Newly repainted, HIAPER, a Gulfstream V (GV) business jet that has been highly modified for research has unique capabilities that set it apart from other research aircraft. It can reach 51,000 feet (15,500 meters), enabling scientists to collect data at the tops of storms and the lower edge of the stratosphere. With a range of about 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers), it can track atmospheric particles across the oceans or reach the South Pole from bases in South America or New Zealand.