NOAA Hurricane Hunters Moving to Lakeland

LAKELAND, FL — When the National Oceanic and Aeronautic Administration’s Hurricane Hunters fly into storms next year, they’ll take off from a new location. A move from Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base to Lakeland Linder Regional Airport was announced Wednesday.

The newly minted lease agreement between the federal agency and the City of Lakeland comes with a $13 million price tag for a 10-year lease on 100,000-square-foot space at the airport. NOAA intends to move about 100 people and nine aircraft, including its famous P-3 Orions “Miss Piggy” and “Kermit," to the new site. The move out of MacDill is expected to take place after May 1, 2017.

The U.S. Air Force’s decision to end its MacDill contract with NOAA prompted the need for the Hurricane Hunters to find a new home base for operations, NOAA explained in a media release. The Air Force notified NOAA on Feb. 1 that it would need to find a replacement for the hangar and facilities in Tampa the agency has used since 1993.

“We thank the MacDill Air Force Base community for their hospitality and support over the years,” said NOAA Corps Capt. Michael J. Silah, AOC’s commanding officer. “We will continue to work with all of our partners in the region and look forward to serving the nation from Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.”

The city’s lease agreement has two five-year terms. The city will be paid about $6.8 million for the first five-year lease on the 3450 Flightline Drive Airside Center. An additional $5.8 million will be paid if the second five-year term is acted upon. Lakeland’s lease agreement proposal was the lowest “technically acceptable” offer NOAA received, the agency noted. Bids were accepted from airport facilities within 50 “road-miles of the MacDill Air Force Base main gate.”

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport also put in a bid for the contract.

The announcement of the agreement between NOAA and Lakeland was made on the last official day of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The Hurricane Hunters should be in their new home before the kickoff of the 2017 season, which starts June 1.

Hurricane Hunters fly specially equipped aircraft into storms. The planes "play an integral role in hurricane forecasting," NOAA explained on its website. "Data collected during hurricanes by these high-flying meteorological stations help forecasters make accurate predictions during a hurricane and help hurricane researchers achieve a better understanding of storm processes, improving their forecast models."

Striking the deal with NOAA is a major feather in Lakeland's cap, Gene Conrad told The Ledger.

"This is probably one of our most significant wins over the last 10 to 20 years," the paper quoted Conrad as saying.

Photo courtesy of NOAA