While waiting at Portland International Airport (KPDX) for a commercial flight, I spotted a NOAA WP-3D aircraft taxing out for takeoff. The aircraft was NOAA 42, N42RF.
NOAA often flies research missions out of the Pacific Northwest doing wind and storm research out along the Pacific coast. Here is a link to the NOAA web page describing what the annual missions are all about this year:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080211_p3.html
