Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport

Today is the anniversary of the first hurricane hunter flight, a 1943 flight into a hurricane resulting from a friendly bet.  Hard to imagine flying into a storm of such strength without the assistance of modern GPS, radar, etc.  Although a "storm patrol bill" supported by the U.S. Weathaer Bureau was passed in 1936, flights did not become official until 1946, at which time meteorological data recording commenced. 

Photo courtesy of NOAA:  View of Hurricane Katrina eye taken from hurricane hunter.