All crew members are highly trained specialists. Loose objects are tied down or stowed away, and crew members wear seat belts and safety harnesses. Once the aircraft's radar picks up the storm, the crew determines the easiest way to get inside. In a well developed storm, this can be a difficult challenge. Winds at flight level often exceed 100 miles and hour, and the wall cloud surrounding the center can be several miles thick.
Rain often comes in torrents, and updrafts and downdrafts are usually strong and frequent.
The flight level winds are nearly calm. Often the wall cloud presents a stadium effect. Since most storms occur some distance from the aircraft's home station, the crew usually flies to the storm as high as they can because this helps to conserve fuel. About 200 miles from the storm, the aircraft descends to its storm operating level. If the storm is in its infancy, such as a depression or tropical storm with winds less than 50 mph, then the crew operates as close to the surface of the sea as can be done safely, usually about 1,500 feet.