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NOAA aircraft gather data on Hurricane Ida before, during and after the storm

From their base at the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, Florida, the NOAA Hurricane Hunters flew nine missions to gather data crucial to forecasting Hurricane Ida’s track and intensity. NOAA’s high-altitude Gulfstream IV-SP jet flew three missions to sample the upper atmosphere over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. These missions aided forecasters as they developed storm track forecasts and determined if conditions were favorable for further development.

The eye of Hurricane Ida on NOAA WP-3D Orion N43RF Miss Piggy the morning of August 28, 2021

NOAA welcomes new Beechcraft King Air to its fleet of specialized aircraft

NOAA’s newest aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air 350 CER turboprop, aircraft has arrived at the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, Florida. The new aircraft, designated N67RF, is outfitted with remote sensing equipment that will measure the water content of snow and soil — data that is used for flood, river level and water supply forecasts.

In Memoriam: Dr. James “Doc” McFadden

Colleagues, family, and friends mourn the passing on Sept. 28, 2020 of Dr. James “Doc” McFadden, a dedicated public servant who, over the course of his 57 year career, has immeasurably influenced the evolution of airborne data collection at NOAA. Dr.

NOAA Twin Otter aircraft crew surveys right whales

Last month, the crew of NOAA DHC-6 Twin Otter N48RF wrapped up its right whale survey season off the southeast coast of the United States. The crew of NOAA Corps pilots and scientists sighted 10 new mom/calf pairs, indicating there is hope for the endangered species. Today, researchers estimate there are only about 400 North Atlantic right whales in the population, with fewer than 100 females remaining.