Tag Archives: Hurricane pilot

Hurricane Tom

Tom teaches Jess how to cut a straight line with a power saw.

Tom teaches Jess how to cut a straight line with a power saw.

What moves people to work for the common good? Tom Strong started volunteering for Habitat after a career in the military. He was a pilot with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he flew into hurricanes, tracked tornados and followed right whales up and down the East Coast.Tom holds the world record for piloting planes into hurricanes; he’s done it 335 times and brought home many a plane peppered with holes from lightning strikes. 

He began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in Georgia and eventually was hired as a construction manager. Tom’s been a patient and helpful guide in our work this week, as has Beau Harvey. More on Beau later.

–Nancy K