Flying for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the WP-3D Orion is known as “Hurricane Hunter”. Derived from the US Navy P-3 Orion, the WP-3D is a tough and rugged airplane very well suited to rigorous hurricane conditions. The extreme conditions encountered when flying through such a storm make this a job not for the faint of heart. NOAA operates two such airplanes. Crews fly into hurricanes and obtain valuable data and measurements about the strength and intensity of the storm. This information is invaluable and serves to save the lives of countless thousands in the path of the storm.