115 miles an hour, making hurricane danny a category 3. this is why we put airplanes into hurricanes, because this gives us the best picture of really what s going on. ian is the quarterback of the elite team of pilots and scientists and engineers. most aircraft in the world avoid the weather, we seek it out and fly through it. reporter: a former naver aviator this is the co-pilot s first hurricane. in the navy did they tell to you go into the bad weather? no. how do you feel you did? you didn t crash the plane. well, we re having this conversation so i must have done all right. reporter: weather sensors or dropsons are critical to the mission. measuring factors like wind speed, direction, humidity and ocean temperature. predicting nature s most destructive and costly storms.