While millions of folks are trying to get out of the way of Hurricane Irene, the men and women of the 403rd Air Force Wing are flying right into the eye of the storm. It's because of these Hurricane Hunters that we're able to get such accurate information about Irene's strength and projected path.
The Hurricane Hunters are based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. They fly ten Lockheed-Martin WC-130J aircraft into hurricanes to obtain scientific data. Lt. Col. Shannon Hailes of the 403rd told the Huffington Post what it's like to fly into the eye of a powerful hurricane:
We sometimes joke that flying through a hurricane is just like being in a big washing machine or going through the car wash, a bumpy car wash, for a long time.
The Air Force posted this video of the Hurricane Hunters in action on its Facebook page. Enjoy:
Air Force's Hurricane Hunters Fly Into Hurricane Irene (Video)
