A historical prespective of the use of P-3 aircrafts for airborne hurricane research was discussed. With large fuselage volume, shirtsleeve cabin environment, substantial electrical generation capacity, relatively slow true airspeed, and long range and duration, P-3s have proved to be ideal platforms for hurricane research. The P-3s were the platforms for development of both airborne Doppler radar and microwave sensing of surface winds. However, in the wake of hurricane Andrew, Aircraft Operation Center (AOC) decided to ground hurricane research mission involving P-3s due to its low reliability and high maintenance.
