. The turbulence quickly escalated, causing items in a plastic bag tied to a shelf in front of him to spill onto the floor. Amidst the chaos, Programs Integration Engineer Nick Underwood, who was filming the video, asked Brannigan to grab his phone. As the turbulence intensified, even more items flew off the shelves, prompting laughter and exclamations of surprise from the crew.

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“Damn,” Underwood exclaimed while showing the camera the scattered items at the back of the plane. “Holy crap,” he said, capturing a moment where a colleague gripped a cooler tightly to prevent it from flying away. With a sense of humor, Underwood added, “When you get a chance, can you grab my wallet too? Gotta keep these pockets zipped!”

After enduring the rough conditions, the video eventually shows the aircraft emerging into clearer skies. Jonathan Shannon, Public Affairs Specialist for NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, emphasized the significance of these missions, stating that the WP-3D Orion has been flying into storms for nearly 50 years. “We cannot get this important data our forecasters need at this scale and resolution any other way,” he explained, noting, “We basically take a weather station to the weather.”

This research is crucial for improving hurricane forecasts, helping scientists gather data that would be otherwise inaccessible, ultimately aiding in better understanding and predicting storm behavior.

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