“It’s really close to hurricane season, so it’s really a thing that gets people thinking about hurricane preparedness and getting students the materials to bring home to their parents,” said Dan Reilley of the National Weather Service, Houston-Galveston office. “We have a bunch of partners here — the American Red Cross, the City of Houston, Centerpointe Energy (and more.)”
The “Hurricane Hunter” is a 38-year old behemoth of an aircraft that flies into the heart of hurricanes to take measurements and collect meterological data, helping future meteorologists present better forecasts of hurricanes to come.
Five other aircrafts were on public display: the P-51D Mustang “Dakota Kid II,” P-40KWarhawk “Aleutian Tiger,” TBM-3E “Avenger,” B-25J Mitchell “Betty’s Dream” and a P-51D Mustang “Little Horse.”
All of the planes were used in WWII, and attendees were reminded of the humbling youth of those that sat in the planes’ cockpits: 19-and-20-year olds boys whom would often fly into combat with the knowledge that they didn’t have enough fuel to return home.
