About this episode
What does it take to fly into a hurricane, and why is it important? Welcome to Part 1 of our bonus podcast miniseries on The Making of Behind the Wings PBS Season 7. In this episode, Director Cray Novick and Host Tracy LaTourrette discuss stories they heard while filming The Hurricane Hunters. Join us as we explore the dare that started it all, the modified aircraft and its technology, and how the team saves millions of lives every year. This one is going to be cool! Check out the full-length episode on PBS or our YouTube channel on November 6. We can't wait to show you what we've been working on! Full Season Premiere Schedule: PBS: Episode 1 – The Hurricane Hunters: November 6, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MT Episode 2 – Building the International Space Station: November 6, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MT Episode 3 – 50 Years of the F-16: November 13, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MT Episode 4 – Unlocking Asteroid Secrets: November 13, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MT Wings’ YouTube Channel: Episode 1 – The Hurricane Hunters: November 6, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MT Episode 2 – Building the International Space Station: November 13, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MT Episode 3 – 50 Years of the F-16: November 20, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MT Episode 4 – Unlocking Asteroid Secrets: November 27, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MT Chapters: (00:00) - Intro (00:56) - Why Pick This Topic? (02:01) - The Hurricane Hunters' Origin Story (03:11) - A Personal Story (04:20) - The Flight Crew (06:27) - Why Fly Into a Hurricane? (07:57) - How the Information Is Used (08:53) - The Aircraft (09:54) - The Pilot's Perspective (10:25) - The Equipment (11:14) - The Flight Brief (12:25) - Why Propellers Are Better than Engines (13:20) - The Missions (14:16) - The Future (15:10) - Advice (16:16) - Outro