Cold winds don’t stop Hurricane Hunters: Winter storm missions begin December 17, 2020 The Hurricane Hunter patch on the right arm of Maj. Stephen Pituch, a pilot flying a mission out of Savannah Air National Guard Base, Ga., on Sept. 12, 2018. (Tech. Sgt. Chris Hibben/Air Force) The Hurricane Hunters flew their first mission to study winter storms this winter season out of Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi on Tuesday. The WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron are best known for flying through the eyes of furious hurricanes. But even in the winter months, the Air Force said in a Thursday release, Hurricane Hunters are needed to collect vital meteorological data on severe seasonal storms.