NORTH KINGSTON, R.I. (WHDH) — Hurricanes are known for wreaking havoc but some brave pilots take flight into the eye of the storms.
The public will be able to meet some of those pilots along with explore two powerful planes — the USAF Reserve WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft and the NOAA Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft — during the East Coast Hurricane Awareness Tour’s stop at the Quonset State Airport in North Kingston, Rhode Island between 2 and 5 p.m. Monday.
The stop marks the first time since 2011 that the tour has come to southern New England.
Air Force pilot Jeff Ragusa is one of the people on hand who has entered the eye of several hurricanes.
“We count how many times we penetrate the eyewall,” he said. “I have 90 hurricane penetrations going into this season.”
The pilots drive their planes into hurricanes to collect valuable data for research.
The last time a hurricane hit southern New England was Hurricane Bob back in 1991.
The tour will continue Tuesday in Middletown, Pennsylvania, followed by a stop in Roanoke, Virginia on Wednesday, and ending in Brunswick, Georgia on Friday.
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