This area shows pictures of interesting vehicles or aircraft used exclusively for storm chasing and / or weather research. On this page you will see the famous vehicles used by the storm chasers featured on the Discovery Channel's series "Storm Chasers" as well as some rather interesting vehicles and tools used by government storm research teams such as nssl, ROTATE, and VORTEX.

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STORM CHASING RESEARCH VEHICLES

NSSL / ROTATE DOW (Doppler On Wheels) vehicle #3. Photo taken in May 2005.
Mobile University of Massachusetts doppler radar vehicle (with radome and dish in upright position). Photo taken in May 2010.
NSSL / ROTATE phased array DOW (Doppler On Wheels) vehicle. Photo taken in February 2004.
Instrumented "scout" vehicle for former TIV and now for the VORTEX II group while on a major Oklahoma chase in early May 2010.
Tim Samaras's chase vehicle and command / lead for the TWISTEX research group in late May 2010.
One of a few "mesonet" vehicles associated with the TWISTEX team let by Tim Samaras. This vehicle is Tony Laubach's vehicle in May 2010.
Numerous "mesonet" vehicles preparing for a severe weather chase day in Nebraska in late May 2010. These are mobile weather and data collectors associated with the VORTEX II project in 2009 and 2010.
One of several extra Vortex II radar vehicles. Photo taken in Nebraska in May 2010.
Another Vortex II / TWC radar vehicle. This one is sometimes called the "radar ball" vehicle. Photo taken in Nebraska in May 2010.
NSSL / ROTATE DOW (Doppler On Wheels) vehicle #7. Photo taken in May 2010.
NSSL / ROTATE DOW (Doppler On Wheels) vehicle #7. The tall mast that is deployed is a HAM radio repeater and radio antennae. Photo taken in May 2010 with severe storms in Nebraska.
Mobile University of Massachusetts doppler radar vehicle (dish does not have radome) in action on a supercell in NE Colorado. Photo taken in May 2010.
Mobile command unit for the VORTEX II project while in the field in NE Colorado in May 2010. Note the supercell storm in the background!
Mark Suddath's "sacrificial" hurricane "landfall project" vehicle before hurricane Ivan in Alabama in 2004. Nobody remained with this vehicle as Ivan, with 130+ MPH winds, came ashore, but the vehicle recorded video / measured winds and pressure before being destroyed.
Heavily instrumented hurricane chasing vehicle and trailer for Mark Suddath after hurricane Ike in Texas in 2008.

TORNADO INTERCEPT VEHICLES

Sean Casey's TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) I. This vehicle is designed to get very close (if not inside) a tornado and obtain IMax footage. Weather instrumentation is also important for taking in-situ tornado measurements. Photo taken in May 2005 in Nebraska.
Interior and driver's area of the TIV I. Not designed for luxury or comfort, but designed to PROTECT personnel while inside a tornado! Photo taken in Nebraska in May 2005.
Sean Casey's TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) II. It has the same purpose as the TIV I, but is much stronger and re-designed. It first had a few "bugs" that have since been worked out. Photo taken in South Dakota in late May 2010.
Reed Timmer's "Dominator" tornado intercept vehicle. Smaller and lighter than Sean Casey's design but made for a similar purpose. Weather instrumentation also allows in-situ tornado measurements. The "missle" like tubes on the rear are for air-launching sensors into a tornado while inside / near it.
Although not designed to "penetrate" tornadoes, this is the IMax support / Camera vehicle that works with Sean Casey's TIV II group. The IMax camera crew can film from the rear "cockpit" of the vehicle. Note the hail protection. Photo taken in South Dakota in late May 2010.

INDEPENDANT / PRIVATE CHASE VEHICLES

Rental vehicle (with portable weather equipment) for myself and the former "Weathervine" storm chase group during down-time in New Mexico in May 2002.
Eric Nguyen's storm chase vehicle in Texas back in 2000. Eric has since passed away and is missed by many.
Chaser Scott Blair's chase vehicle back in May 2005. The "grills" over the windows are for hail protection.
Rental vehicle for myself and the former "Weathervine" storm chase group after we finished chasing for 3 weeks in May 2004. The portable "mesonet" equipment is still on the roof as the vehicle is being packed up.
My chase vehicle with equipment on the roof during a very sucessful chase in South Dakota in September 2006. Note the Florida plates as the tornado bears down in the background!
Dave Drummond's storm chase vehicle (dryline Media) in SW Oklahoma in May 2010.
Andy Gabrielson's chase vehicle while preparing for a chase in South Dakota in May 2010. Note the hail shield covering the entire roof.

TOUR GROUP CHASE VEHICLES

One of many storm chasing tour-group vans ("Weather Gods Tornado Chase Tours" in this case) in Oklahoma in May 2010. Anyone can go on such a storm chasing tour, which lasts about 7-10 days, but these are not cheap and offer NO guarantee of seeing a tornado.

STORM RESEARCH AIRCRAFT / RAV

Verne Carlson's tornado observation "platform", a large remote-control (RAV) helicopter to be used as a camera platform near a tornado. Photo taken in February 2009.
Verne Carlson's "wicked witch" RAV aircraft. This remote-control aircraft is designed to carry a digital video camera high into a supercell / tornado environment. Photo taken in February 2009.
Gulfstream IV high-altitude research jet. The Gulfstream research jet is a modified high-performace business jet used by the US Department Of Commerce (NOAA) for typhoon / hurricane research and sampling the upper troposphere / lower stratosphere in tropical regions. Picture taken in August 2005.
Myself aboard the Gulfstream IV research jet during a hurricane mission over hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The view is torard the rear of the plane. I am holding a dropwindsonde that will be released out of the plane and record the conditions during its descent. Photo by Jim Edds.
WP-3 "Orion" aircraft. The WP-3 is a large 4-engined turbo-prop used by the US Department Of Commerce (NOAA) for typhoon / hurricane intercepts. Picture taken in November 1992.
Interior of a WC-130 "Hercules" cockpit. The WC-130 is a large 4-engined turbo-prop used by the US Air Force 53rd weather reconaissance squadron for typhoon / hurricane intercepts. Picture taken in November 1994.
Another RAV (Remove Air Vehicle) designed by Verne Carlson and being used in the field to conduct an arial damage survey near Quinter, Kansas. The remote-control aircraft carries both digital still and video cameras. Photo taken in May 2008.

WHEN STORM CHASING GOES WRONG!

Rental vehicle and chase vehicle slid off a muddy dirt road and waiting for a tractor to tow both of them out. Photo taken in Kansas in May 2010.
Hail damage to a rental vehicle back in May of 2008 in Kansas.
A rather unfortunate mishap (no one hurt) with one of the VORTEX II vehicles in NE Colorado in May 2010 due to very slick dirt roads.

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