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Subject: H4) Can I get a seat on a hurricane flight?

Contributed by Neal Dorst (HRD)

Sorry, but only people who are part of the mission are allowed on military and public aircraft. This may include accredited members of the press, provided they are working on a current story involving the storm.
If you are an accredited reporter and want to know how to arrange for your involvement in future flights with the

  • Air Force Reserve Command's Hurricane Hunters, please contact the Public Affairs Office of the 403rd Wing at (228) 377-2056. For their "Q&A for the Media" click here.
  • NOAA civilian hurricane aircraft contact Lori Bast (813) 828-3310 ext. 3072 or click here for information.

Please note that seats are not always available on every flight, and that there is a limit of two seats per media outlet on a given flight. NOAA maintains a lengthy list of requests to fly aboard their aircraft during hurricane missions. If a hurricane is threatening landfall, local media will be given the first opportunity to fly. Due to the dynamics of hurricanes, flight plans can and do change right up until the last minute and flights are often cancelled. All of your contact information (cell numbers, pagers, home/office numbers) is extremely helpful in alerting you to changes.

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