Go inside the cockpit of a NOAA Hurricane Hunter plane

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Hurricane hunters from NOAA fly through the eye of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 5, 2018. Credit: NOAA

As an organization under the 403rd wing of the United States Air Force Reserve Command, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the Hurricane Hunters, is the only organization allowed to fly into thunderstorms, tropical storms and hurricanes.

Captain Will Simmons, a pilot of the Hunter’s WC-130J aircraft, has been flying through storms for years. In fact, Simmons flew through 74 eyes of hurricanes.

“One time I flew in six times in one mission,” Simmons said.

And he even flew through Hurricane Irma about 10 times while it was a category five storm.

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