Air Force Reserve Command aircrews with the 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, Miss., took two WC-130J Hurricane Hunters to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Feb. 12, to support the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2007 Winter Storm Reconnaissance program over the Pacific Ocean. For the Pacific missions, the Hurricane Hunters do not fly into the eye of hurricanes; instead they fly ahead of an advancing storm bound for the continental US or Alaska. Flying at a higher altitude than their C-130E/H predecessors, the J models enable aircrews to gather more scientific data, which results in more accurate weather forecasts. Scientific instruments are dropped at specific points along a designated route, to gauge temperature, wind speed, humidity, and pressure.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.