Improving forecasts by flying into Helene

Capt. Lawrence Monahan and Capt. Zach McDermott, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron pilots, fly a reconnaissance mission into Hurricane Helene Sept. 26, 2024. Crews flew around the clock from Sept. 23 to 26, 2024 into Hurricane Helene to gather vital weather data for National Hurricane Center forecasts. The Hurricane Hunters, or 53rd WRS, are a unit in the 403rd Wing, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Marnee A.C. Losurdo)