Editing 2353: Hurricane Hunters
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
+ | {{incomplete|Created by a HURRICANE'S EYE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
− | The comic strip opens with [[Black Hat]] explaining to [[Cueball]] (who is presumed to be some government official) that flying into hurricanes, while risky, provides valuable scientific data. Although the {{w|Eye (cyclone)|eye}} itself is relatively calm, it is surrounded by the '''eyewall''', a region of extremely intense thunderstorms. Thus, the danger of flying through such storms must be carefully weighed against the scientific knowledge being gained. | + | The comic strip opens with [[Black Hat]] explaining to [[Cueball]] (who is presumed to be some government official) that flying into hurricanes, while risky, provides valuable scientific data. This is true–in the eye of a hurricane, there is quiet for just a moment, a yellow sky. Although the {{w|Eye (cyclone)|eye}} itself is relatively calm, it is surrounded by the '''eyewall''', a region of extremely intense thunderstorms. Thus, the danger of flying through such storms must be carefully weighed against the scientific knowledge being gained. Highly-trained pilots with specialized aircraft, such as the {{w|NOAA Hurricane Hunters}} and the US Air Force's {{w|53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron}} (also nicknamed "Hurricane Hunters"), will occasionally conduct such missions, although they usually fly over storms and drop probes through them. |
− | However, Cueball's comment in the third panel shows that Black Hat is not discussing the activity of hurricane hunting in general, but rather is attempting to justify his decision to fly a passenger jet through the eye of a hurricane | + | However, Cueball's comment in the third panel shows that Black Hat is not discussing the activity of hurricane hunting in general, but rather is attempting to justify his decision to fly a passenger jet through the eye of a hurricane (perhaps {{w|Hurricane Laura}}, which was active during the week prior to this comic strip's publication). It's not clear if Black Hat is (somehow) a jet pilot himself, or has come into ownership of an airline and was merely directing a flight, but the passengers wanted to go to St. Louis, Missouri, which is [https://www.homefacts.com/hurricanes/Missouri/St.-Louis-City-County/St.-Louis.html only very rarely struck by hurricanes] (although [https://www.homefacts.com/tornadoes/Missouri/St.-Louis-City-County/St.-Louis.html tornadoes are of greater concern]), so presumably the jet was taken quite far out of its way to conduct the "experiment". Passenger airliners are not meant to fly into hurricanes{{Citation needed}}, and can easily crash there. Black Hat replies that the passengers should be proud of their contributions to meteorology, which is probably negligible, as they were not actively collecting useful scientific data. |
− | + | In the title text, Black Hat says that their flight gathered data on the ''possibility'' of making loops in the eye of the hurricane by passenger airliners, but if it had ''actually done'' a loop, he probably would have said so. (The Boeing 707 ''was'' made to successfully execute a barrel roll and fly inverted [https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/60-years-ago-the-famous-boeing-707-barrel-roll-over-lake-washington/ during a 1955 test flight], but probably no commercial jetliner could perform any advanced aerobatic maneuvers under load.) | |
− | + | It is possible that this is his justification of why passengers contributed to meteorology. However, passenger airliners' abilities to do loops has nothing to do with that field of science. Moreover, the same data could be gathered by flying the same airliner without passengers, or with willing ones. | |
− | + | In the real world, Black Hat would certainly go to prison for what he's done{{Citation needed}}. | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
+ | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
:[Black hat facing left] | :[Black hat facing left] | ||
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[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
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