1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 This is the plane that Hurricane Hunters use to chase storms. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,000 Let's check it out. 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Hi. You must be one of the treehouse detectives. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,000 Yes, I'm RJ. 5 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,000 We're going on a mission right now. You want to go? 6 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,000 You bet. 7 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 All right. I'll get you in a flight suit and I'll let you talk to our pilot, Captain Ford. 8 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,000 Let's go. 9 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,000 Hello, RJ. How's our newest Hurricane Hunter today? 10 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,000 I'm fine. But why are you guys called the Hurricane Hunters? 11 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Our mission is weather reconnaissance, but our most famous type of mission is to fly into hurricanes. 12 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,000 Why do you need to fly into a hurricane? 13 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:38,000 We fly into hurricanes to gather data which will help determine the location and intensity of the hurricane. 14 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:43,000 If the storm is well developed, we can locate the center and the rain bands using satellites. 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:48,000 If the hurricane is less developed, then it's harder to locate the center of the storm and it becomes more of a hunt. 16 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,000 Are we going to fly through a hurricane? 17 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,000 Not this time. But you better get strapped in. We're almost ready to go. 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,000 Captain Gibson, what's your job on this mission? 19 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,000 I'm a meteorologist, or what they would call an aerial reconnaissance weather officer. 20 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:12,000 What we do is collect all the data about the storm, such as where it's located and how strong it is. 21 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:18,000 We take all the information and we send it via satellite to the National Hurricane Center where they can start working on their forecasts. 22 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,000 How does the data you collect help meteorologists? 23 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,000 The National Hurricane Center sends us out to gather all the data. 24 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:30,000 You see, RJ, when we fly into a storm system, not only do we have weather sensors dotting the aircraft all the way around, 25 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,000 we also release sensors called drop sonnets. 26 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,000 What's happening? 27 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000 It looks like we found our tropical disturbance. 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,000 Not quite a tropical storm yet, but we'll have to keep our eye on it. 29 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,000 It does decrease in intensity and perhaps become a hurricane a little later on this week. 30 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,000 That's so cool. What other types of storms are there? 31 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,000 RJ, there are four main types of storms. 32 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 First, you start out with a tropical wave. 33 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,000 That's just an area below pressure. 34 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,000 It just causes a lot of rainfall and doesn't have high wind speeds. 35 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,000 But as the storm intensifies, it becomes a tropical depression. 36 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,000 Those have wind speeds up to 38 miles per hour. 37 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,000 It doesn't quite have a closed circulation of winds. 38 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Once it reaches 39 miles per hour, all the way up to 73 miles per hour, it becomes a tropical storm. 39 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,000 It does have a closed circulation of air. 40 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000 When does a tropical storm become a hurricane? 41 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,000 A hurricane begins when the winds reach 74 miles per hour. 42 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,000 There are five different categories of hurricanes. 43 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,000 Category 1 starts at 74 and goes up to 95 miles per hour. 44 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,000 Then you have Category 2 that goes from 96 miles per hour to 110 miles per hour. 45 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:41,000 Then Category 3, 111 to 130 miles per hour. 46 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,000 Wow, that's a powerful storm. 47 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,000 Have you had very many Category 3 hurricanes? 48 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,000 Yes, we've had several that reached Category 4 hurricanes. 49 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,000 That's when the winds get from 131 to 155 miles per hour. 50 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,000 Has there ever been a Category 5 hurricane? 51 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,000 Yes, but only two have ever made landfall in the last century. 52 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,000 It requires the winds to be above 155 miles per hour. 53 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,000 And the conditions have to be just right for that to happen. 54 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,000 Well, I'm glad there aren't very many Category 5 hurricanes. 55 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:11,000 Me too. 56 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,000 Do you guys have a bathroom on the plane? 57 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Yes, we do, but it's in the back. 58 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,000 RJ, did you find it yet? 59 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,000 I think I'll wait. 60 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,000 Thanks a lot. This was awesome. 61 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,000 Anything for the treehouse detectives. 62 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000 Wow, I actually flew with the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters. 63 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,000 Wait till the guys read my get up and go sheet on this one.