Gulfstream G550; KingAir 350CER Ordered By NOAA The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced yesterday that it has ordered two new aircraft to join its fleet of nine of aircraft serving in environmental data-gathering fields. NOAA awarded a contract to Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation for the purchase of a new Gulfstream G550. This $40.7 million contract award is for the base airframe, which will be modified for use in supporting hurricane and tropical storm forecasts, atmospheric research, and other NOAA missions. The G550 is expected to be delivered to NOAA by late 2022. Below is a photo of NOAA's Gulfstream GIV-SP that is currently engaged in data gathering concerning Tropical Storm Dorian.
The other aircraft on order is from another American manufacturer, Textron Aviation. The Beechcraft King Air 350CER will be another valued asset. Once completed, the aircraft will be outfitted with remote sensing equipment that will measure the water content of snow and soil — data that is used for flood, river level and water supply forecasts. The aircraft can also be configured to support other NOAA missions, including coastal mapping and aerial surveys of damage in communities after a storm landfall. The aircraft will be built at Textron Aviation’s factory in Wichita, Kansas and is expected to be in service by late spring of 2021. The contract for this aircraft is around $11.8 million dollars. For more information: NOAA 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 5128, Washington, DC 20230 www.noaa.gov ***
