How the USAF collects hurricane data with big, big airplanes.

I am an Air Force Brat. Growing up, my dad used to talk about all of the services the USAF provides to our country and the world. It employs many musicians, advances airplane safety for civilians, and conducts and sponsors plenty of research. This post will focus on the USAF's unique position to advance weather and climate science via data collection in big, honkin' airplanes that can fly through hurricanes.

Weather forecasting requires data. As reported by Debbie Elliot for NPR, the Air Force collects data that, specifically, will help us better predict severe weather and save lives.

Aside: This whole mission started on a bet:

HOW TO USE IN CLASS:

-I tell my students repeatedly that I'm not trying to turn them into the world's best statisticians. I'm trying to help them learn how to be themselves, with their interests and abilities, but fluent in statistical literacy. This lesson goes better when I can have examples of data jobs that aren't traditional data jobs.

-Research assistants come in all shapes and sizes.

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