News>Weather recon squadron takes last look at 'Sandy'
Photos
Capt. Ben Blair (left) and Lt. Col. Ty Piercefield, from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, prepare for a weather reconnaissance mission Oct. 29, 2012, at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. The 53rd WRS conducted weather reconnaissance missions in preparation for Hurricane Sandy making landfall along the Eastern coastline of the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
A WC-130J Hercules crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron walk to their aircraft for a weather reconnaissance mission into Hurricane Sandy Oct. 29, 2012, at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. The 53rd WRS conducted weather reconnaissance missions in preparation for Hurricane Sandy making landfall along the Eastern coastline of the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
Tech. Sgt Chris Becyar, from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, conducts a pre-flight inspection on a WC-130J Hercules in preparation for a weather reconnaissance mission into Hurricane Sandy Oct. 29, 2012, at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. The 53rd WRS conducted weather reconnaissance missions in preparation for Hurricane Sandy making landfall along the Eastern coastline of the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
Lt. Col. Ty Piercefield, from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, pilots a WC-130J Hercules on a weather reconnaissance mission into Hurricane Sandy Oct. 29, 2012, somewhere over the Eastern coastline of the U.S. The 53rd WRS conducted weather reconnaissance missions in preparation for Hurricane Sandy making landfall along the Eastern coastline of the United States (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
A WC-130J Hercules, from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, flies into Hurricane Sandy Oct. 29, 2012, somewhere over the Eastern coastline of the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
A WC-130J Hercules, from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, flies into Hurricane Sandy Oct. 29, 2012 somewhere over the Eastern coastline of the U.S. The 53rd WRS conducted weather reconnaissance missions in preparation for Hurricane Sandy making landfall along the Eastern coastline of the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
A WC-130J Hercules loadmaster Chief Master Sgt. Rick Cumbo, from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, prepares a drop sonde used to measure and transfer weather data back to the aircraft while flying on a weather reconnaissance mission into Hurricane Sandy Oct. 29, 2012, somewhere over the Eastern coastline. The drop sonde is ejected into the storm from the WC-130J using a specialized launcher, which then transmits real-time weather information back to the aircraft. The 53rd WRS conducted weather reconnaissance missions in preparation for Hurricane Sandy making landfall along the Eastern coastline of the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
10/30/2012 - HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. (AFNS) -- Pilots and crewmembers from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron took off from Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., to conduct a weather reconnaissance mission over the East coast prior to Hurricane Sandy making landfall on Monday, Oct. 29. The WC-130J weather recon aircraft made a final mission before the hurricane hit the Northeast U.S. Monday evening.