53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
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53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron |
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|---|---|
 Emblem of the season |
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| active | 1944 until now |
| Country | United States |
| Armed forces | United States Armed Forces |
| Armed forces | US Air Force |
| Type | Season |
| Location | Keesler Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Hurricane Hunters |
The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron , also known by its nickname Hurricane Hunters, is an airborne unit of the United States Air Force . She is subordinate to the 403rd Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command and is stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi . Your job is to fly into tropical storms in the Atlantic and Caribbean and record weather data in and around the storm.
The Hurricane Hunters of the Air Force Reserve different from those at the MacDill AFB in Florida stationed NOAA Hurricane Hunters . These use Lockheed WP-3D Orion and Gulfstream IV-SP for similar tasks.
history
Emergence
- Established as “3rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Air Route, Medium” on August 7, 1944
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- Activated August 31, 1944
- Renamed "3rd Reconnaissance Squadron, Weather, Heavy" on January 26, 1945
- Renamed "53rd Reconnaissance Squadron, Long Range, Weather" on June 15, 1945
- Renamed "53rd Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Weather" on November 27, 1945
- Deactivated October 15, 1947
- Renamed "53rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Weather" on January 22, 1951
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- Activated February 21, 1951
- Renamed "53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron" on February 15, 1954
- Disbanded March 18, 1960
- Re-erection on January 8, 1962
- Deactivated June 30, 1991
- Activated in the AF Reserve on November 1st, 1993
Stationing locations
- Presque Isle AAFld , Maine , August 31, 1944
- Grenier Field , New Hampshire , November 9, 1944
- Morrison Field , Florida , November 8, 1946 - Jul 21, 1947
- Kindley Field , Bermuda , August 17-October 15, 1947
- Kindley AFB , Bermuda , February 21, 1951 - November 5, 1953
- Burtonwood Air Depot (later, RAF Burtonwood ), England , November 7, 1953
- RAF Alconbury , England , April 25, 1959
- RAF Mildenhall , England , August 10, 1959 - March 18, 1960
- Kindley AFB , Bermuda , January 8, 1962 - July 1, 1963
- Hunter AFB , Georgia , August 31, 1963
- Ramey AFB , Puerto Rico , June 15, 1966
- Keesler AFB , Mississippi , July 1, 1973 - June 30, 1991, November 1, 1993 -
Used aircraft types
- WC-130J Hercules , (1999-now)
- WC-130A / B / E / H Hercules , (1965-2006)
- WB-47E Stratojet , (1963-1969)
- WB-50D Superfortress , (1956-1960, 1962-1963)
- WB-29 Superfortress , (1951-1956)
- B-29 Superfortress , (1946-1947)
- RB-17 / TB-17 Flying Fortress , (1945-1947)
- B-25 / WB-25D Mitchell , (1944, 1946-1947)
Awards
- May 23 - October 31, 1945
- December 1, 1958 - September 30, 1959
- July 1, 1967 - June 30, 1968
- January 1 - December 31, 1971
- September 1, 1975 - May 1, 1977
- July 16, 1977 - July 16, 1979
- July 17, 1979 - June 15, 1981
- April 1, 1984 - March 31, 1986
- April 1, 1986 - March 31, 1988
- November 1, 1993 - April 30, 1994
- May 1, 1994 - April 30, 1996
- May 1, 1996 - August 31, 1997
See also
Web links
- 403rd Wing Official Website
- Hurricane Hunters Association website
- AF Reserve Hurricane Hunters , Facebook page
- Air Weather Reconnaissance Association website
- Whiskey Charlie! , History of the WC-130 weather plane
- Why and how do people fly in planes