This week I had the opportunity to watch a sneak preview of the premiere episode of The Weather Channel's The Hurricane Hunters documentary series. I was thrilled to be part of this; I probably got an invitation due to the news I had shared right here back in January.
Long time readers know about my affinity for weather and the U.S. Air Force Reserves...but how many of you knew that I wanted to become a Hurricane Hunter when I grew up? I'm not sure if it will come to fruition anytime soon, since the training obligations are long and involved, but it's nice to dream, right? You never know, an opportunity could still come calling, right?
The kids and I settled down with some popcorn for an evening of Hurricane Hunting. The episode, titled "The Rookie and Irene," serves as an introduction to several of the members of the 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. The story becomes more exciting as the squadron's new Director of Operations (the second-in-command of an Air Force squadron) prepares to take fly his first "penetration" mission. The mission happens to be into the heart of Hurricane Irene on August 25, 2011.
Viewers will also learn a brief history of the 53d WRS and the benefits of using a WC-130J aircraft for this unique mission.
Then viewers will to board the plane along with Lieutenant Colonel Sean Pierce ("The Rookie" pilot), Lieutenant Colonel Jon Talbot (Chief Meteorologist), and Master Sergeant Scott Blair (Loadmaster), and experience the flight towards the storm. A WC-130J is a relatively slow aircraft. After all, you're being propelled not with jet engines, but with four turboprop engines. The viewer will quickly realize what long flights the penetration missions can be.
During the flight, statistics are being shown to viewers revealing the time into the mission, the distance from the eye, and the wind speed outside of the aircraft. The more experienced crew is encouraging to Lieutenant Colonel Pierce as they prepare to fly not around the building convective clouds (as he was accustomed during all his years flying transports, tankers, and helicopters), but straight through! The camera will shake accordingly, and the statistics will show the outside air speed increasing as the aircraft gets closer to the eyewall.
The eyewall is where the winds are typically the highest in a hurricane. Once the aircraft makes it through the eyewall, viewers are greeted with some spectacular shots of the eye of Hurricane Irene. Viewers will see the wind speeds diminish down to near zero, and this is where the meteorologist and loadmaster take over for some great science. The loadmaster will drop a "dropsonde", which is a measurement device to record the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and barometric pressure along a descent. The chief meteorologist will use onboard measuring devices to guide the aircraft as close to the center of the storm as possible, using the lowest barometric pressure and lightest winds as guidance. These are the only above-sea level "in situ" measurements available to hurricane forecasters – other measurements come from satellites.
During this flight, the storm was deemed a Category 3. This data, thanks to modern technology, is instantly relayed to decision makers at NOAA and the National Hurricane Center to make improvements and refinements to their forecast. This episode will show viewers how quickly this is done, and the impacts on evacuation preparations.
The episode closes with Lieutenant Colonel Pierce receiving a congratulatory handshake from his squadron commander, and he receives a special patch for his flightsuit showing the world that he accomplished his "First Penny."
I thought this episode was fantastic. I was prepared for a lot of reality-show style drama, such as what one might see on shows like Deadliest Catch and Storage Wars, but there was a minimum in this first episode. The story was told plainly and the excitement of seeing a seasoned pilot humbled by a Category 3 major hurricane was enough to keep me interested. I do wonder, though, between the excitement of a "first penetration" mission and the drama of flying into last year's deadliest, costliest storm, what will the remaining five episodes have to offer?
I'm also pleased with the timing of this series. By the time the six-episode series wraps up the season at the end of July, the Atlantic hurricane season will be just beginning its typical start time for Cape Verde storm development...the storms that are often longer-lived and more intense.
My kids enjoyed the show also. My seven-year-old wanted me to tell the world that his favorite part was when they showed that a more precise forecast helped a Weather Channel reporter be in the correct location so he could stand outside during landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Hurricane Hunters premieres on The Weather Channel at 9:00pm EDT on Monday, June 11th.
