The information these planes collect about the storms, known as hurricanes, help forecasters warn people. Miss. Air flows out of the storm and curves clockwise. Warm, humid air spirals inward, gaining speed as it nears the center. As the storm approaches the shore, these winds pile water up in the storm's center, or eye. Some crew members work for the Air Force all year.
Satellites watch Earth's weather from space.
Weather satellites see only what happens at the cloud tops. Flying through hurricanes lets you see what's happening inside. The 53rd's pilots fly where few others dare. That's no surprise, because the squadron itself started as a dare. In World War II, two Army Air Corps pilots dared each other to fly into a tropical storm.