Hurricane hunting is a huge part of predicting the path of severe storms and how intense they will be.
A flight crew and team of scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa have been tracking the movements of Hurricane Matthew.
WFLA Reporter Jeff Patterson recently flew with the hunters to follow the path of this strong storm and chart its progress. Here is his report:
This Gulfstream jet is nicknamed Gonzo. NOAA scientists and the flight crew are dedicated to predicting the path of hurricanes and invited me on board to see their mission.
For takeoff I sat in front to see pilots who routinely fly into weather that others avoid.
RELATED: Hurricane Guide | Storm Shield & WPTV app | Get Storm Shield Alerts
It's a job this entire team takes very seriously.
"There's not a lot of jobs out there where you can go home after a day of working and really feel like you've made a difference in people's lives,” said Paul Flaherty with the NOAA Science Section.
We flew across Florida to the Bahamas, down to Haiti, over Jamaica, around Cuba and then back up to the Florida panhandle.
Along the way, the crew drops measuring devices called dropsondes at predetermined points to collect information.
"When they are released they will descend to the surface of the ocean and collect temperature, humidity, wind speed, direction and pressure, four times a second, all the way down," NOAA Flight Director Mike Holmes said.
"We are really glad we are able to do this and we're very proud of the work we do we just hope we get the right data to the people who can make the right decisions and get the right people out of the way, Flaherty said.
The information gathered will help predict the path of Matthew, but also improve computer modeling for future storms.