Can someone explain how they get wind readings in the eyewall

[Iwasthere]

I must be missing something. I don't understand how it can stay at 155 mph for several hours. Hurricanes used to fluctuate, at least a few mph.

[Ocelot II]

1. Crazy brave people in airplanes.

https://theconversation.com/hurricane-hunters-are-flying-through-ians-powerful-winds-to-forecast-intensity-heres-what-happens-when-the-plane-plunges-into-the-eyewall-of-a-storm-187234

[Cheezoholic]

2. Here's one of the most harrowing reads by Dr. Jeff Masters as they flew Hugo

I want to ride on one of these so freakin bad!!

https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/articles/hunting-hugo-part-1

[Ocelot II]

7. That would be a big nope for me.

I like flying, but I've been in (brief) severe turbulence in a light airplane and it's very scary. Hurricane hunting-level turbulence would make me hurl.

[Iwasthere]

4. But how can the mph not fluctuate at all for many hours?

Am I the only one that is curious about this? It makes no sense.

[Ocelot II]

5. They probably take an average over a period of time.

[ananda]

6. Maybe bc it stayed over extremely warm water.

...

[brush]

8. I don't know how they do it. The scariest part to me is your vision must be...

cut off...just seeing a completely clouded windshield with no reference points on land or some blue sky. Must be sort of like driving through heavy fog but much worst. It must be total instrument flying.

[Ocelot II]

9. Instrument flying is like being inside a ping-pong ball.

It's fine as long as you keep scanning the instruments but it's harder in turbulence. You will be using your autopilot.

[ThoughtCriminal]

14. Hurricane Hunters - XKCD

Alt text: Our flight gathered valuable data on whether a commercial airliner in the eye of a hurricane can do a loop.

[Tetrachloride]

3. Doppler possibly

https://weatherstationary.com/how-to-measure-wind-speed-anemometers/


Types Of Anemometers To Measure Wind Speed:
1. Mechanical
2. Pressure Tube
3. Thermal
4. Sound Wave
5. Doppler Laser Light

[Ferrets are Cool]

10. This is what I found

Known as Hurricane Hunters, these brave people fly into tropical cyclones to gather needed data. Using specialized, instrumented aircraft, the pilot and crew perform reconnaissance on storms. Investigative missions are usually done during daylight in the morning or early evening. Once a storm has a circulation, the missions are conducted every 3-6 hours. Temperature, pressure and wind are recorded as the flight occurs and sent back to the NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC) by satellite.

[keep_left]

11. Don't they also use dropsondes?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropsonde

The description makes them sound like they are deployed sort of randomly, but I imagine that in recent times they have developed pretty good technology for aiming where they release them.

[Brainfodder]

12. One of my sister's best friends in college has been flying into eyes out of FL for 30+ years.

In official capacity, they are up way way high, over it, it is very safe, words I heard directly 20some years from him, and now, he's been through hundreds of TS/CAT1-3s for sure by now, heavy special plane, not off the rack stuff.

Today is special though, not the usual, so I hope Jim is just fine and enjoying his work, he aint the pilot!

[msongs]

13. determined by how limp the reporters hair is. straight down, calm, 90 degrees windy nt