NOAA operates a wide range of specialized aircraft that collect data vital to protecting lives and understanding the Earth.

NOAA’s fleet of ten crewed aircraft is operated, managed and maintained by the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, part NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO). Located at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida, the center serves as the main base for OMAO’s fleet and provides capable, mission-ready aircraft and professional crews to the scientific community. The NOAA Aircraft Operations Center is committed to the safe, efficient and economical use of NOAA aircraft and has more than four decades of experience developing, coordinating and successfully and safely conducting airborne environmental data gathering missions.