Event Information

What: 2018 Hurricane Awareness Tour

Where: Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
             3900 Don Emerson Dr, Lakeland, FL 33811

When: Friday, May 11th, 2 PM to 5 PM

Admission: FREE!
 

Things To Do: 

• Tour Hurricane Hunter aircraft
• Meet the pilots & flight crew
• Speak with hurricane forecasters
• Meet with local National Weather Service meteorologists
• Walk through exhibits from various agencies & organizations
• Learn about weather safety & preparedness

About the Planes

WC-130J - "Hercules"

The WC-130J is a high-wing, medium-range aircraft used in weather reconnaissance missions. This plane is configured to penetrate tropical disturbances and storms, hurricanes and winter storms and obtains data on the movement, size and intensity of these systems. The WC-130J is the weather data collection platform for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. It carries a minimal crew of five: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance weather officer and weather reconnaissance loadmaster. The crew collects and reports weather data as often as every minute.

NOAA Gulfstream IV-SP (G-IV) - "Gonzo"

NOAA’s Gulfstream IV-SP (G-IV) jet is a high-tech, high-flying, and high-speed platform used for hurricane forecasting and research. It is a sophisticated twin-engine jet piloted by NOAA Corps officers and crewed by NOAA civilian engineers and meteorologists. The G-IV flies around and over developing tropical cyclones to create a detailed picture of the surrounding upper atmosphere. It a range of nearly 4,000 nautical miles and a cruising altitude of 45,000 feet.