Hurricane Hunters - Extreme Turbulence

[ClearedHot]

I am a weather geek and always wondered what it would be like to be a Hurricane Hunter.  

For those who followed Hurricane Melissa which is the third strongest hurricane on record (892MB and still intensifying at landfall), the NOAA and USAFR Hurricane Hunters had a constant presence as the storm built and hit Jamaica and Cuba.  USAFR flies a fleet of 10 WC-130Js and NOAA operates two PC-3's.  One of the P-3s (named Kermit), was flying a mission during the rapid intensification.  As they departed the eye and flew into the eyewall they encountered what looks to me like extreme turbulence.  Ultimately they elected to depart the storm because of the turbulence ..something that rarely happens.  Video below shows what must have been a tense ride.  Note the engineer working the throttles...or trying to while getting tossed around.
 

 

 

[Lord Ratner]

Doesn't look extreme to me. Mmayyybeee definitely severe though. That wasn't the type of turbulence that turns flight attendants and beverage carts into missiles. 

 

Or, conversely, the inescapable gravitational pull between the Earth and that crew's gigantic nuts was keeping them from being affected by the turbulence as much.

Edited 4 hours ago by Lord Ratner

[M2]

I'm digging the engineer's hat!!  🫡🫡🫡

And Kermit's bouncing all over the place! 😮😮😮

[TreeA10]

When the radar is all yellow and red (and magenta if you have turbulence detection), which way do you turn for weather avoidance?....Kermit apparently doesn't give a shit and extends the middle finger (prop?) to Melissa.

[BashiChuni]

you'd have to pay me 25 mil+ tax free to do that