http://uap-www.nrl.navy.mil/dynamics/html/er2.gif

here's a link to one of nasa ER2 aircraft..usually they fly really HIGH, above G4's i think.... a lot of research is being put into the storm.... flights today and friday will cover the whole GOM and east side of florida and around the storm....so i would expect tonight the models with today's dropsonde data would have a pretty good handle on the storm.

side note:
The NASA ER2 aircraft is flown solo at 20 km and carries a suite
of instruments similar to those on satellites. The CV-580 and ER2
were often operated simultaneously below the TERRA satellite and
above instrumented ground sites for validation of satellite measurements.