Guinness record hurricane hunter James “Doc” McFadden on flying into hurricanes

James “Doc” McFadden, who passed away on Sept. 28, spent most of his life with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for longest career as a hurricane hunter, flying his first mission to Hurricane Inez in 1966, and his final flight to Hurricane Jerry in 2019 when he was 85 years old.

Over his career, McFadden flew through over 50 hurricanes, and flew through the eyes of hurricanes 590 times, according to a post on the NOAA website.

In a January interview with oral historian Molly Graham, McFadden flying into hurricanes and even tornadoes can “get a little interesting,” according to the post. He described flying into Hurricane Hugo at 1,500 feet and losing an engine in the middle of the eyewall.

“Got into the eye, and we were going down, not up. I think we ended up about seven hundred and fifty feet above the surface before they recovered,” he told Graham. “Then, once they recovered, they were able to climb in the eye and get up to a safer altitude, get out, and get back to Barbados. But it was one of my nine lives. I say I have nine lives; that was one of my nine lives.”

Yet, even with incidents such as that, McFadden told Graham he was never afraid to fly into a hurricane, according to the post.

“Sure, guys get paid a paltry hazard duty fee for flying hurricanes, but the planes are certainly up to it, the crew is more than capable,” he told Graham.

McFadden acknowledged the inherent danger of tempting a huge storm, but said they were never worried about making it back, according to the release.

And he knew he was doing important work as well.

“It’s important to forecast. It’s important to improving the forecast,” he told Graham. “We’re research guys over here. We’re developing the tools to help the Weather Service improve, track an intensity forecast.”