On 10 September, a US Navy P-3 Orion plane chased down Hurricane Francine, then constructing power within the Gulf of Mexico. Because the airplane flew low over the water, helmeted crewmembers referred to as “warlocks” heaved greater than a dozen scientific buoys out of an open door. This was the newest mission in a program to enhance hurricane forecasts by gathering real-time knowledge on the tumultuous interface of…