VPNAVY - NOAA History Summary Page - VP Patrol Squadron -
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Published on: 12/19/2003
Last Visited: 7/14/2004
Lowell Genzlinger is Aircraft Commander, a veteran of 249 hurricane eye penetrations.
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Janice has just received her pre-flight safety briefing from Lowell, the Aircraft Commander.
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Lowell and Jim and I look at each other, and smile.
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I step in, hold up a thumb to Lowell, Gerry, and Steve.
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replies Lowell.
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"Lowell, they want to go in at 1,500 feet.
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"All right," sighs Lowell.
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replies Lowell.
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"OK, leveling out at 1,500 feet," calls out Lowell.
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I wait for either Frank or Lowell to order a climb to 5,000 feet.
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Frank breaks in. "Lowell, Jeff, this ride is way too rough!
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Gerry and Lowell are barely in control of the aircraft.
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Lowell's relieved voice breaks the intense silence.
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Lowell and Frank take charge of keeping us in the eye, scanning the inside to size up where our path should take us.
A dark mass of clouds lies directly ahead, seconds away.Is it the eyewall?
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It is now up to Gerry and Lowell to get us out of the crisis I got us into.
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"All right," Lowell continues, "Number three engine is shut down, and it looks like we got the fire fully extinguished.Can anyone back there take a good look at number four and tell us what it looks like?"
Across the aisle from me, Sean looks out his window and responds, "It looks like it might be a dislodged de-icing boot."
"Well, let's hope it doesn't tear of and get caught in the propeller," says Lowell.
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cries Lowell.
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I leave my seat, and step into the cockpit to confer with Lowell.
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"We've got to stay in the eye and lighten the aircraft up as much as possible," Lowell responds.He does not look up from the controls as he talks.He sounds very worried, but is focused, in command.I look across the cockpit at Gerry.He is concentrating intensely on flying, keeping the airplane safely within the eye and steadily climbing.Between Lowell and Gerry, flight engineer Steve Wade intently eyes the engine gauges, and keeps a particularly close eye on the #4 engine's temperature gauge, which hovers near the red zone.
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"The cockpit G-meter shows we took five and half G's up and three and half G's down," continues Lowell, now sounding really concerned.
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adds Lowell.
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"Lowell, we're ready back here for fuel dumping," says Alan over the intercom.
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"Roger, we'll begin dumping now," replies Lowell.
I watch as a stream of jet fuel squirts out into the air through a three inch wide tube slung under the left wing.
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Terry and Alan turn the communications equipment back on, and Lowell immediately contacts the TEAL 57, the Air Force C-130 reconnaissance airplane sent into the storm by the National Hurricane Center to provide information on Hugo's position and intensity.
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"Roger," relies Lowell.
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Lowell gives him our current position and heading, and the two aircraft commanders proceed to coordinate a close fly-by in the eye of Hugo.
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responds Lowell.
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replies Lowell.
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"Roger, TEAL 57, thank you," responded Lowell.
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Lowell contacts the Air Force airplane.
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