A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-14-03....Hurricane Hunters

dansangel; Billie

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

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We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, daisyscarlett, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear

Hurricane Hunters

While most of us who have been through the fury of a hurricane would do everything we could to avoid bearing the brunt of its destructive energy, there are some very special individuals who purposely fly into the storm to gather data for the National Hurricane Center. They have come to be known as "Hurricane Hunters."

The Hurricane Hunters who are stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi typically fly in a WC-130 Hercules aircraft. The crew is made up of six people; the aircraft commander, pilot, flight engineer, navigator, weather officer and a dropsonde (more about that in a minute) system operator.

Hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30 as most residents of the East Coast and Gulf regions know all too well. Most tropical depressions that grow into full-fledged hurricanes begin their "lives" off of the coast of Africa. While travelling over the Atlantic Ocean, these tropical depressions may find conditions ripe for building up to hurricane force.

Once that happens, the Hurricane Hunters swing into action. Boarding the WC-130 Hercules and taking off on their mission, these very brave people actually fly into the storm, recording data on position, dewpoint and pressure readings every thirty seconds and beaming this information, by satellite, to the National Hurricane Center.

One of the methods used to gather this information is via a dropsonde. This device is a small canister about the size of a large "Pringles" chips can. The dropsonde acts as a "mini-weather station" and is fired out into the storm by the system operator. While the dropsonde is falling, a parachute is deployed, allowing the device to transmit important information in tandem with the weather officer's onboard computer. This data is interpreted at the National Hurricane Center so that appropriate life-saving warnings may be broadcast to those in the storm's path. In addition to helping forecasters to make accurate predictions during the course of the storm, the data also aids hurricane forecasters in their understanding of what makes such a storm "tick," improving their forecast models.

In the event that Keesler AFB is inaccessible due to a hurricane positioned in the Gulf, Charleston AFB, Patrick AFB and Homestead AFB are all alternate locations for the Hurricane Hunters. No matter where the storm is located nor how intense, the Hurricane Hunters are ever-ready to put themselves into harm's way so that lives may be saved.

May God bless and protect those that risk their lives in an effort to save ours. It is with great pleasure that I bring the "Hurricane Hunters" to a Few of FR's Finest!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-12-03 Military Monday 05-13-03 How Does Your Garden Grow?

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

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God Bless Our Military

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Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Daisyscarlett; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

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We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LadyX....................grandson LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty The Mayor................niece

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover...........nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort...........2 daughters Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn.............2 sons kneezles...........son

[dixie sass]

lol.

[GailA]

Morning ALL...coffee's on

[dixie sass]

Mornin'

[Pippin]

Good Morning, Nic!

Forget what I said yesterday about going to Florida in January.

I I was premature in posting that info. I can't afford it!

I was supposed to go to a gathering for Tolkien fans (The folks on the Hobbit Hole thread)

But I can't go to Florida or anywhere else at this moment :O(

But I can still freep! :O)

[Temple Owl]

A very good morning dear angel and all. Have a second cuppa or something and enjoy life.

[dixie sass]

Morning Molly! It sure was good to hear your voice last night on Patriots of the Republic and Second Amendment. Sorry about the abrupt departure. Just a new problem or two since the accident.

Tell me everything that has happened in the last week since you have been out of pocket, so to speak.

1/6 of the D.C. Six to another 1/6. Together we are 1/3, I have not idea where that came from,lol.

[Lee'sGhost]

Help! I would love to have one of the neat little doll icons you guys use all the time. I need one that shows a blond girl on a motorcycle. It's a joke on a dear friend.

Anybody . . .

And good morning!!!

[dixie sass]

Welcome to the club Pippin - although, if we stuck out our thumbs, we could go places!!!

[dansangel]

Good morning, ((((((Meekie))))))!

It's gray and dreary here today and a *hot chocolate* would sure perk me up! :-)

[dansangel]

When I arrived at the check in desk, and the fellow asked me my weight, I knew this ride would be something different!!!

Oh my goodness! What if people *lied* about their weight? That is so funny!

(((((((((Molly)))))))))) - so great to see you! have a wonderful day!

[dansangel]

Whoops ! Today is WEDNESDAY, not Tuesday ! . . .

Please don't make this week any longer...LOL!

[dansangel]

Having gone through a few hurricanes (Yep, Hugo was one). How devastating ((((((((dixie sass))))))))))! Thank-you for sharing your experiences with the planes and the Hurricane Hunters. .45MAN is a former Air Force member and he has a lot of respect for the C-130s and what the brave Hurricane Hunters do. We actually have a friend that does this who couldn't be named in my article for legal purposes. His wife surely does worry about him!

[dansangel]

((((((((Gail))))))))

Thanks for the coffee and biscuits! Remember me to Rocky with the usual tummy rub and scratch behind the ears!

[dansangel]

Howdy ((((((Pippin)))))))

Happy hump-day!

[dansangel]

((((((((Temple Owl)))))))

I'm going to take you up on that second cup....Meekie, another hot chocolate, please! :-)

[Lee'sGhost]

Hugo. Been there, done that.

[Molly Pitcher]

dixie, hello! Of course, I'm a strong SA supporter (hence my name) and charter SA Sister, but that wasn't me last night, or at least THIS Molly! LOL!

Glad THAT Molly did a good job, tho.

Where and what was this? On the radio?

dansangel, no fibs allowed! :-))(The young fellow manning the desk could always guess a weight for you, probably)

[dansangel]

Sorry ((((((LG))))))), can't help you with that one. Now, if it was a smiley you were wanting, I have plenty of those!

Must get back to w-o-r-k ugh! Will check back in at lunch time.

[nicmarlo]

I can't afford it!

: ( I'm sorry, Pippin; I know what that's like though.....