Master Sgt. Troy Bickham, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron loadmaster and dropsonde operator, pulls the handle on the launch adapter to release an Airborne/Air Expendable Bathythermograph, or AXBT, buoy used by the U.S. Navy to collect the salinity and water temperature during a flight through Hurricane Iselle off the coast of Hawaii Aug. 7, 2014. The 53rd WRS “Hurricane Hunters” and 403rd Wing maintenance personnel deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, to fly storm missions into Hurricanes Iselle and Julio to gather data to assist the National Weather Service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center with their forecasts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek) Share

Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, points to the eye of Hurricane Julio during a hurricane flight off the coast of Hawaii Aug. 9, 2014. The 53rd WRS "Hurricane Hunters" aircrew and 403rd Wing maintenance personnel deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, to fly storm missions into Hurricanes Iselle and Julio. The "Hurricane Hunters" fly storm missions in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the hurricane season June 1 to Nov. 30 yearly. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek) Share

Thomas Birchard, senior forecaster and hurricane expert for the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, shows Maj. Jon Brady, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer, computer programs used to predict a hurricane model from the weather data collected by the Hurricane Hunters. The 53rd WRS "Hurricane Hunters" aircrew and 403rd Wing maintenance personnel deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii to fly storm missions into Hurricanes Iselle and Julio. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek) Share

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Sanabia, U.S. Naval Academy researcher, straps down Airborne/Air Expendable Bathythermograph , orABXT, deep water buoys for a flight into Hurricane Iselle off the coast of Hawaii Aug. 6, 2014. Sanabia flew with the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron into Hurricane Iselle in order to collect salinity and water temperature for research. The 53rd WRS "Hurricane Hunters" aircrew and 403rd Wing maintenance personnel deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii to fly storm missions into Hurricanes Iselle and Julio. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek) Share

Tech. Sgt. James Piskorz, 403rd Maintenance Squadron crew chief, signals the pilots of the WC-130J that they are cleared to proceed onto the taxiway after their flight into the remnants of Dorian July 28, 2013. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aircrew flew through the tropical wave to gather storm data for analysis by the National Hurricane Center to help determine if Dorian was dissipating or gathering strength. Hurricane Hunter aircrews and other 403rd Wing members deploy to several locations in the United States and Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to fly storm missions during the hurricane season, which officially starts June 1 and ends November 30 each year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens) Share

A WC-130J aircraft from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron prepares to taxi onto the runway before its flight into the remnants of Dorian July 28, 2013. Hurricane Hunter aircrews and other 403rd Wing members deploy to several locations in the United States and Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to fly storm missions during the hurricane season, which officially starts June 1 and ends November 30 each year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens) Share

Tech. Sgt. Christopher Becvar, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron weather reconnaissance loadmaster, prepares an airborne expendable bathythermograph for release out of the back of a WC-130J aircraft during a flight into the remnants of Dorian July 29, 2013. The Navy partnered with the Air Force for a third year of testing the AXBT, which is designed to gather temperature readings of a column of water to help improve the output of coupled storm models. The Hurricane Hunters flew a low-level investigation into Dorian to gather storm data used by the National Hurricane Center to determine whether the tropical wave was breaking up or reforming into a more intensified storm. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens) Share

Lt. Col. Valerie Hendry, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, instructs 2nd Lt. Leesa Froelich, 53rd WRS ARWO, during the lieutenant’s first storm mission with the Hurricane Hunters. The Hurricane Hunters flew a low-level investigation into Dorian to gather storm data used by the National Hurricane Center to determine whether the tropical wave was breaking up or reforming into a more intensified storm. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens) Share

Capts. Michael Anderson and Christopher Harris (right), 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron navigators, discuss possible flight routes through the remnants of Dorian July 29, 2013. This particular mission served as an excellent training opportunity for Harris, who was being mentored during the storm flight by Anderson. The Hurricane Hunters flew a low-level investigation into the tropical wave to gather storm data used by the National Hurricane Center to determine whether Dorian was breaking up or reforming into a more intensified storm. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens) Share

Lt. Col. Kevin McLuen and Capt. Bryan Trottier (right), 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron pilots, fly a WC-130J aircraft through the remnants of Dorian July 29, 2013. The Hurricane Hunters flew a low-level investigation into the tropical wave to gather storm data used by the National Hurricane Center to determine whether Dorian was breaking up or reforming into a more intensified storm. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens) Share

Lt. Col. Warren Madden, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, looks over some paperwork to help monitor the weather as the aircrew prepares to fly into Tropical Storm Maria Sept. 9. The Hurricane Hunters were completing the mission from operations held in St. Croix. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Valerie Smock) Share

Master Sgt. Scott Blair, a weather reconnaissance loadmaster with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, checks the computer before preparing to release a parachute-borne sensor known as a dropsonde into Tropical Storm Maria Sept. 9. The dropsonde measures and encodes weather data down to the ocean surface. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Valerie Smock) Share