Hurricane hunter pilot shares perils of flying through 200 mph winds during Hurricane Milton

CHICAGO - As hurricane season presses on, scientists are the ones to thank for gathering data that enables the most accurate forecasts possible.

NOAA Hurricane Hunters are brave enough to fly into extreme storms multiple times a day for hours at a time — even as winds, such as those in Hurricane Milton, reach nearly 200 mph. 

FOX 32's Kaitlin Cody had the opportunity to speak with NOAA WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter pilot, Commander Josh Rannenberg, who flew into Hurricane Milton, to get an inside look at one of the most fascinating jobs imaginable.

The planes carry instruments that continuously transmit measurements of pressure, humidity, temperature, wind direction and speed as they fall toward the sea, providing a detailed look at the storm's structure and intensity. 

The P-3s' tail Doppler radar and lower fuselage radar systems, meanwhile, scan the storm vertically and horizontally, giving scientists and forecasters a real-time view of the storm.

Rannenberg described the human side of the mission, explaining what it feels like to be in a plane during extreme turbulence. 

He shared stories of his scariest moments and how his own family had to escape Hurricane Milton as he flew through the massive storm.