Weather Warriors Fly Into Hurricane Ike

Inside the eye of Hurricane Ike, a WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft provides data from several different instruments including sensors on the aircraft, dropsondes and the new Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer, called a Smurf. The Smurf provides surface-level winds giving forecasters at the National Hurricane Center yet another source of information. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)