Narrator: THIS PLANE FLIES INTO THE DEADLIEST WEATHER ON EARTH.
Man: I DON'T LIKE THIS AT ALL.
Narrator: THE P-3 ORION
HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED FROM SUBMARINE HUNTER
TO HURRICANE HUNTER.
Man: LOOK AT THAT EYE WALL, HUH?
Man: IT'S BUILT AS TOUGH AS A PICKUP TRUCK.
YOU CAN ABUSE IT,
AS LONG AS YOU COME BACK, YOU TAKE CARE OF IT.
Narrator: THOUSANDS OF LIVES AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
ARE ON THE LINE WITH EVERY MISSION.
Man: LET ME KNOW IF THAT WORKS FOR YOU.
Woman: THE CAMERA DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE.
Man: IF THINGS GO WRONG,
THEY CAN GO WRONG PRETTY FAST, PRETTY SERIOUSLY.
Man: SO WE'VE GOT TO GIVE THIS STORM THAT RESPECT.
Narrator: AND IT'S UP TO THIS P-3
TO FIGHT ITS WAY STRAIGHT INTO THE EYE OF THE STORM.
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, TAMPA, FLORIDA.
FROM HERE, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPLOYS AN ELITE SCIENCE FORCE
CALLED THE HURRICANE HUNTERS.
AT THE CENTER OF THIS CRITICAL OPERATION
IS THE P-3 ORION,
A MILITARY AIRCRAFT BUILT AT THE PEAK OF THE COLD WAR,
NOW FIGHTING A DIFFERENT ENEMY.
THIS PLANE FLIES STRAIGHT INTO THE HEART OF DEADLY HURRICANES,
FACING WEATHER CONDITIONS NO PLANE IS MEANT TO HANDLE.
AL GIRAMONTE IS ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT'S COMMANDERS.
Al Giramonte: THIS PLANE
ACTUALLY ISN'T REINFORCED STRUCTURALLY AT ALL
TO DO THIS JOB.
IT'S JUST A WELL-BUILT AIRPLANE TO BEGIN WITH.
Narrator: THE P-3 ORION IS A 1960s KENNEDY-ERA AIRCRAFT
THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.
FOR 30 YEARS, THE P-3 ORION WAS THE BEST OFFENSE
AGAINST RUSSIAN NUCLEAR SUBMARINES
LURKING OFF U.S. SHORES.
AT THE END OF THE COLD WAR,
THE RELIABLE P-3s REMAINED IN MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT SERVICE.
TWO OF THEM ARE HURRICANE HUNTERS.
Giramonte: SHE'S A GREAT PLANE. SHE'S VERY FORGIVING.
SHE COULD DEFINITELY TAKE A BEATING AND KEEP GOING.
IT'S JUST REALLY A STURDIER AIRCRAFT
THAN MOST JETS BUILT THIS AGE.
JETS GENERALLY TEND TO HAVE MORE FLEXIBLE WINGS,
WHICH IS NOT REALLY GOOD FOR FLYING INTO TURBULENCE.
Narrator: WES CROUCH IS CREW CHIEF.
HE ENSURES THE SAFETY OF THE P-3
AND EVERYONE ON BOARD FOR EVERY FLIGHT.
Wes Crouch: THE P-3, THERE'S ONLY TWO OF THESE IN THE WORLD,
AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
A LOT OF HORSEPOWER,
SO YOU CAN MOVE AND GET IN AND OUT OF PLACES
THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO WITH A JET.
AND ALSO THE ALTITUDE IS KEY.
IT'S STURDY,
PROPELLER-DRIVEN, OF COURSE.
AND THE TYPE OF WORK WE DO IS LOWDOWN, LOW-ALTITUDE WORK.
JETS DON'T DO SO WELL AT LOW ALTITUDES.
PROPELLER-DRIVEN AIRCRAFT DO VERY WELL THERE.
Narrator: THIS P-3 ORION IS NICKNAMED "KERMIT."
HE'S BRISTLING WITH AN ARRAY OF INSTRUMENTATION, RADAR,
AND RECORDING DEVICES USED TO TRACK HURRICANES.
Man: EVERYTHING LOOKS PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: A LONG PROBE ON ITS NOSE
USED TO DETECT SUDDEN WIND GUSTS
DISTINGUISHES IT FROM ALL OTHER AIRCRAFT.
THE P-3 ORION IS A MARVEL OF ENDURANCE.
APPROXIMATELY 120 FEET LONG AND 34 FEET TALL,
WITH A WING SPAN OF ABOUT 100 FEET,
THE ORION CAN STAY IN THE AIR FOR OVER 16 HOURS.
THAT'S ABOUT FOUR TIMES THE DURATION
OF OTHER AIRCRAFT IN ITS CLASS.
THE P-3s ARE OPERATED BY A U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY CALLED NOAA,
WITH HURRICANE FORECASTING AND RESEARCH CENTERS
BASED IN MIAMI, FLORIDA.
Shirley Murillo: THE STORM IS MOVING,
IT'S PICKING UP SPEED...
Narrator: SHIRLEY MURILLO IS LEAD METEOROLOGIST,
RUNNING THE SHOW FOR HURRICANE HUNTING.
Murillo: NOAA IS THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION,
AND NOAA'S RESPONSIBLE FOR FORECASTING HURRICANES,
IN PARTICULAR WITH THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.
AND WHAT WE DO
IS THAT WE ACTUALLY GO OUT AND FLY INTO THE STORMS
TO COLLECT VALUABLE DATA THAT'S GOING TO HELP THE FORECASTERS.
Narrator: NOAA GATHERS DATA FROM NUMEROUS SOURCES,
INCLUDING GROUND STATIONS AND SATELLITES.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
WITH THESE STORMS,
THERE'S NO BETTER TOOL IN THEIR ARSENAL THAN THE P-3.
NOAA'S JOB IS TO PREDICT
WHEN TROPICAL STORMS TURN INTO DEADLY HURRICANES,
AND DO IT IN TIME SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE EVACUATED SAFELY.
IT'S A DANGEROUS AND CRITICAL JOB.
HURRICANES DO AN AVERAGE OF $10 BILLION IN DAMAGE
EVERY YEAR IN THE U.S.
Murillo: THE WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE SPECIFIC STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUMENTS
THAT NO OTHER AGENCY HAS.
Narrator: THE HURRICANE RESEARCHERS
STRUGGLE WITH A MYSTERY CALLED "RAPID INTENSIFICATION."
EVEN AS INSTRUMENTS BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED,
HOW STORMS GO FROM CATEGORY 1 TO 5
IS A COMPLEX PROBLEM THAT SCIENCE HAS YET TO SOLVE.
Murillo: IT'S ALMOST LIKE A RUBIK'S CUBE, IF YOU WILL,
ON HOW TO ACTUALLY SOLVE THAT MYSTERY OF HOW STORMS INTENSIFY.
Sim Aberson: THE FORECAST IS FOR IT TO MOVE TO THE NORTH
STARTING IN JUST A FEW HOURS.
SO IT WILL START TO GET OUT
OF THAT COLD WATER THAT HAS UPWELLED
AND INTO THE WARM WATER AGAIN
AND SHOULD INTENSIFY.
Narrator: RAPID INTENSIFICATION
IS THE HOLY GRAIL FOR THIS TEAM.
IF THEY CAN CRACK IT,
THEY COULD SAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES
BY ISSUING EARLY EVACUATION ORDERS.
THE NOAA TEAM IS NOW WATCHING A NEW HURRICANE
THAT THEY FEAR MIGHT BECOME A GIANT.
HER NAME IS LESLIE.
TROPICAL STORM LESLIE
IS MAKING HER WAY WESTWARD ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
TOWARDS THE U.S.
JOHN PAVONE OVERSEES AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE
AT THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.
John Pavone: OK, LIXION, HERE'S THE LATEST VORTEX MESSAGE FROM LESLIE
AT 983 MILLIBARS,
AND HERE'S THE LATEST WIND PROFILE.
THE SATELLITE GIVES US AN ESTIMATE,
WHICH IS GREAT,
BUT THE AIRPLANE CAN ACTUALLY GIVE US MEASUREMENTS.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO A FORECAST,
YOU WANT THE BEST AVAILABLE DATA TO DO THAT FORECAST.
AND THE AIRPLANE IS STILL SUPERIOR TO THE SATELLITE.
Narrator: LESLIE IS NOW 1,250 MILES OFF THE U.S.,
SENDING ALL THE SIGNALS
THAT SHE COULD TURN INTO A JUGGERNAUT.
Man: FIRST OF ALL, ABOUT DEPARTURE OUT OF HERE
AND EN ROUTE WEATHER AND COMING BACK,
WE'RE EXPECTING A VERY LARGE ENVELOPE OF WINDS
UPWARDS OF 50-60 KNOTS ONCE WE DESCEND DOWN TO 10,000.
IN THE LAST FEW HOURS WHAT WE'VE SEEN
IS A TENDENCY FOR THE CONVECTION HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE
TO FIRE UP PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THAT WARMER WATER
THAT WE EXPECTED TO SEE NORTH OF THE STORM.
Narrator: AMONG HER CREW: PILOT JUSTIN KIBBEY,
WORKING HIS WAY TOWARD A PROMOTION.
HE HAS PENETRATED HURRICANE EYE WALLS 23 TIMES.
AFTER ANOTHER 27 PENETRATIONS,
HE GETS ELEVATED TO P-3 HURRICANE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER.
Justin Kibbey: LOOKING AT IT,
SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT'S KIND OF CRAZY.
IT GOES AGAINST WHAT ALL PILOTS ARE TAUGHT
AS FAR AS FLYING INTO WEATHER.
EVERY STORM IS DIFFERENT.
SO NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE GOING OUT THERE EXPECTING,
IT COULD HAVE CHANGED BY THE TIME YOU FLY THROUGH IT AGAIN,
SO EACH PASS IS KIND OF THE UNKNOWN.
Narrator: JUSTIN IS MARRIED, WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.
HE KNOWS THAT HIS WIFE LIVES IN CONSTANT WORRY
BECAUSE HIS LINE OF WORK COMES WITH A CALCULATED RISK.
Kibbey: SHE KNOWS THAT WE DO IT SAFELY OUT THERE,
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THAT UNKNOWN.
YOU'RE FLYING AN AIRPLANE INTO A HURRICANE,
SO THERE'S ALWAYS THE RISK.
Narrator: THE P-3 ORION
CONTAINS WORK STATIONS FOR THE METEOROLOGISTS
IN A CABIN BEHIND THE COCKPIT.
IAN SEARS IS CHIEF WEATHERMAN ON THE AIRCRAFT
AND FLIGHT DIRECTOR.
Ian Sears: I TAKE THE GAME PLAN
FOR WHAT THE SCIENTISTS WANT TO DO,
AND I TRANSLATE THAT INTO AN OPERATIONAL MISSION
WHERE WE CAN EXECUTE WHAT IT IS THEY'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
Narrator: AS THE P-3 ORION
READIES FOR ITS CRITICAL MISSION,
SCIENTISTS AT NOAA'S NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI
DETERMINE THAT LESLIE IS NOW A THREAT
TO BERMUDA AND EASTERN CANADA
AND WORTH INVESTIGATING IN THE P-3.
Murillo: THIS IS HURRICANE LESLIE
THAT I'M SHOWING HERE ON THE SCREEN.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS MIGHT BE A POTENTIAL TARGET
FOR US TO TARGET.
I'VE GOT FOLKS HERE ON THE PHONE AND HERE ON THE ROOM,
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE STORM IS NOW HURRICANE STRENGTH
AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME FLIGHTS INTO THIS SYSTEM.
Narrator: ON THE LINE IS PAUL FLAHERTY,
MISSION COORDINATOR.
Paul Flaherty: OK, WHAT I'LL NEED FROM YOU
IS A CREW LIST OF YOUR FOLKS WHO WILL BE JOINING US, AND ALSO--
ON OUR END WE WOULD JUST NEED TO MAKE A DECISION PRETTY QUICKLY.
WE HAVE SOME CREW DOWNSTAIRS
WORKING ON THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO GET THEM OFF THAT AND ON SOME CREW REST.
THAT ALL DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU WANT TO START FLYING.
HOW SOON DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU'D WANT TO DEPLOY EASTWARD?
Murillo: IT LOOKS NOW THAT,
DEPENDING ON LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE OF THE SYSTEM HERE,
THAT WE COULD PROBABLY TARGET THE FIRST FLIGHT
TO BE 4 A.M. ON FRIDAY.
Flaherty: ALRIGHT. ANY CHANGES, GIVE ME A SHOUT.
Narrator: THE FLIGHT SCHEDULE IS ALWAYS EITHER 4 IN THE MORNING
OR 4 IN THE AFTERNOON.
THIS GIVES THE SCIENTISTS ON THE GROUND
TIME TO INTERPRET THE P-3'S DATA
FOR THEIR MORNING AND EVENING HURRICANE ADVISORIES.
THE PRESSURE IS NOW ON KERMIT AND HIS CREW
TO TAKE ON HURRICANE LESLIE.
AT 2 A.M. IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA,
THE HURRICANE HUNTER TEAM GATHERS.
OPERATIONS HAVE MOVED FROM HEADQUARTERS IN TAMPA
TO FORT LAUDERDALE
TO BE CLOSER TO THE STORM.
THE P-3 WILL NOW FLY
STRAIGHT INTO A MAELSTROM OF WIND, WATER, AND LIGHTNING
THAT FEW AIRCRAFT ARE MEANT TO HANDLE.
Sears: WE'RE HEADED OUT TO HURRICANE LESLIE TODAY.
THE LATEST WEATHER OUT OF FORT LAUDERDALE--
WINDS ARE CALM, GOOD VISIBILITY, A FEW CLOUDS AT 2,100 FEET.
PEOPLE CAN TAKE A LOOK--
WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST SIDE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE HEADED SOUTHEAST,
GOING TO TAKE A TURN UP TO THE NORTH.
AND THEN ON OUR INBOUND PASS, IF WE HAVE TIME,
WE MIGHT TRY AND GO IN AND OUT OF THE EYE A COUPLE OF TIMES.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG DAY DOING THAT.
Giramonte: NAVIGATION: CHRIS.
Chris Sloan: WE'RE TAKING OFF OUT OF FORT LAUDERDALE,
WE'LL BE ROUND ROBIN OUT OF HERE.
LOOKING FOR A 9-PLUS HOUR FLIGHT.
WE'LL BE 2, 2.5 HOURS INSIDE THE STORM TODAY.
AS FAR AS DISTANCE FROM HOME FOR THE FLIGHT ENGINEERS,
IT'S GOING TO BE OVER 1,000 MILES.
NAVIGATION-WISE, WE'LL UPDATE THE DITCH HEADING
IN THE MINIMUM ALTIMETER SETTING ON STATION.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Narrator: NO QUESTIONS.
TIME TO FLY.
Giramonte: ALRIGHT. GOOD WORK, EVERYBODY. THANKS.
Narrator: CO-PILOT JUSTIN KIBBEY
GOES THROUGH A LAST IMPORTANT RITUAL.
Kibbey: I CALL MY WIFE OR I'LL SEND HER A TEXT--
LIKE THIS MORNING, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT EARLY--
LET HER KNOW THAT I LOVE HER, LOVE THE KIDS.
I DO CARRY A SAINT CHRISTOPHER'S MEDAL WITH ME.
AND I'VE HAD THIS IN MY FLIGHT SUIT POCKET
FOR ALL MY YEARS IN THE NAVY AND MY YEARS HERE,
SO I JUST MAKE SURE THAT I'VE GOT THAT ON MY PERSON.
Narrator: AT 4 A.M. 16 PEOPLE TAKE OFF IN THE P-3
FOR A 9-HOUR FLIGHT STRAIGHT INTO THE JAWS OF A HURRICANE.
TWO SCIENTISTS FROM SHIRLEY MURILLO'S TEAM IN MIAMI,
DR. JOHN GAMACHE AND DR. ROBERT ROGERS,
JOIN THE P-3 CREW TO STUDY HURRICANE LESLIE.
AS KERMIT MAKES HIS WAY TOWARD THE HURRICANE,
ANOTHER P-3 IS IN PIECES
IN A HANGAR AT NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE.
HER NICKNAME IS MISS PIGGY.
SHE'S EVERY BIT AS HIGH-TECH,
THOUGH LIKE HER MUPPET NAMESAKE,
SHE'S A LITTLE HEAVIER THAN KERMIT,
THANKS TO SOME EXTRA EQUIPMENT ON BOARD.
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, MISS PIGGY'S BEING OVERHAULED,
LEAVING KERMIT TO TACKLE THE HURRICANES ALONE.
IT TAKES A YEAR
BECAUSE THE P-3s NEED TO BE COMPLETELY OVERHAULED
EVERY SIX YEARS.
CLINTON BATTEN IS IN CHARGE OF HER OVERHAUL.
Clinton Batten: IT'S ABOUT A ONE-YEAR TURNAROUND TIME
HERE IN THE HANGAR FROM START TO FINISH.
AT THE END, YOUR AIRCRAFT WILL BE NOT BRAND NEW,
BETTER THAN BRAND NEW,
BACK TO THE FLEET, READY FOR SERVICE.
Narrator: HURRICANES WREAK HAVOC ON ANY AIRCRAFT,
EVEN THE STURDY P-3s.
WITH MISS PIGGY SIDELINED,
THIS YEAR'S HURRICANES ARE KERMIT'S PROBLEM.
AND SCIENTISTS BELIEVE IT WILL BE
ONE OF THE WORST SEASONS ON RECORD.
THE P-3 ORION IS NOW EN ROUTE
FROM FORT LAUDERDALE TO HURRICANE LESLIE,
POSITIONED 300 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA.
AL GIRAMONTE IS THE MISSION COMMANDER.
Giramonte: I THINK THE BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE
THAT I GIVE TO PEOPLE
IS ALMOST TO KIND OF CALM THEIR NERVES A LITTLE BIT
BY TELLING THEM THAT 80% OF THE FLIGHT IS RELATIVELY BENIGN,
IT'S MOSTLY WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
OCCASIONALLY THERE WILL BE SOME TURBULENCE,
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET TO THE EYE WALL,
THERE'S SOME TURBULENCE,
BUT, HECK, I'VE BEEN IN SOME EYE WALLS
THAT HAVE BEEN FAIRLY SMOOTH IN FACT.
Kibbey: EYE WALL PENETRATION
IS AT LESS THAN FIVE DEGREES ANGLE OF BANK OR LESS.
Giramonte: THE PLANE IS NEVER OUT OF CONTROL.
WE'RE ALWAYS IN POSITIVE CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE.
IT CAN BE A LITTLE MORE BUMPY THAN WHAT PEOPLE ARE USED TO.
Narrator: AT ONE OF TWO METEOROLOGIST STATIONS IN THE BACK,
IAN SEARS LEADS THE SCIENCE SIDE OF THE MISSION.
Sears: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON
IS GETTING ENOUGH DATA
THAT WE CAN GET INTO THE MODELS QUICKLY AND RELIABLY.
A HURRICANE CAN INTENSIFY RAPIDLY,
AND VICE-VERSELY, IT CAN BE A STRONG STORM
AND DECREASE IN INTENSITY RAPIDLY.
THAT IS THE CHALLENGE
THAT THE FORECASTERS AT THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
ARE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH IN THE LAST 20 YEARS
IS PREDICTING THOSE RAPID INTENSIFICATION PHASES
OR EVEN THE RAPID DE-INTENSIFICATION.
Narrator: THE P-3'S MOST POWERFUL WEAPON
IS ITS TAIL DOPPLER RADAR.
THIS HUGE ARRAY DOES A COMPLETE SCAN OF THE STORM.
IT SENDS THIS DATA REAL-TIME TO MIAMI
TO GIVE SCIENTISTS EXACT INFO
ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE STORM.
Man: IT'S VERY UNIQUE.
IT ALLOWS US TO ESSENTIALLY TAKE LIKE A CAT SCAN
OF THE INNER CORE OF A HURRICANE.
WE COLLECT THESE TAIL DOPPLER MEASUREMENTS,
AND THEN THOSE MEASUREMENTS ARE TRANSMITTED IN REAL TIME
TO THE GROUND.
AND THAT INFORMATION IS USED FOR COMPUTER MODELS
TO PREDICT BOTH THE TRACK AND THE INTENSITY
OF TROPICAL CYCLONES.
Sears: WE WANT TO GIVE A GOOD PICTURE
OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE INNER CORE,
AND HOPEFULLY THE MODELS WILL TAKE THAT PICTURE
AND BE ABLE TO PREDICT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
Narrator: IAN INSPECTS HIS SCOPE,
LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF THE HURRICANE'S EDGE.
AS FLIGHT DIRECTOR, HIS JOB IS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY DON'T FLY INTO ZONES OF THE HURRICANE
THAT COULD TEAR THE P-3 APART.
Sears: I'M LOOKING AT THE RADAR, AND I HAVE NO REFLECTIVITY,
AND THEN RED, MEANING VERY HIGH REFLECTIVITY.
WE'LL GO FROM MAYBE NOTHING TO RED IN AN INSTANT.
Sears: AND THAT WOULD JUST BE A VERY STRONG INDICATION
OF VERY HEAVY UPDRAFTS, STRONG TURBULENCE,
SOMETHING THAT COULD OVERSTRESS THE AIRCRAFT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE JUST DON'T WANT TO DO
BECAUSE IF WE OVERSTRESS THE AIRCRAFT,
THEN WE HAVE TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE,
GET IT INSPECTED,
MAKE SURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT IS SAFE TO FLY FOR FURTHER CREW.
Narrator: THE NEXT CRUCIAL PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY
IS A DEVICE CALLED A DROPSONDE.
THEY RUN $700 APIECE,
AND THE P-3 DROPS AN AVERAGE OF 30 ON EVERY MISSION.
THEY ARE WEATHER BALLOONS IN A CANISTER.
Todd Richards: WE TAKE THE SONDE,
WE STICK IT IN THE TUBE HERE, IN THE EJECTION TUBE.
AND WHEN THE FLIGHT DIRECTOR CALLS FOR IT,
I'LL HIT THIS SWITCH.
THE VALVE WILL OPEN UP.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AIRCRAFT AND OUTSIDE PRESSURE
ACTUALLY SUCKS THIS THING RIGHT OUT.
Narrator: THE DROPSONDE MEASURES AIR PRESSURE,
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE, AIR TEMPERATURE,
WIND SPEED, AND WIND DIRECTION.
IT EMITS DATA EVERY SECOND
AS IT FALLS THROUGH THE LAYERS OF A STORM.
LIKE THE DOPPLER RADAR, THIS DATA IS FED REAL TIME
TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI,
PROVIDING CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE STORM'S INTENSITY.
NOW KERMIT IS ABOUT TO PIERCE THE EYE WALL OF THE HURRICANE.
IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, HIS COUNTERPART, MISS PIGGY,
IS IN A HANGAR FOR A YEARLONG OVERHAUL.
LESLIE IS HAPPENING DURING THE HEART OF HURRICANE SEASON,
SO THE TIMING COULD NOT BE WORSE.
Flaherty: YEAH. RIGHT AFTER MAKING THAT CALL,
WE DID GET THE "HEY, WHAT IF" SCENARIOS.
Narrator: PAUL FLAHERTY IS CHIEF
OF THE AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS CENTER'S SCIENCE SECTION.
Flaherty: MAINTENANCE IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
THAT IS JUST LIKE...
TO ME IT SEEMS JUST LIKE WITH YOUR AUTOMOBILE.
IT SEEMS LIKE PROBLEMS COME UP AT THE WORST TIMES.
HISTORICALLY THESE ARE OLD PLANES,
AND THEY DO ACT UP AT TIMES,
BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE AIRCRAFT RUNNING WELL.
Narrator: THESE P-3 ORIONS
FLY STRAIGHT INTO A WALL OF WIND, WATER, AND LIGHTNING--
FORCES THAT WOULD TEAR MOST AIRCRAFT APART.
Flaherty: WE'RE ALREADY PUTTING AN AIRCRAFT
IN A VERY HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENT, INTO THE HURRICANE EYE WALL.
WE DON'T WANT TO ADD TO THE RISK BY NOT DOING OUR JOBS PROPERLY
AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
Narrator: PROGRAM MANAGER CLINTON BATTEN
KNOWS HE IS IN A RACE AGAINST TIME.
Batten: HERE WE ARE. WE'VE GOT MISS PIGGY, NOAA N43.
IT'S BEEN HERE FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S UNDER THE WING SHORING RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S FOR REMOVING AND REPLACING THE CENTER WING--
WHY IT'S IN HERE.
WE'VE GOT LASER GUIDES HERE. THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE AIRPLANE.
WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH A LASER SHOOT.
THAT'S TO CHECK THE ALIGNMENT OF THE WINGS.
Narrator: THE TEAM USES LASER TECHNOLOGY
TO DETERMINE IF, AFTER FLYING THROUGH HUNDREDS OF HURRICANES,
MISS PIGGY'S WINGS ARE OUT OF ALIGNMENT.
DAN MARLOWE IS THE ENGINEER IN CHARGE.
Dan Marlowe: THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE
WAS OUT OF TOLERANCE IN ONE OF THE WING TIPS,
BUT APPARENTLY IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR A LONG TIME.
THE WING OUT OF TOLERANCE COULD HAVE HAPPENED
DURING SOME OF THE SEVERE FLIGHTS THAT THIS AIRPLANE SEES.
Narrator: THE ALIGNMENT OF THE WINGS
IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL PARTS OF THE WHOLE OPERATION.
Marlowe: WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE AIRPLANE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE
TO THE FACTORY-PERFECT ALIGNMENT CONDITION.
BASICALLY THE AIRPLANE WILL BE FLYING
AT ITS OPTIMUM DESIGN CONDITIONS.
Carlos Alverez: RIGHT HERE ON TODAY'S SHOOT,
WE'VE GOT TO CHECK THE WING TIPS,
THE HEIGHT OF THE WING TIPS.
THE ENGINEERS ARE GOING TO ADJUST THE WING TIPS
SO THEY'RE IN A RELAXED CONDITION,
SO WHEN THEY INSTALL THE CENTER TANK,
THERE'S NO STRESS.
MARVIN HAS GOT IT SET UP THERE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TURN ON THE CAMERA,
WHICH SEES THE REFLECTOR.
THEN IT LOCKS ONTO THE REFLECTOR.
SO I FOUND THE REFLECTOR, I LOCK ONTO IT.
NOW WE'VE GOT A GREEN LIGHT,
SO WE'RE READY TO TAKE A MEASUREMENT.
Man: YOU GOT IT? Alverez: GOT IT.
Narrator: IF THEY'RE OFF BY THE SMALLEST FRACTION OF AN INCH...
MISS PIGGY COULD GET HER WINGS TORN OFF
BY A HURRICANE.
Marvin Harpenau: THE ONE ON THE LEFT HAND'S UP ABOUT 48 THOUSANDTHS.
THE ONE ON THE RIGHT HAND IS DOWN ABOUT 126 THOUSANDTHS.
Alverez: THIS IS WHERE WE GET ENGINEERING
TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
AND DECIDE IF THEY NEED TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS.
Marlowe: DO A LITTLE BIT OF ADJUSTMENT ON THE RIGHT WING.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT LOW.
Alverez: YOU'RE GONNA BRING UP THE RIGHT WING?
Narrator: WHILE SCRUTINIZING THE PLANE,
THE TEAM FINDS EVIDENCE OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE
THAT POSED A DANGER TO EVERYONE ON BOARD.
Crouch: IF YOU LOOK INSIDE, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S ALL BURNT,
IT'S GOT SOOT ON IT HERE.
Narrator: STRIKES LIKE THIS ONE ARE RARE,
BECAUSE THE P-3 IS COVERED WITH STATIC GUARDS
THAT ARE MEANT TO DRAW ELECTRICITY AWAY FROM THE HULL,
AND THE CREW IS TRAINED TO AVOID THE HEAVIEST LIGHTNING AREAS.
Crouch: THE LIGHTNING STRIKE OCCURRED
ON THE TOP OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE ELEVATOR.
THAT'S THE AFT END OF THE AIRCRAFT.
AND IT OCCURRED ON THE TOP SIDE,
WHERE WE DON'T NORMALLY GET UP TO SEE.
SO THAT WOULD BE LOCATED ABOVE US HERE,
ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE ELEVATOR.
Narrator: NOW IT'S UP TO WES AND HIS CREW
TO SEE IF THE LIGHTNING DID SEVERE DAMAGE
TO THE AIRCRAFT'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.
[ALARM BEEPING]
LIGHTNING ISN'T THE ONLY THREAT.
SEA WATER ALSO POSES A SURPRISING RISK
IN THE FORM OF HUGE SALT PLUMES THAT RISE FROM THE SEA SURFACE.
Joseph Klippel: FIVE YEARS AGO
WE WERE FLYING OUT OF ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND,
AND WE LOST THREE ENGINES,
TRIPLE ENGINE FAILURE, IN THREE MINUTES,
ON THIS AIRPLANE.
WE FLEW THROUGH A SALT PLUME,
AND NOBODY HAD EVER FLOWN THROUGH A SALT PLUME BEFORE.
AND THEN WE STARTED LOSING ENGINES,
BECAUSE WE'D ALWAYS ASSUMED
THAT THE SALT LAYER STAYED AT 1,200 FEET.
WE WERE AT 3,000 FEET.
BUT NOW THEY FIGURE THAT THESE HIGH WINDS
BROUGHT THE SALT LAYER UP TO AS HIGH AS 8,000 FEET,
AND WE LOST THREE ENGINES IN THREE MINUTES.
Narrator: WITH JUST ONE ENGINE LEFT,
THE CREW HOBBLED TO NEWFOUNDLAND,
BARELY ESCAPING WITH THEIR LIVES.
Klippel: AND IF WE WOULD HAVE DITCHED,
WE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT ANYWAY.
THERE WERE 90-FOOT SEAS,
IT WAS AT NIGHT...
VERY INTENSE.
Narrator: ANOTHER BIG PROBLEM IS CORROSION.
Batten: WE'VE ALREADY REMOVED THE ENGINES.
WE'VE REMOVED THE LANDING GEAR.
THAT'S FOR INSPECTIONS.
UNDERNEATH THE WHEEL WELL AND THE LOWER PLANKS
THERE'S CORROSION CHECKS
DUE TO THE ENVIRONMENT THIS AIRCRAFT FLIES IN.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS AIRPLANE FLYING DEAD-ON INTO HURRICANES.
MORE SALT, MORE CORROSION.
Chad Cox: WHEN THE PLANE COMES IN,
WE HAVE TO INSPECT THIS BUTT LINE T HERE,
AND IF WE SEE ANY DAMAGE OR CORROSION OR ANYTHING,
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND REPLACE IT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE ALL THESE HOLES ARE CLEAN AND ROUND
AND ALL DE-BURRED,
AND THERE'S NO POTENTIAL FOR CRACKS
OR ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE.
Man: GOOD.
Man: ONE, TWO THREE.
Narrator: AND SOMETIMES THE MOST MUNDANE PROBLEMS
CAUSE THE BIGGEST HEADACHES.
A MECHANISM THAT RAISES ONE OF THE PLANE'S ANTENNA IS WORN OUT.
WITHOUT IT, THE P-3 ORION CANNOT COMMUNICATE CRUCIAL DATA
TO THE HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI.
Crouch: SO WHAT THEY DISCOVERED HERE
IS THAT THE DRIVE MECHANISM IS WORN.
AND THAT CAN CREATE SOME FELT VIBRATION
IN THE AIR FRAME.
SO WE HAVE TO REPLACE THAT ASSEMBLY,
AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO REPLACE
MORE THAN ONE.
Narrator: FINDING A PART FOR AN OLDER RARE PLANE LIKE THE P-3
IS NOT EASY.
AND UNLESS WES CAN GET IT,
MISS PIGGY MAY NOT RETURN TO HER JOB ON TIME.
Crouch: THAT'S GOING TO CREATE A CHALLENGE FOR US
THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SOLVE
BEFORE THIS AIRCRAFT GOES BACK INTO ACTION.
Batten: KEEPING THESE P-3 ORIONS IN THE AIR...
I MEAN, THEY'RE 20, 30, 40 YEARS OLD.
THEY'RE AGING. I MEAN, LOOK AT US.
WE'RE NOT AS GOOD AS WE WERE WHEN WE WERE 18 AND 19.
AIRPLANES ARE THE SAME WAY.
THEY'RE JUST STRESSED, THEY'RE CRACKED,
THEY'RE BEING BENDED, THEY'RE BEING TWISTED.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEM,
STAY ON TOP OF IT, BE VIGILANT,
AND MAKE SURE IT'S GOOD.
Narrator: AT NOAA'S NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI,
METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH
ON HURRICANE LESLIE
AS SHE CREEPS CLOSER TO BERMUDA.
Narrator: THESE HURRICANE HUNTERS ARE GOING AGAINST INSTINCT
AND CONVENTIONAL PILOT TRAINING.
Giramonte: JUST REALLY NEVER GET COMPLACENT
BECAUSE AS PILOTS WE'RE TRAINED
TO REALLY STAY AWAY FROM BAD WEATHER,
SO IT'S A NATURAL APPREHENSION FOR US
TO WANT TO STEER CLEAR OF THIS.
BUT IT IS DANGEROUS,
SO WE'VE GOT TO GIVE THIS STORM THAT RESPECT,
NO MATTER HOW ROUTINE IT MAY SEEM.
Narrator: CO-PILOT JUSTIN KIBBEY ALLOWS KERMIT TO DO HIS JOB
BY TURNING ON THE AUTOPILOT.
HE KNOWS THAT INSIDE THE HURRICANE,
THE AUTOPILOT IS THE SAFEST AND SMOOTHEST RIDE.
Kibbey: THESE WINDS IN THE STORM
WANT TO PUSH YOU UP AND PULL YOU DOWN AT CERTAIN POINTS,
SO WE ENGAGE THE AUTOPILOT
AND TAKE THE ALTITUDE HOLD OFF FOR AUTOPILOT,
AND JUST DON'T FIGHT THE CONTROLS,
JUST LET THE WINDS DO WHAT THEY WANT TO YOU,
PUSH YOU UP, PULL YOU DOWN,
AND JUST KIND OF EASE THE PLANE BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
SO IT'S LIKE RIDING A WAVE OR RIDING A ROLLERCOASTER.
Giramonte: TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,
SOMETIMES WHEN I'M IN THE BACK, I MAY GET A LITTLE QUEASY, TOO,
BECAUSE THE FURTHER AFT YOU GO, THAT'S WHERE THE TAIL IS,
SO IT KIND OF WAGS BACK AND FORTH
AS WE'RE FLYING THROUGH THE STORM.
AND ALSO BACK THERE,
THE TEMPERATURE MAY NOT BE JUST RIGHT.
YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF WINDOWS FOR VISUAL REFERENCES.
Narrator: THE P-3 BUMPS ALONG IN THE ROUGH, SWIRLING WINDS.
LESLIE IS A HUGE STORM, WITH A 190-MILE RADIUS.
IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN THREE HOURS
TO REACH THE MIDDLE.
AS THEY SEARCH FOR THE EYE OF THE STORM,
THE SCIENTISTS GET TO WORK,
TRYING TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF THE DEADLY EXPLOSIVE FORCE
CALLED RAPID INTENSIFICATION.
Robert Rogers: WHAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING TO ME--
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S DISTURBING--
IS YOU LOOK AT THESE PROFILES,
AND YOU'RE SEEING WINDS ON THE ORDER OF 75 KNOTS.
SOME HURRICANES CAN INCREASE FROM A CATEGORY 1
ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE
TO A CATEGORY 3 IN 12 HOURS OR 24 HOURS,
BUT OTHERS DON'T.
SO IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THE INNER CORE STRUCTURE
OF THESE HURRICANES
THAT DO UNDERGO RAPID INTENSIFICATION
THAT WE CAN DETECT WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DOPPLER RADAR
AND COMPARE THAT WITH ONES
THAT DON'T UNDERGO RAPID INTENSIFICATION?
Narrator: LESLIE'S SENDING STRANGE SIGNALS
TO THE DOPPLER RADAR.
THEY CAN'T FIND THE EYE OF THE STORM.
Sears: SO WHAT I'M LOOKING AT ON THIS RADAR HERE
IS I HAVE GOT RAIN BANDS
THAT ARE WRAPPING AROUND HURRICANE LESLIE.
Narrator: DISORGANIZED STORMS LIKE THIS
LACK THE MORE PREDICTABLE STRUCTURE
OF STORMS WITH CLEARLY ORGANIZED EYES
AND POSE A HUGE CHALLENGE TO THE P-3 AND HER CREW.
Sears: I'M LOOKING FOR A DONUT HERE IN THE RADAR.
HERE'S THE PLANE. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE HERE.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE HEADED,
AND THERE'S NOTHING HERE THAT REPRESENTS
AN EYE OF A HURRICANE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT SEEING A WHOLE LOT ON RADAR,
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS
THE RADAR'S NOT GOING TO HELP US FIND THE CENTER.
I'M GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON OUR WIND DIRECTIONS TO GUIDE US IN.
Narrator: FINALLY, THEY FIND THE CENTER,
BUT THERE IS NO EYE.
IT APPEARS LESLIE IS NO LONGER A HURRICANE,
BUT A TROPICAL STORM.
THE COCKPIT CREW IS SURPRISED.
Giramonte: THE HIGHEST THEY SAW
WAS LIKE 60 KNOTS AT THE SURFACE,
WHICH AIN'T A HURRICANE.
Narrator: BUT NOT AS SURPRISED
AS THE SCIENTISTS IN THE BACK OF THE P-3.
Sears: SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN FINDING TODAY
IS OUR FLIGHT LEVEL WINDS HAVE BEEN MAXIMUM ABOUT 60 KNOTS,
AND THAT'S NOT HURRICANE STRENGTH.
AND WE'VE BEEN FINDING SURFACE WINDS OF ABOUT 50 TO 55 KNOTS--
ALSO NOT HURRICANE STRENGTH.
Narrator: THE TAIL DOPPLER RADAR
SENDS DATA TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI,
SO THEY CAN GET THEIR FIRST REAL-TIME,
UP-CLOSE LOOK AT LESLIE.
Rogers: THE HURRICANE CENTER HAS BEEN RELYING ON THE SATELLITES
TO ESTIMATE WHAT THE INTENSITY OF THE STORM IS.
SO THESE ARE THE FIRST DIRECT MEASUREMENTS FROM AN AIRCRAFT
INTO LESLIE.
Narrator: LESLIE IS STILL OVER COLD WATER.
IF SHE TAKES OFF AND FINDS WARMER WATER TO FUEL HER,
SHE COULD REACH CATEGORY 4.
DESPITE LESLIE'S DIMINISHED STATE,
THEY CONTINUE THEIR RESEARCH.
AND AFTER SEVEN HOURS IN THE AIR,
THE CREW IS GETTING TIRED.
Kibbey: IT'S ABOUT 9:15.
WE LEFT TAMPA AT 2:00 A.M.
SO, BEING THE FIRST FLIGHT,
OUR BODIES AREN'T QUITE USED TO BEING ON THIS RHYTHM YET,
THIS CIRCADIAN RHYTHM.
SO I THINK EVERYBODY'S PRETTY TIRED RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE SUN'S UP,
CATCH THE NEXT WAVE OF THAT CIRCADIAN RHYTHM,
AND START FEELING GOOD ABOUT LUNCHTIME.
Narrator: JUSTIN'S STILL GOT HIS MIND SET
ON HITTING 50 PENETRATIONS,
QUALIFYING HIM FOR HURRICANE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER.
HE'S HALFWAY THERE.
BUT NOW THAT LESLIE'S WEAKENED,
THIS FLIGHT IS DISQUALIFIED.
Kibbey: THAT 50 IS THE NUMBER WE WANT TO GET TO, SO...
TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS DON'T COUNT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TRY AGAIN THE NEXT DAY
IF IT DOES MAINTAIN ITS HURRICANE STRENGTH
OR GOES BACK DOWN AND COMES BACK UP.
IT'S JUST SITTING IN ONE AREA RIGHT NOW,
SO IT'S BASICALLY SUCKED ALL THE ENERGY OUT OF THAT WATER.
ONCE IT STARTS MOVING,
IT'S GOT THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING INTO SOME WARMER WATERS
AND POSSIBLY STRENGTHENING.
SO TIME WILL TELL.
Rogers: IT'S KIND OF FRUSTRATING.
WE'RE THIS CLOSE TO BEING A HURRICANE
RIGHT ABOVE THE SURFACE,
BUT, NOPE, NOT AT THE SURFACE.
Narrator: THE DATA GATHERED ON THIS FLIGHT
WILL BE ON THE NOAA WEBSITE WITHIN MINUTES.
Sears: FOUR TIMES A DAY AT 11 A.M.--
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT NOW--
THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER PUTS OUT AN ADVISORY.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THE DATA THAT WE COLLECTED TODAY
AND GIVE A NEW ADVISORY.
SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE BEEN FINDING
IS THAT THE STATIONARY SYSTEM
HAS CAUSED THE WATERS BENEATH IT TO COOL DOWN,
AND WARM WATERS ARE THE DRIVING FORCE
THAT IS GOING TO FUEL THE HURRICANE.
AND WITH THOSE WATERS COOLING DOWN,
THE HURRICANE NO LONGER HAS THE ENERGY SOURCE
TO MAINTAIN ITS INTENSITY OR EVEN STRENGTHEN.
SO THAT'S A LOT OF THE REASON
WHY HURRICANE LESLIE IS NOW TROPICAL STORM LESLIE.
Narrator: THIS IS CRITICAL INFORMATION
THAT HELPS NOAA ADVISE PEOPLE ON THE STORM'S PATH.
Man: HI, IS THIS THE CANADIAN HURRICANE CENTER?
GOOD MORNING. THIS IS LIXION FROM THE HURRICANE CENTER.
WE ARE GOING TO KEEP THE SYSTEM AS A TROPICAL STORM.
Narrator: THEY STILL NEED TO BE VIGILANT,
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE STORM SEEMS TO BE WEAKENING.
Man: JUST MOVING TOO SLOW.
Sears: EXACTLY.
Narrator: NOW THE MIAMI TEAM HAS THE MOST ACCURATE DATA POSSIBLE.
THEY CAN GET TO WORK
TRYING TO BUILD AN EXACT WEATHER MODEL OF LESLIE
TO PREDICT HER INTENSITY AND PATH.
Lixion Avila: THIS IS TROPICAL STORM LESLIE TODAY
THAT'S GOING TO PROBABLY AFFECT NEWFOUNDLAND TOMORROW.
Narrator: THE NOAA P-3 ORION,
A WORKHORSE FOR OVER 30 YEARS,
HAS PERFORMED PERFECTLY.
IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY PLANES IN THE WORLD
TOUGH ENOUGH TO DO THIS DANGEROUS JOB.
Kibbey: IT'S BUILT AS TOUGH AS A PICKUP TRUCK.
YOU CAN ABUSE IT.
AS LONG AS YOU COME BACK, YOU TAKE CARE OF IT,
YOU GIVE IT SOME GOOD TLC,
IT'S GOING TO GO RIGHT BACK OUT AND DO THE SAME MISSION FOR YOU.
AND I THINK IT HANDLES GREAT.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN FLYING IT FOR 12 YEARS.
IT'S GREAT TO FLY.
IT'S VERY RESPONSIVE TO OUR INPUTS.
IT HANDLES LIKE A DREAM.
Narrator: THEY NOW RETURN TO FORT LAUDERDALE.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA.
AFTER A 16-HOUR TURNAROUND,
THE HURRICANE HUNTERS ARE READY TO TAKE THEIR P-3 ORION
BACK OUT TO FLY INTO A STORM NAMED LESLIE.
THE DATA GATHERED ON THEIR FIRST FLIGHT
SHOWED LESLIE WAS NO LONGER A HURRICANE,
BUT A TROPICAL STORM.
AT NOAA'S HURRICANE RESEARCH DIVISION,
SHIRLEY MURILLO AND DR. ROBERT ROGERS
PLAN ANOTHER FLIGHT
TO STUDY THIS LARGE BUT STATIONARY STORM.
Murillo: THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT WE ACTUALLY HIT A STORM
WITH THE P-3 AND THE G-4 AT THE SAME TIME.
THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING.
Rogers: VERY EXCITING. Murillo: YEAH.
Narrator: THEY'VE LEARNED THAT LESLIE IS STILL SITTING OVER COLD WATER,
AND ONCE IT STARTS TO MOVE OVER WARMER WATER,
IT COULD AGAIN ESCALATE INTO A HURRICANE.
THEY'RE GOING BACK TO FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
Giramonte: FLIGHT NUMBER TWO FOR THE CREW INTO TROPICAL STORM LESLIE.
I'LL TURN IT IMMEDIATELY OVER TO RICH FOR THE WEATHER.
Richard Henning: ONCE WE GET INTO THE STORM ENVIRONMENT,
OBVIOUSLY WE'LL BE DEALING WITH A LOT OF CONVECTION,
ESPECIALLY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE STORM.
ACTUALLY, BY SATELLITE, MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD YESTERDAY.
SO EXPECT TO SEE THE SEATBELT SIGN
COMING ON A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THE STORM HAS MOVED A LITTLE BIT NORTH.
IT HAS GONE OVER SOME WARMER WATER
AND HAS STARTED TO INDICATE
THAT IT MIGHT BE FIRING UP AGAIN.
Narrator: KERMIT IS ONCE AGAIN READY TO INTERCEPT THE STORM.
ON TODAY'S MISSION,
IT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY ITS MUCH SMALLER SIDEKICK,
A GULFSTREAM 4 NAMED GONZO,
THE TINY DAREDEVIL.
THE GULFSTREAM 4 IS A FAST, SLEEK FLYING SCIENCE LAB.
ABOUT 78 FEET LONG AND OVER 24 FEET HIGH,
THE G4 HAS A SWEPT BACK WINGSPAN OF ALMOST 78 FEET,
REDUCING DRAG AND INCREASING SPEED.
KERMIT AND GONZO WILL WORK IN TANDEM,
WITH KERMIT INSIDE THE STORM
AND GONZO FLYING AROUND AND, AT TIMES, ABOVE IT.
Jeff Hagan: I LIKE THAT BREEZE COMING UP.
FEELS GOOD.
Narrator: COMMANDER JEFF HAGAN
IS ONE OF THE PLANE'S TWO PILOTS ON THIS MISSION.
Hagan: VERY UNIQUE G-4
ACQUIRED FOR NOAA FOR DOING HURRICANE SURVEILLANCE.
IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS
WE'VE INTEGRATED A TAIL DOPPLER RADAR ONTO THE PLANE,
AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE GREAT MECHANICS
HERE AT THE AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS CENTER,
AND THE GUYS KEEP IT PRISTINE,
AND IT LOOKS JUST LIKE THE DAY WE GOT IT.
Narrator: SINCE THE 1980s,
THE GULFSTREAM 4 HAS MADE ITS MARK
AS A HIGH-END CORPORATE TRANSPORT,
BUT GONZO IS ONE OF A KIND.
Kevin Rotteveel: THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS ONE
AND WHAT YOU'D SEE ON A RAMP AT ANY COMMERCIAL AIRPORT
IS THE TAIL DOPPLER RADAR ASSEMBLY
THAT OUR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DIVISIONS
INSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE.
IT GIVES THEM A VERTICAL PROFILE OF THE STORMS
AS THEY'RE FLYING AT ALTITUDE.
IT'S RATHER UNIQUE
AND STILL KIND OF IN AN EXPERIMENTAL STAGE,
BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WORKS EXTREMELY WELL.
Narrator: FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,
GONZO AND KERMIT WILL ATTEMPT TO SHARE DATA
FROM NEW TAIL DOPPLER EQUIPMENT ATTACHED TO EACH AIRCRAFT.
WHILE THE P-3 CAN FLY INTO THE STORM,
THE G-4 CAN GET HIGH ABOVE IT
AND GET AN OVERVIEW OF THE HURRICANE
THAT THE P-3 CANNOT.
IF IT WORKS, THESE DOPPLER RADAR SYSTEMS
MAY HELP THESE SCIENTISTS
DETERMINE WHAT TURNS A STORM INTO A KILLER.
ONCE AGAIN,
THE HURRICANE HUNTERS TAKE FLIGHT TO INTERCEPT LESLIE.
THE P-3 ORION FLIES FROM FORT LAUDERDALE
TO THE OPEN ATLANTIC,
250 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA.
Woman: APPROACHING ALTITUDE.
Kibbey: GOT IT.
Narrator: IT TAKES THEM THREE HOURS TO REACH THE STORM.
Sears: SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TURN THE AIRPLANE A LITTLE BIT
TO HELP ME FIND THE CENTER.
THAT'S GOING TO HELP ME GET TO THAT ZERO WIND.
I CAN'T RELY ON RADAR ANYMORE
BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE ANY EVIDENCE OF WHAT WOULD BE AN EYE.
SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON WINDS
TO HELP ME FIND THE CENTER.
Sears: WE'RE IN THE CENTER.
THIS IS A VERY BIG AND BROAD STORM.
SO BASICALLY WHAT WE HAVE HERE
IS A VERY BIG STORM, WITH ITS MASS SPREAD WAY OUT.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE A FIGURE SKATER
THAT HAS THEIR ARMS SPREAD OUT AS FAR AS THEY CAN
WITH DUMBBELLS IN THEIR HANDS,
AND IT'S HAVING A HARD TIME CONTRACTING
AND GETTING THAT SPIN TO ACCELERATE AND GO FASTER.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY FINDING ANY EVIDENCE
THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A HURRICANE TODAY.
Narrator: AS THE P-3 SCANS LESLIE,
THE MUCH FASTER GONZO TAKES OFF 90 MINUTES LATER
AND HEADS FOR THE STORM,
WITH AN ETA OF LESS THAN TWO HOURS.
Man: AIRCRAFT IS TIGHT, COMMANDER.
ENGINES ARE TIGHT.
NO WARNINGS. WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
Narrator: JASON MANSOUR
IS COMMANDER ON THE G-4'S IMPORTANT MISSION.
Jason Mansour: IT'S ENGRAINED IN US THAT WEATHER IS DANGEROUS,
AND WE DEFINITELY TAKE THAT TO HEART IN OUR OPERATIONS.
BUT SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT A HURRICANE IS DOING,
WHAT A TROPICAL STORM IS DOING.
AND THAT INVOLVES GOING INTO HARM'S WAY
THROUGH THE WORST WEATHER ON EARTH
TO OBTAIN THE BEST POSSIBLE DATA.
Narrator: NOW BOTH PLANES ARE AT THE STRETCH OF THE ATLANTIC
WHERE LESLIE HAS STALLED.
THE P-3 FLIES INTO THE STORM.
THE SMALLER AND MORE FRAGILE G-4 ENCIRCLES AND FLIES ABOVE IT,
GATHERING DATA AT ITS EDGES
TO COMPARE WITH THAT COMING FROM THE P-3.
Mansour: SO G-4'S UP TOP, P-3'S DOWN LOW.
THE GOAL OF THIS FLIGHT, ON LESLIE SPECIFICALLY,
IS TO COMPARE THE DATA FROM OUR TAIL DOPPLER RADAR
TO THE P-3'S TAIL DOPPLER RADAR
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SEEING THE SAME THINGS
OR WE'RE SEEING VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
EITHER ONE IS USEFUL TO US
AS WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE DATA THAT WE OBTAIN
ON THESE MISSION FLIGHTS.
Narrator: JASON KNOWS THAT THE G-4
IS NOT AS ROBUST AS THE ORION
AND CAN BE TORN APART IN THE WINDS.
IT'S ALSO A JET,
AND JET ENGINES CAN FLAME OUT IN THE HURRICANE-STRENGTH RAIN.
Mansour: THE ROOM FOR ERROR IS VERY LIMITED.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU GO IN AT 100 KNOTS OR 400 KNOTS.
IF THINGS GO WRONG,
THEY CAN GO WRONG PRETTY FAST AND PRETTY SERIOUSLY.
Narrator: LESLIE IS MOSTLY A SMOOTH RIDE
FOR THE CREW OF THE P-3.
BUT THE OCCASIONAL POCKET BOUNCES THEM AROUND,
GIVING CO-PILOT JUSTIN KIBBEY AN UNCOMFORTABLE JOLT.
Kibbey: I'M GLAD I DIDN'T HAVE A HEART MONITOR ON
BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY GONE THROUGH THE ROOF.
Narrator: BACK ON THE G-4,
DROPSONDES ARE RELEASED--
WEATHER CANISTERS THAT SEND REAL-TIME DATA
BACK TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI.
DATA COMING IN TO BOTH AIRCRAFT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR:
LESLIE IS NO LONGER A THREAT.
Sears: RIGHT NOW LESLIE IS KIND OF A STEADY STATE,
IF NOT DECLINING,
CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE.
IT'S SITTING OVER THE SAME WATER.
AND THE WATER BENEATH THE SURFACE
IS A LITTLE BIT COOLER THAN WHAT'S AT THE SURFACE.
SO UNTIL IT MOVES OFF THIS PLOT OF OCEAN THAT IT'S SITTING ON,
IT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE THE FUEL TO START TO INTENSIFY
AS IT MOVES OFF TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC.
Narrator: AT THE HURRICANE RESEARCH DIVISION IN MIAMI,
SHIRLEY MURILLO AND HER TEAM RECEIVE THE DATA.
Murillo: OH, THIS IS FROM TODAY? YEAH.
Narrator: WHAT THEY DISCOVER
SENDS A SIGH OF RELIEF THROUGH THE ROOM.
IAN SEARS IS RIGHT.
LESLIE IS WEAKENING.
THE TWO PLANES HAVE PROVEN TO BE THE BEST COMBINED TOOL
FOR TRACKING HURRICANES.
Murillo: I REALLY LIKE THE COMBINATION
OF THE G-4 WITH THE P-3-- A COORDINATED FLIGHT.
Narrator: SHIRLEY'S TEAM
ANALYZES THE DATA FROM THE TWO PLANES.
IT'S EARLY DAYS,
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE KERMIT AND GONZO WORKING TOGETHER
MAKE A POWERFUL TEAM.
Murillo: RIGHT NOW IT'S STILL IN A RESEARCH MODE.
AND SO NOW WHEN THE G-4 IS DOWN ON THE GROUND,
WE CAN COLLECT THE DATA.
WE'LL LOOK AT BOTH OF THE DATA SETS,
AND WE'LL SEE WHAT WE GET.
HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE SOMETHING GOOD.
Narrator: IN NEWFOUNDLAND,
LESLIE HITS WITH HALF THE EXPECTED FORCE.
ACCURATE FORECASTS,
USING DATA GATHERED BY THE NOAA HURRICANE HUNTERS,
MEANS THERE ARE NO UNNECESSARY EVACUATIONS
AND NO CASUALTIES.
THE 2012 HURRICANE SEASON IS A BUSY ONE.
10 HURRICANES
KEEP THE P-3 ORION AND ITS TEAM OF HURRICANE HUNTERS
ON CONSTANT WATCH.
Sears: THE CONVECTION ISN'T LOOKING TOO GOOD THIS MORNING.
WE'LL SEE WHAT WE GET WHEN WE GET OUT THERE.
MAYBE THE DRY AIR INTRUSION,
WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT OF TURBULENCE OUT OF THAT,
BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET OUT THERE.
Narrator: THE MOST DEVASTATING STORM OF THE SEASON
WAS HURRICANE SANDY.
SANDY MET WITH TWO OTHER STORM SYSTEMS,
THREATENING THE SAFETY OF THOUSANDS
ON THE EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA.
IT'S WHAT ONE METEOROLOGIST DUBBED "A FRANKENSTORM."
FOR DECADES, THIS IS THE KIND OF CHALLENGE
THE HURRICANE HUNTERS HAVE FACED.
THEY CONDUCTED TEN GRUELING BACK-TO-BACK FLIGHTS
INTO ONE OF THE WORST STORMS IN HISTORY.
Sears: DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON WEATHER
OR WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY?
Narrator: THANKS TO THE WORK OF THE P-3 ORION CALLED KERMIT
AND THE NOAA TEAM,
PREDICTIONS WERE MADE OF EXACTLY WHERE AND WHEN SANDY WOULD HIT.
AND WITH THE HELP OF GONZO, THE GULFSTREAM G-4,
THE FORECASTERS MADE AN ACCURATE PREDICTION
OF THE HURRICANE'S INTENSITY.
AS A RESULT,
MASSIVE EVACUATION ORDERS WERE ISSUED
ON THE COASTAL AREAS OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY.
Mansour: IT'S AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE RUSH,
BUT YOU'RE DOING VERY, VERY VALUABLE DATA.
YOU'RE DOING IT AS SAFELY AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN
WHILE GOING THROUGH A HURRICANE.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S VERY MUCH A TEAM ENVIRONMENT
AND TEAM SUCCESS.
Narrator: JUSTIN KIBBEY MADE SIX MORE HURRICANE PENETRATIONS.
Giramonte: SUPER. WE ALREADY GOT THE PENNY?
Kibbey: AWESOME. ALRIGHT. WE DID IT.
Narrator: PUTTING HIM THAT MUCH CLOSER
TO HURRICANE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER.
Kibbey: I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE OF AVIATION,
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PILOT,
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE KID WHO LIKES TO GO OUT IN THE RAIN
AND, YOU KNOW, WATCH THE STORMS ROLL IN.
SO I COMBINE THE TWO--
FLYING AND GETTING TO GO INTO THESE AMAZING STORMS
THAT NOT EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD GETS TO DO.
NOT MANY PEOPLE AT ALL.
Narrator: TIMELY EVACUATIONS SAVED THOUSANDS OF LIVES
DURING HURRICANE SANDY,
THANKS TO THE P-3 ORION'S AND THE GULFSTREAM 4'S
PINPOINT-ACCURATE DATA.
BUT KERMIT AND GONZO HAD TO DO ALL THE MISSIONS THEMSELVES,
WITH THEIR COUNTERPART MISS PIGGY
UNDERGOING AN OVERHAUL.
THIS DEADLY HURRICANE SEASON
MADE IT EVEN MORE URGENT TO GET MISS PIGGY BACK IN THE AIR.
Flaherty: THE PROBLEM IS
NATURE NEVER, EVER GOES ALONG WITH OUR PLAN.
SO VERY OFTEN, THE MINUTE WE PUT THE PLANES DOWN,
SOMETHING CHANGES,
AND WE GET THE PHONE CALL SAYING,
"HOW QUICKLY COULD YOU HAVE THESE PLANES UP AND GOING?"
Narrator: NO ONE KNOWS WHAT NATURE HAS IN STORE.
BUT IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN,
KERMIT AND GONZO WILL BE JOINED BY MISS PIGGY
NEXT HURRICANE SEASON,
TO HELP KEEP THE PUBLIC OUT OF HARM'S WAY.