I added this to my section on FLYING as an additional link off that page, as well as my main site page. You can also click the link below to jump right to this new section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/aeroeng.htm
Monday, December 27, 2010
Aero Engines Section Added (12/26)
I have put together an interesting section on aircraft flight and propulsion principles. It is valuable for any aviation enthusiast, especially students, and has diagrams and illustrations for reference purposes.
I added this to my section on FLYING as an additional link off that page, as well as my main site page. You can also click the link below to jump right to this new section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/aeroeng.htm
I added this to my section on FLYING as an additional link off that page, as well as my main site page. You can also click the link below to jump right to this new section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/aeroeng.htm
Lunar Eclipse (12/21)
There was a Lunar eclipse during the overnight hours of December 20-21, 2010 (late night / early morning). In south Florida, the eclipse lasted from roughly 2:30 AM through 3:30 AM EST. Clear and cool conditions made for perfect viewing of the event, where the Earth's shadow is cast on the sun-lit face of the Moon (the opposite of a solar eclipse, where the Moon's shadow is cast on the earth).
Click the link below to see a short video of the event (links to YouTube videos) that has been posted. The video is about 3 minutes.
www.sky-chaser.com/lunevid1.htm
Click the link below to see a short video of the event (links to YouTube videos) that has been posted. The video is about 3 minutes.
www.sky-chaser.com/lunevid1.htm
New 2010 Chase DVD (12/1)
See storm chasing highlights from 2009 AND 2010 in "TWO YEARS OF STORMS" DVD! Nearly two hours of compelling footage starts with two chases in 2009, including June 5th in Nebraska and Wyoming. In 2010 see the devastation and emergency response in Yazoo City, Mississippi, just minutes after a violent tornado struck the town.
Awe at the beautiful storm structure across the Central USA in May 2010. See a mile-wide violent tornado grinding its way across the farmland north of Bowdle, South Dakota, plus many other storms and tornadoes. See Pike's peak in Colorado at over 14,000 feet above sea level, then it's off to Bermuda to chase Hurricane Igor!
For more information and how to order this DVD, please check out the special OFFERS section of my web site, and you can click the link provided for it below to jump right to that section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/offers12.htm
Awe at the beautiful storm structure across the Central USA in May 2010. See a mile-wide violent tornado grinding its way across the farmland north of Bowdle, South Dakota, plus many other storms and tornadoes. See Pike's peak in Colorado at over 14,000 feet above sea level, then it's off to Bermuda to chase Hurricane Igor!
For more information and how to order this DVD, please check out the special OFFERS section of my web site, and you can click the link provided for it below to jump right to that section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/offers12.htm
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Hurricane Season Ends (11/30)
The Atlantic hurricane season ended on November 30, 2010. Despite it being the third busiest season in history, NO hurricanes made landfall in the United States. Actually, only weak tropical storms, including Bonnie ever affected the US mainland directly. Anything even worth chasing in the USA was the northern fringes of hurricane Alex (extreme southern Texas in late June), tropical storm Bonnie (near Miami, Florida in late July), and the weak western fringes of hurricane Earl (outer banks of North Carolina in early September).
Major international chases were a bit better, and included hurricanes Alex and Karl in Mexico and hurricane Igor near Bermuda. Other than that, MOST major activity stayed in the far eastern Atlantic with storms recurving out to sea long before reaching any land. My hurricane chasing / tropical weather section is updated each year and is in my STORM CHASING section of my web site, and you can click the link provided for it below to jump right to that section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/stormc.htm
Major international chases were a bit better, and included hurricanes Alex and Karl in Mexico and hurricane Igor near Bermuda. Other than that, MOST major activity stayed in the far eastern Atlantic with storms recurving out to sea long before reaching any land. My hurricane chasing / tropical weather section is updated each year and is in my STORM CHASING section of my web site, and you can click the link provided for it below to jump right to that section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/stormc.htm
California For 2-Weeks (11/15)
I just got back from a two week trip to California visiting best friends of mine and enjoying the never-ending outdoor and scenic activities to be had there. I covered all scenic aspects of the state, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, from down to the sea and up to the mountains! If you love the great outdoors, California is the place for you ... Heck, I did so much hiking and outdoor stuff I still lost 10-15 LBs despite drinking lots of wine and eating more!
I posted many pictures in my OUTDOORS section of this web site, and you can click the link provided for it below to jump right to that section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/outdoors.htm
I posted many pictures in my OUTDOORS section of this web site, and you can click the link provided for it below to jump right to that section.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/outdoors.htm
Skydive From 18,000+ Ft (11/13)
One of the extreme activities I did during my 2-week stay in California was a visit to the Skydive Monterey Bay drop zone. They take jumpers to at least 18,000 feet (supplemental oxygen is available) on many skydives and I have a video of two of them I did.
You can see video of this skydive by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skygpv3.htm
You can see video of this skydive by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skygpv3.htm
Storm Chase Vehicles (10/25)
You have seen them on the Discovery Channel and may have seen them on the road while chasing in tornado alley. Myself being a storm chaser, I see them nearly every day when I am chasing during tornado / hurricane season. These are the storm chase vehicles, and they range from privately owned cars, to exotic scientific machines, and even aircraft.
Check out this special new section in my STORM CHASING part of this web site, or click the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/chasev.htm
Check out this special new section in my STORM CHASING part of this web site, or click the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/chasev.htm
Wow - Typhoon "Megi" (10/17)
The true violence of a tropical cyclone at maximum intensity is a sight to behold when typhoon "Megi" affected the Phillipines and China a half a world away from the US in the western Pacific basin in mid October 2010. Typhoons are the same systems as hurricanes, just the name if different in that part of the world.
In the image above, typhoon "Megi" reaches maximum intensity as it bears down on the NE coast of the Philippines (Luzon), with insane core winds exceeding 180 MPH with higher gusts. Chasing something like this is like driving into an EF-5 tornado that's 40 miles wide! A handful of chasers intercepted the storm, including James Reynolds (Hong Kong) and Geoff Mackley (Australia). Fortunatly, the landfall area near Davilican Bay was rural and mountainous. This made it hard for any intercepts of the typhoon core there.
In the image above, typhoon "Megi" reaches maximum intensity as it bears down on the NE coast of the Philippines (Luzon), with insane core winds exceeding 180 MPH with higher gusts. Chasing something like this is like driving into an EF-5 tornado that's 40 miles wide! A handful of chasers intercepted the storm, including James Reynolds (Hong Kong) and Geoff Mackley (Australia). Fortunatly, the landfall area near Davilican Bay was rural and mountainous. This made it hard for any intercepts of the typhoon core there.
Hurricane Paule (10/14)
The "good luck" streak for a non-hurricane landfall in 2010 continues with a very small hurricane Paula weaking to a tropical storm over western Cuba around October 14, 2010. Although "good luck" for most people in the USA, this is very "bad luck" for storm chasers seeking hurricanes to intercept. Paula seemed to be a rather promising prospect as the W Carribbean / Gulf of Mexico is normally active in October. Paula was a very small storm with a core flow barely 50 miles wide, even at maximum intensity when it had 100-MPH winds (the hurricane forced winds barely exceeded 15 miles from the center).
In the images above, note that the storm center (depicted by the red "X" in the satellite images) is on the SW side of the central overcast as strong vertical wind shear / mid-level dry air causes Paula to weaken rapidly over western Cuba.
In the images above, note that the storm center (depicted by the red "X" in the satellite images) is on the SW side of the central overcast as strong vertical wind shear / mid-level dry air causes Paula to weaken rapidly over western Cuba.
Skydiving Past Clouds Video (10/2)
Here is another video of a skydive I made using the GoPro "Hero" HD camera. This video shows what it's like to fall through / past a cloud deck (altocumulus undulatus) at speed.
You can see video of this skydive by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skygpv2.htm
You can see video of this skydive by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skygpv2.htm
Monday, September 27, 2010
Skydiving HD Video (9/26)
With last week's chase of hurricane "Igor" in Bermuda, my new GoPro "Hero" HD camera was indispensible for getting some of the amazing shots. With such a rugged waterproof and stable enclosure, it can be mounted just about anywhere. This time I did one of my "regular" skydives with this tiny tapeless camera affixed to my left wrist. The HD video it captured was awesome, and all extreme sports (skydiving included) are taking advantage of this.
The images above were captured during one of my skydives with the camera on my wrist, offering a unique perspective. You can see video of this skydive by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skygpv1.htm
The images above were captured during one of my skydives with the camera on my wrist, offering a unique perspective. You can see video of this skydive by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skygpv1.htm
Hurricane Igor Chase (9/21)
I am finished with a pretty successful hurricane Igor interception in the tiny island of Bermuda. The hurricane chase was from Saturday, September 19 through Tuesday, September 21, 2010. I am back in Florida in the United States and I have prepared a chase-log for the storm.
You can see my intercept of hurricane Igor (my chase log for it) by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/igor10.htm
You can see my intercept of hurricane Igor (my chase log for it) by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/igor10.htm
Hurricanes 2010 (9/15)
The Atlantic hurricane season of 2010 has been a very active season so far (as of mid September 2010); however, none of the most violent storms have affected land. The above-normal sea surface temperature anomaly in the far eastern Atlantic is producing more hurricanes, but fortunately the development so-far-out east is actually causing the Eastern US to be spared, with hurricane Earl being the closest shave of one of these missing-the-US storms.
In the image above, two powerful hurricanes (Igor and Julia) are raging in the far tropical Atlantic, far from any land. The image to the right is a close-up of the eye of Hurricane Igor at maximum intensity on September 13. None of these storms were affecting anyone at this time; with fish, birds, and whales most likely the only "beings" experiencing the fury of these hurricanes! Even ships do not travel through that part of the ocean very often.
During the Cape Verde season (September), tropical waves normally move off Africa and do not develop into a close circulation until making their way across the ocean (near the Windward Islands). An "open" tropical wave, like a wave in a river going across the current, can propagate THROUGH a trough / weakness in the steering flow (still move WEST although the trade wind flow is SE). Tropical cyclones that develop RIGHT OFF the African coast, often gain latitude (they do NOT move due WEST, but more WNW). This is because a CLOSED low always moves with the flow it’s embedded in (if the trade winds are SE nearing a trough, the low moves NW, not WEST like an "open" tropical wave would).
By the time these systems reach the western Atlantic (near longitude 60 to 65 west or so), they have already missed the northern Antilles / Puerto Rico, and are more susceptible to be picked up by a stronger trough and re-curve into the westerlies and into the North Atlantic. Sometimes the tiny island of Bermuda is affected by these, but a DIRECT hit there is rare.
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
In the image above, two powerful hurricanes (Igor and Julia) are raging in the far tropical Atlantic, far from any land. The image to the right is a close-up of the eye of Hurricane Igor at maximum intensity on September 13. None of these storms were affecting anyone at this time; with fish, birds, and whales most likely the only "beings" experiencing the fury of these hurricanes! Even ships do not travel through that part of the ocean very often.
During the Cape Verde season (September), tropical waves normally move off Africa and do not develop into a close circulation until making their way across the ocean (near the Windward Islands). An "open" tropical wave, like a wave in a river going across the current, can propagate THROUGH a trough / weakness in the steering flow (still move WEST although the trade wind flow is SE). Tropical cyclones that develop RIGHT OFF the African coast, often gain latitude (they do NOT move due WEST, but more WNW). This is because a CLOSED low always moves with the flow it’s embedded in (if the trade winds are SE nearing a trough, the low moves NW, not WEST like an "open" tropical wave would).
By the time these systems reach the western Atlantic (near longitude 60 to 65 west or so), they have already missed the northern Antilles / Puerto Rico, and are more susceptible to be picked up by a stronger trough and re-curve into the westerlies and into the North Atlantic. Sometimes the tiny island of Bermuda is affected by these, but a DIRECT hit there is rare.
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Why No EARL Chase? (9/2)
Hurricane Earl is passing to the east of the outer banks of North Carolina giving folks (and many chasers) there the WEAKER side of the storm (left side), a night-time event, and a weakening system due to shear (strong winds aloft). I was a go for this storm just a day ago, packed up and ready to head to North Carolina from south Florida.
The chase was cancelled at the last minute with both careful consideration and great deliberation. As good as the storm looked early on Thursday, September 2, increasing wind shear caused steady weakening of the system, as well as a jog OFF the coast (no landfall). Storm chasers there, even on Cape Hattaras, should only experience hurricane forced gusts (at best) and big waves, and in total darkness.
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
The chase was cancelled at the last minute with both careful consideration and great deliberation. As good as the storm looked early on Thursday, September 2, increasing wind shear caused steady weakening of the system, as well as a jog OFF the coast (no landfall). Storm chasers there, even on Cape Hattaras, should only experience hurricane forced gusts (at best) and big waves, and in total darkness.
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
Monday, August 30, 2010
Remembering Katrina (8/28)
August 28 marks the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in the Northern Gulf Coast in 2005. This storm was a devastating storm, with a record storm surge approaching thirty feet in height, that caused massive devastation and loss of life from New Orleans and eastward to Mobile, Alabama.
You can read more about Hurricane "Katrina" in 2005 and see a full chase log / story in the STORM CHASING section of this site. The link to this incredible chase log has also been provided at the link below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/kat05.htm
You can read more about Hurricane "Katrina" in 2005 and see a full chase log / story in the STORM CHASING section of this site. The link to this incredible chase log has also been provided at the link below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/kat05.htm
US Protection? (8/26)
Tropical activity in the far Atlantic basin is picking up quite a bit as of late-August / early-September 2010, however, a persistant trough off the US East coast may deflect any intense activity out to sea for the time-being. Bermuda may offer some very remote chase prospects, but happens to be a very small (and unlucky) target if hit directly.
Right now, the US East coast will remain "vaccinated" from anything coming across the Atlantic. Intense hurricane Danielle and MOST storms behind it may actually follow the same path by recurving out to sea (hurricane chasers call these "fish storms". This pattern is good news for most people, but HORRIBLE news for hurricane chasers, who intercept / study tropical cyclones. But, it "is what it is".
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
Right now, the US East coast will remain "vaccinated" from anything coming across the Atlantic. Intense hurricane Danielle and MOST storms behind it may actually follow the same path by recurving out to sea (hurricane chasers call these "fish storms". This pattern is good news for most people, but HORRIBLE news for hurricane chasers, who intercept / study tropical cyclones. But, it "is what it is".
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
Remembering Charley (8/13)
Friday the 13th in 2010 marks the 6th anniversary of Hurricane Charley in Punta Gorda, Florida (2004). Hurricane names are re-used every 6 years for the Atlantic basin, unless a storm causes devastation and / or deaths. Hurricane "Charley" was a strong and devastating category 4 storm with 145-150 MPH sustained winds at landfall.
The name "Charley" has been retired and THIS (2010) year's replacement was "Colin", which occurred in early August as a weak and minimal tropical storm and was barely noticed by most. You can read more about Hurricane "Charley" in 2004 and see a full chase log / story in the STORM CHASING section of this site, or click the link to go right to it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/char04.htm
The name "Charley" has been retired and THIS (2010) year's replacement was "Colin", which occurred in early August as a weak and minimal tropical storm and was barely noticed by most. You can read more about Hurricane "Charley" in 2004 and see a full chase log / story in the STORM CHASING section of this site, or click the link to go right to it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/char04.htm
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tropical Storm Bonnie (7/23)
The tropics will continue to get more active as we move into late July and early August. As of July 23, tropical storm Bonnie has formed and hit south Florida as a weak tropical storm. The storm crossed Florida and weakened in the northern Gulf of Mexico a day later.
This system was also my first tropical cyclone intercept of 2010. A chase log for tropical storm Bonnie in July 2010 can be seen by clicking the link provided for it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/bonn10.htm
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
This system was also my first tropical cyclone intercept of 2010. A chase log for tropical storm Bonnie in July 2010 can be seen by clicking the link provided for it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/bonn10.htm
You can also check my area on tropical weather and any associated activity / chase plans by clicking the link for that area on my web site provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/tropics.htm
Canada Trip (6/20)
With storm chasing done as of the start of June 2010 and hurricane season for the Atlantic basin just around the corner, a trip to Canada was a great get away from Florida. I finished a great trip with a best friend of mine and visited the Niagara Falls / Toronto area for a few days.
You can check out details on my trips to Canada as well as MANY other places by clicking on the link provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/outdoors.htm
You can check out details on my trips to Canada as well as MANY other places by clicking on the link provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/outdoors.htm
Monday, June 14, 2010
Main Central US Chase (6/5)
The third and MAIN storm chase trip to the central USA in 2010 (May 18 through June 1) is completed and a full chase log is finished and available. This trip also boasted some high-risk chasing as well as at least 20 (yes, TWENTY) tornadoes and numerous supercells, some with large hail and / or incredible storm structure.
You can also visit my chase logs for this main chase, as well as others in 2010, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the are for this main chase trip for May 18 through June 1, 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
You can also visit my chase logs for this main chase, as well as others in 2010, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the are for this main chase trip for May 18 through June 1, 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
Monday, May 17, 2010
Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak (5/15)
The second storm chase trip to the central USA in 2010 (May 8-13) is completed and a full chase log is finished and available. This trip boasted some high-risk chasing as well as several tornadoes and / or supercells, some with some incredible storm structure.
You can also visit my chase logs for 2010, which includes this event and others, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the storm chasing area for 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
You can also visit my chase logs for 2010, which includes this event and others, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the storm chasing area for 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
Monday, April 26, 2010
Central US Storm Chase (4/26)
I have completed the first few days of storm chasing in the Central USA from April 21st through the 25th. This was the first chase of 2010 and it landed me with HIGH-RISK chases, tornadoes, supercells, and - Unfortunately - A devastated Mississippi town (Yazoo City).
You can also visit my chase logs for 2010, which includes this event and others, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the storm chasing area for 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
You can also visit my chase logs for 2010, which includes this event and others, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the storm chasing area for 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
Tornado Destroys MS Town (4/24)
On Suturday, April 24, 2010, a violent tornado, rated at EF-4 (out of 5) and nearly two miles wide, struck the town of Yazoo City, Mississippi just before noon. I was out in the Central USA for a storm chasing trip and witnessed this devastating storm, and it's parent fast-moving cyclic HP supercell first-hand.
The damage to the south side of Yazoo City, near the junction of Highways 49 and 16, is extensive. Four peoplw were killed and the tornado had winds of at least 170 MPH, with a path (on the ground) for over 100 miles, with the supercell crossing nearly twice that ... This long-track storm crossed the entire state of Mississippi in the matter of hours.
My heart and prayers goes out to all affected by this disaster. I am happy I was there to be among those who stopped chasing the storm and lended aid to those in need. Every person helps in such situations!
You can also visit my chase logs for 2010, which includes this event and others, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the storm chasing area for 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
The damage to the south side of Yazoo City, near the junction of Highways 49 and 16, is extensive. Four peoplw were killed and the tornado had winds of at least 170 MPH, with a path (on the ground) for over 100 miles, with the supercell crossing nearly twice that ... This long-track storm crossed the entire state of Mississippi in the matter of hours.
My heart and prayers goes out to all affected by this disaster. I am happy I was there to be among those who stopped chasing the storm and lended aid to those in need. Every person helps in such situations!
You can also visit my chase logs for 2010, which includes this event and others, in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to the storm chasing area for 2010 is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/mwcl2010.htm
Volunteer Work (4/11)
In addition to church every Sunday, why not get up a bit earlier and help out a bit with some churches and temples around the area? In the pictures below, I am helping with some gardening at a local Buddha monestary with a few other guys in their garden area.
This is a start of a major rennovation / construction project, and the garden / meditation area is being cleared of some unwanted plants, along with some other "wildlife" (see the little snake we found in the center image)! Any volunteer work is a great way to get out, help out, make new friends, and have some fun in the process.
This is a start of a major rennovation / construction project, and the garden / meditation area is being cleared of some unwanted plants, along with some other "wildlife" (see the little snake we found in the center image)! Any volunteer work is a great way to get out, help out, make new friends, and have some fun in the process.
City Flight Photos (4/5)
Flying is an awesome way to experience the world and skylines from above ... Whether flying for sightseeing, pleasure, or business. In the image below, the beautiful cityscape of Toronto, Canada can be seen from about a mile up upon departing Pearson International Airport on a sunny spring day (after a business trip).
You can check out this and MANY other pictures taken from flights I have been on over the years in my FLYING section of this web site, or jump right to that area by clicking the link for it provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/flying.htm
You can check out this and MANY other pictures taken from flights I have been on over the years in my FLYING section of this web site, or jump right to that area by clicking the link for it provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/flying.htm
Friday, April 02, 2010
South FL Severe Storms (3/29)
Some severe thunderstorms affected the south Florida (Fort Lauderdale and Miami) area during the early morning of Monday, March 29, 2010. A strong EF-0 tornado affected the area of Oakland Park, FL during the morning "rush hour" and after that, the small HP supercell storms moved offshore and produced waterspouts.
One of the supercell storms, with a wall cloud and funnel / possible waterspout (center) appears in the left image above as the storm was moving offshore northeast of Miami Beach. Driving in south Florida during this weather was a nightmare, and I myself was rear-ended by a careless driver after the brief storm chase. Minimal damage was done to my vehicle, but the same cannot be said for the driver (to the right in the image above) involved in another accident near I-75 (the driver escaped with injuries but their car rolled over).
You can also jump right to the chase log and pictures for this (and many other events) by visiting the MAIN CHASE LOG in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to this area is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/stplog4.htm
One of the supercell storms, with a wall cloud and funnel / possible waterspout (center) appears in the left image above as the storm was moving offshore northeast of Miami Beach. Driving in south Florida during this weather was a nightmare, and I myself was rear-ended by a careless driver after the brief storm chase. Minimal damage was done to my vehicle, but the same cannot be said for the driver (to the right in the image above) involved in another accident near I-75 (the driver escaped with injuries but their car rolled over).
You can also jump right to the chase log and pictures for this (and many other events) by visiting the MAIN CHASE LOG in my STORM CHASING area on my web site. The link to jump right to this area is also provided below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/stplog4.htm
FL Keys Chaser BBQ (3/20)
Storm and hurricane chaser Jim Leonard hosted a fantastic chaser party and BBQ at his place in upper Metacumbe Key in the beautiful Florida Keys on March 20, 2010. The turnout was great and we all had a great time ... Thanks Jim!
Some pictures of this yearly event are posted in my STORM CHASING section for PICNICS and PARTIES on my main web site. You can also jump right to this area using the link provided for it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/picnic10.htm
Some pictures of this yearly event are posted in my STORM CHASING section for PICNICS and PARTIES on my main web site. You can also jump right to this area using the link provided for it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/picnic10.htm
California Trip (3/17)
I just got back from a week and a half trip in Northern California spending time with best-friends of mine, taking advantage of time off as I am between jobs. California is a place where you can literally surf and snow-ski in the SAME day, and can be an outdoorsman's paradise for hikers and sight-seers alike.
My last trip involved some awesome hiking, skydiving, beach and surf fun, and great weather to boot. Check out my pictures from the "Golden Bear" state, with anything from 25+ foot waves to the 3,000 foot cliffs of Yosemite in my OUTDOORS section of this site. You can also jump right to the link provided for it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/outdoors.htm
My last trip involved some awesome hiking, skydiving, beach and surf fun, and great weather to boot. Check out my pictures from the "Golden Bear" state, with anything from 25+ foot waves to the 3,000 foot cliffs of Yosemite in my OUTDOORS section of this site. You can also jump right to the link provided for it below.
http://www.sky-chaser.com/outdoors.htm
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Nothing To Chase? (3/2)
For the past WEEK, the National Weather Service had some "strong wording" about the "severe weather potential" associated with a strong low pressure system and front that was forecasted to affect the state of FL around March 2, 2009. A day before the "promising" event, SPC issues a slight risk, then the day of the "event", its DOWNGRADED to a "see text", then the "event" turned out to be a 30 MPH wind gust and some moderate rain.
Of course, the SPC "storm reports" for March 2, shown to the right in the graphic below, says "No Reports Received" ... In fact, February 2010 goes down in history as the first month with no reported tornadoes anywhere in the USA since the 1950's! This certainly is NOT encouraging.
The other two images above to the left and middle show the grim effects of the 2009-2010 "El Niño", with some of the coldest weather (for Southern Florida) in a very long time. And, to add more to the lack-of-storms and shivering frustration ... The 10-15 foot high northeast swells THAT NORMALLY accompany strong cold fronts in FL also NEVER happened. Flat surf, too cold for the beach, yes - Even surfers in FL are probably more frustrated than storm chasers! My SeaDoo watercraft sits in the storage - too "cold" to even take that out to enjoy on the water or the lake, which is choked with water weed and dead fish because of the "killer" cold weather since January!
This cold pattern, persisting into March, is not normal. Normally, El Niño causes MORE storms in FL, but this one is very different. This will also result in cooler water temperatures and probably hurt the potential hurricane / storm chase seasons in 2010 - I am not ready to repeat 2009.
Of course, the SPC "storm reports" for March 2, shown to the right in the graphic below, says "No Reports Received" ... In fact, February 2010 goes down in history as the first month with no reported tornadoes anywhere in the USA since the 1950's! This certainly is NOT encouraging.
The other two images above to the left and middle show the grim effects of the 2009-2010 "El Niño", with some of the coldest weather (for Southern Florida) in a very long time. And, to add more to the lack-of-storms and shivering frustration ... The 10-15 foot high northeast swells THAT NORMALLY accompany strong cold fronts in FL also NEVER happened. Flat surf, too cold for the beach, yes - Even surfers in FL are probably more frustrated than storm chasers! My SeaDoo watercraft sits in the storage - too "cold" to even take that out to enjoy on the water or the lake, which is choked with water weed and dead fish because of the "killer" cold weather since January!
This cold pattern, persisting into March, is not normal. Normally, El Niño causes MORE storms in FL, but this one is very different. This will also result in cooler water temperatures and probably hurt the potential hurricane / storm chase seasons in 2010 - I am not ready to repeat 2009.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Lost Job / Blessing In Disguise? (2/26)
Longevity at ANY employment in my line of work (IT) is simply an idea and / or expression and never something I can (or ever will) experience. Quite suprisingly, I lost my job as my position at a firm in Miami as "Senior Programmer" was terminated this week.
I was the kind of person who stood by his work, was never late (always came into the office early) and rarely left before the quitting time of 5:30 PM. Even worse, I foregone many opportunities for storm chasing in 2009, because of this job, trying to make a difference. My work was of the best quality and during the entire year of 2009, my attendance was next to impeccable.
So what was the results of all this hard work and such? In the end result, basically I was "canned" ... Used for my services, and thrown right out into the street (quite literally). The corporate world sure can be a very hostile place.
Exactly six months before my termination date - I mean right to the EXACT day - I was written up for the stress, as well as trying to be a "hero" and do someone elses job.
The stress of this past job has taken a MAJOR toll on both my health and my sanity. The same week I was terminated, I found out that I had the start of a bleeding stomach ulcer. Not good. This and on top of seeing all that "stuff" I MISSED in mid June 2009 in Nebraska!
Now out of a job, I am collecting unemployment, and drawing on some money I saved for such "rainy days" ... In retrospect, not really so "rainy" after all. The unemployment should pay the rent. My car is paid off. My ulcer should quickly heal ... And if anything happens in the central US in this coming spring for chasing, I just GO ... No haggling with time off.
Maybe this time off ain't so bad after all?
I was the kind of person who stood by his work, was never late (always came into the office early) and rarely left before the quitting time of 5:30 PM. Even worse, I foregone many opportunities for storm chasing in 2009, because of this job, trying to make a difference. My work was of the best quality and during the entire year of 2009, my attendance was next to impeccable.
So what was the results of all this hard work and such? In the end result, basically I was "canned" ... Used for my services, and thrown right out into the street (quite literally). The corporate world sure can be a very hostile place.
Exactly six months before my termination date - I mean right to the EXACT day - I was written up for the stress, as well as trying to be a "hero" and do someone elses job.
The stress of this past job has taken a MAJOR toll on both my health and my sanity. The same week I was terminated, I found out that I had the start of a bleeding stomach ulcer. Not good. This and on top of seeing all that "stuff" I MISSED in mid June 2009 in Nebraska!
Now out of a job, I am collecting unemployment, and drawing on some money I saved for such "rainy days" ... In retrospect, not really so "rainy" after all. The unemployment should pay the rent. My car is paid off. My ulcer should quickly heal ... And if anything happens in the central US in this coming spring for chasing, I just GO ... No haggling with time off.
Maybe this time off ain't so bad after all?
South FL Severe Storms (2/24)
Finally some interesting weather rolls through South and Central Florida on Wednesday, February 24, 2010. Some of the thunderstorms contained brief / shallow mesocyclones and some areas (near West Palm Beach) reported golfball sized hail.
This is a nice change to have a warm and moist air mass (ahead of a strong cold front) with strong and severe thunderstorms ... Hopefully chasing will be good as we head into March 2010 in the south.
This is a nice change to have a warm and moist air mass (ahead of a strong cold front) with strong and severe thunderstorms ... Hopefully chasing will be good as we head into March 2010 in the south.
Snow In EVERY State? (2/15)
The image below, courtesy of the National Weather Service and the US Air Force, shows the snow cover over the continental United States on February 13, 2010 (6z). The scale is in inches. Not suprising is the amount of snow cover over the northern states, however, check out the snow swath over the deep south, even into the panhandle of Florida! It is very unusual to see the entire 48 states having snow covering a portion of them.
Alaska, obviously has snow cover as well, and even Hawaii, but only on the peaks of the tallest mountains (Mona Loa and Mona Kea) on the big island. This means that at this point, the entire 50 states of the US have snow. You can check out anything about winter weather on a special page I have for it on this site in the WINTER section of my site by clicking the link provided for it below ...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/winter.htm
Alaska, obviously has snow cover as well, and even Hawaii, but only on the peaks of the tallest mountains (Mona Loa and Mona Kea) on the big island. This means that at this point, the entire 50 states of the US have snow. You can check out anything about winter weather on a special page I have for it on this site in the WINTER section of my site by clicking the link provided for it below ...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/winter.htm
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
ChaserCon 2010 (2/14)
I attended the National Storm Chaser Convention (ChaserCon) in Denver, Colorado from Febuary 12-14, 2010. This event continues to be a "must-not-miss" event for storm chasers year after year. This year was a very impressive turnout and I have put together some pictures of the event in my STORM CHASING EVENTS area on this site.
You can also jump right to the area for storm chasing events in 2010, including the storm chaser convention, by clicking the link provided for it below ...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/picnic10.htm
You can also jump right to the area for storm chasing events in 2010, including the storm chaser convention, by clicking the link provided for it below ...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/picnic10.htm
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Skydiving / L-39 Jet Fighter (1/30)
The last week in January is the weekend for the annual "Boogie Over The Everglades" event at Air Adventures Skydiving in Clewiston, Florida. This weekend is full of great skydives, great people, and great aircraft.
In the image above, I am aboard an L-39 fighter jet pulling near 7 G's and travelling near 500-MPH! This event keeps getting better and better each year. Read more about it (as well as more updates) at the SKYDIVING section of this web site.
In the additional images above, we see some of the activities at the onece-a-year Everglades Boogie. Althouth the weather was bad for almost half the event, we all still had a great time and made up for it the best we could, with one jump from nearly 23,000 feet!
You can also check out the FLYING section of this site, with more details on the L-39 jet by clicking the link provided for it below...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/flying.htm
For more information on skydiving and boogies (events) such as this one, be sure to check out my section on skydiving below via the link...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skydive.htm
You want to see what its like to RIDE ABOARD a jet fighter? Glad you asked ... Check out the video link (to YouTube) provided for it below...
www.sky-chaser.com/l39vid.htm
In the image above, I am aboard an L-39 fighter jet pulling near 7 G's and travelling near 500-MPH! This event keeps getting better and better each year. Read more about it (as well as more updates) at the SKYDIVING section of this web site.
In the additional images above, we see some of the activities at the onece-a-year Everglades Boogie. Althouth the weather was bad for almost half the event, we all still had a great time and made up for it the best we could, with one jump from nearly 23,000 feet!
You can also check out the FLYING section of this site, with more details on the L-39 jet by clicking the link provided for it below...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/flying.htm
For more information on skydiving and boogies (events) such as this one, be sure to check out my section on skydiving below via the link...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/skydive.htm
You want to see what its like to RIDE ABOARD a jet fighter? Glad you asked ... Check out the video link (to YouTube) provided for it below...
www.sky-chaser.com/l39vid.htm
A Bullying Subject (1/24)
Ever wonder where your kids are, or what might be happening to them? School yard violence and bullying is no laughing matter, as a matter of fact, it can turn deadly. Read about this report (including personal experiences and important advice) regarding bullying and how a parent (and child) can properly deal with it before its too late in my AMERICA section of this site.
You can jump right to the section on AMERICA and school "bullying" by clicking the link provided for it below...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/america.htm
You can jump right to the section on AMERICA and school "bullying" by clicking the link provided for it below...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/america.htm
Frost In South FL (1/11)
In the images below, taken a day or so later, with temperatures still near freezing - even in Miami, Florida - Frost covers the vehicles in the morning and the ice needed to be scraped from the windshields! This was one time I regretted throwing away my ice scraper I used every day a couple of years back when working in Chicago in the winter ... This would have come in handy as it is not easy to scrape off ice using my fingernails!
Hopefully storm chasing will take a turn for the better (for me at least) in 2010 (hopefully putting 2009 behind us, right?) ... My chase logs for 2009 are on-line and can be viewed in the STORM-CHASING section of this web site. You can also jump right to this area by clicking the link provided for it below...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/stlog.htm
Hopefully storm chasing will take a turn for the better (for me at least) in 2010 (hopefully putting 2009 behind us, right?) ... My chase logs for 2009 are on-line and can be viewed in the STORM-CHASING section of this web site. You can also jump right to this area by clicking the link provided for it below...
http://www.sky-chaser.com/stlog.htm
Cold Southern New Year (1/9)
The first couple of weeks of the new year of 2010 have been plagued with bitterly cold weather over much of the US. Folks coming south to the tropics to escape the cold have to travel WELL into the tropics, as some of this Canadian air has penetrated as far south as Central America! In the images below, taken on January 9, 2010 in Deerfield Beach, Florida ... Something appears very strange with the Atlantic Ocean.
Steam fog is rising from the water, which is about 75 degrees F, in chilly air that is hovering just above 40 degrees F! A temperature differential of nearly 40 degrees causes the relatively warmer ocean water to "steam". This is in South Florida in the afternoon, and the beach normally packed with tourists is completely deserted. Cold spells lasting this long (over a week) are unusual. Snow flurries were even reported farther north in the state!
Steam fog is rising from the water, which is about 75 degrees F, in chilly air that is hovering just above 40 degrees F! A temperature differential of nearly 40 degrees causes the relatively warmer ocean water to "steam". This is in South Florida in the afternoon, and the beach normally packed with tourists is completely deserted. Cold spells lasting this long (over a week) are unusual. Snow flurries were even reported farther north in the state!
Digital Conversion (1/7)
Is going digital totally worth it? If you have the time and make the effort, the short answer is YES ... In the images above, over 220 audio tapes containing music, diary, chase logs, and sentimental memories were painstakingly digitized and re-mastered over 4 months time to 221 separate 64 Kbps MP3 files, totalling about 6.5 GB in hard-drive space. The pile of 220+ tapes can be seen surrounding a tiny 8 GB thumb drive (USB drive).
All the tapes, once digitized, can be stored entirely on the 8 GB drive, with much room (over 1 GB) to spare! To the right is the thumb drive in front of the old analog recorder (barely working) and a newer digital voice recorder to it's right (tapeless recorder that saves MP3 files in stereo). The tapes and old analog equipment can be scrapped, and the digital media used instead. The digital media can also be easily copied, backed up, burned to CD / DVD, with no need to search, rewind, cue, etc.
Digital conversion can also involve scanning old photographs and cleaning them up, and / or converting video to tapeless format (such as VHS to DVD and such). This is the way to go to preserve un-reliable / old recording media and the memories cherished with it.
All the tapes, once digitized, can be stored entirely on the 8 GB drive, with much room (over 1 GB) to spare! To the right is the thumb drive in front of the old analog recorder (barely working) and a newer digital voice recorder to it's right (tapeless recorder that saves MP3 files in stereo). The tapes and old analog equipment can be scrapped, and the digital media used instead. The digital media can also be easily copied, backed up, burned to CD / DVD, with no need to search, rewind, cue, etc.
Digital conversion can also involve scanning old photographs and cleaning them up, and / or converting video to tapeless format (such as VHS to DVD and such). This is the way to go to preserve un-reliable / old recording media and the memories cherished with it.
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