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I have originally put together this web site back in 1996 telling you a little about myself. Since then, it has outgrown so many "hosts" that it needed a final home as "Sky-Chaser"! This should be an easy name to remember for flying, skydiving, and storm chasing. I am a computer programmer, writer, sky diver, amateur photographer, extreme storm journalist, and computer artist. I enjoy flying and aerobatics, boating and jet skis, surfing, HAM radio, skydiving, and videography. I am also a volunteer SKYWARN storm spotter for the National Weather Service as well as a licensed HAM radio operator. "Sky-Chaser" Consulting, as this site reflects from a business standpoint, mainly specializes in storm chasing, hurricane chasing, and other documentation of extreme weather events for media, educational, charity / benefits, and public awareness goals. This site also contains my computer consulting services in PICK (Universe, Unidata, and similar Multivalue-DB oriented) programming for many major business requirements. The "Sky-Chaser" site also has lots of information about my other sports, hobbies, and lifestyles besides storm journalism and computer consulting. I feel you should enjoy or even be able to utilize some of the areas on this web site for anything from education to entertainment ... And be sure check back often, because it is updated on a continuous basis! |
Chris Collura - KG4PJN - Skywarn FL B036 - Sky-Chaser Consulting
Since 1996! ... Last Major Site Update: Monday, June 22, 2009
On-going episodes of severe weather and tornadoes have ocurred during the second and third weeks of June 2009. Again, work schedules (filling in for boss on cruise / system upgrade weekend of June 12, etc) have pretty much pre-empted any possibility of a second chase to the Central US. The chase season should wind-down by late June as the jet stream moved into Canada for the summer. I am happy I got limited time chasing in the plains this year, although it could have been much better have May been more active and / or I had more time off.
The main focus now turns towards the tropical season of 2009, which hopefully will be somewhat fruitful (less storms are expected this year compared to 2008 due to cooler Atlantic waters off Africa and a possible El Niņo. Local storms are always possible in Florida, but nothing like the tornadoes in the Central USA. Keep in mind that chasing in the Central USA may also occur in the Fall of 2009, especially if there is a lighter than normal hurricane season. I wish all who made their chase trips this spring the best of luck and congrats to those who made it worth-while!
I have just completed a short storm chase trip to Central USA (where I flew out into Kansas City on Thursday evening, June 4, and returned mid-day Monday, June 8). June 5 and 7 were extremely active chase days and I have completed compiling all the details and put together a detailed chase log for this trip. Click the image above or the link HERE for the chase log for the Central USA / Midwest storm chases of 2009!
A round of severe storms affected south Florida during the late-May / Memorial Day week of 2009 with large hail and strong winds. This activity came as a welcome relief to a severe drought in parts of Florida, as well as a satisfying few days of local storm chasing on my behalf - Especially after calling off a long anticipated chase trip to the central US a week earlier. To see more information on my LOCAL storm chases, click the image above, or the link provided HERE. Meanwhile, possible tropical-depression (or even tropical storm "Ana") forms off the NE US coast!
In the image above, the dreaded HUDSON-BAY VORTEX pattern is ominous and marks the end of MANY storm chasing prospects in the Central US for an extended period of time. The Hudson-Bay vortex is a blocking area of low pressure over the Hudson-Bay region in Canada, and is clearly visible in the image (500 MB) flow to the left. Also, in addition to the ridge in the SW USA, a cutoff-low precludes the chance of a Pacific trough moving in and "breaking down" the thermal ridge. This pattern is what storm-chasing "nightmares" are made of. This pattern also forced postponment of any special chase trips until at least early June 2009.
CHASE 2008 - EXTREME SEASONS DVD - NEW!
Now available - "Chase 2008 - Extreme Seasons DVD" - See mother nature and weather at their worst with the 2008 "Extreme Seasons" DVD! Nearly two hours of compelling footage ranging from blizzard winter conditions to a tropical hurricane's fury, with many others "in between" ... See hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, flooding, daring rescues, car-crunching hail, even a chilling lake-effect snowstorm (aka "frozen hurricane" in Michigan! This presentation is not for the faint-of-heart, and some footage will have you on the edge of your seat as see you just about every extreme and raw power of the four seasons!
For more information on this new DVD project just released, and how to order a copy of it for yourself, please click the image above, or click the link HERE to learn more! Price is $25.95, and that includes shipping!
Sky-Chaser BLOG Page
Airshow! Aviation At Its Finest
Alcatraz Island And Prison
America - Tributes Plus September 11, 2001
Art And Drawings Gallery
Aviation And Flying
Car Burglary At Miami TGI Friday's
Chris Collura's Career RESUME
Goodies And Cool Stuff
Information On Diabetes
Internet Fraud - Always A First Time!
Outdoor Activities And Boating
Pets And Animals Page
Roller Coasters And Extreme Rides
Sky Diving And Other Extreme Sports
Software Products Page
Special Offers And Media Sales Page
Storm Chasing By Chris Collura
Surviving A Roll-Over Car Accident
Tesla Coils Plus "Weird Science" Stuff
All of my stock-video footage is also managed by my agents at Conus Communications. Please refer to CONUS first as they can be of much better help at providing any fulfillment of STOCK video requests (this does NOT include DVD productions offered on this site). For such STOCK footage requests, please contact Chris Bridson at CONUS. Their phone number is (651) 642-4576, or you can go to their official web site at the link WWW.CONUS.COM.
You can review all production videos, DVD's, documentaries, and stock video on my OFFERS page which can be viewed by clicking the link HERE. Please not that you can request STOCK video through me directly, or through the CONUS archive, which is much easier!
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"I Thrilled All The Visitors Below!"
View Information About The Author Of This Site
This entire web site is the work of Christopher Collura (myself) and is intended for informative, entertainment, and educational purposes. The intent is to show the pure thrill and essence of natural phenomina, extreme sports, experiences, and many other unique things or events, many from viewer's perspective. Please click the link above to find out more information about myself, the author of this great web site.
911, A10, ACCIDENT, AEROBATICS, AEROSPACE, AIR CANNON, AIRLINER, AIRMASS, AIRPLANE, AIRSHOW, ALBERTO, ALCATRAZ, ALOFT, ALTITUDE, AMATEUR, AMERICA, ANIMALS, ANTENNA, ANTICYCLONE, ARC, ARIAL, ART, ARTIST, ASIANS, ASTRONOMY, AUDIO, AV, AVIATION, B036, B1, B2, B52, BILOXI, BILOXI, BLACKOUT, BOATING, BOLT, BONNIE, BOOGIE, BOUNDARY, BURGLARY, C130, C30317, CALIFORNIA, CANADA, CARAVAN, CASA, CAT, CEDAR POINT, CENTRAL AMERICA, CENTRAL US, CESSNA 152, CESSNA 172, CESSNA 195, CESSNA 206, CESSNA AEROBAT, CESSNA, CHASE A STORM, CHASE A HURRICANE, CHASE EXPEDITION, CHASE PARTNER, CHASE TEAM, CHASER CONVENTION, CHASING A HURRICANE, CHASING A STORM, CHASING HURRICANES, CHASING STORMS, CHRIS COLLURA, COLD FRONT, COLORADO, COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, COMPUTERS, CONSULTING, CUBA, DAGMAR KRESS, DANGEROUS WEATHER, DANGEROUS, DAYTON HAMFEST, DC10, DC3, DC9, DECATHALON, DERECHO, DIABETES, DOC HENDERSON, DOG, DROPSONDE, DROPWINDSONDE, DUST DEVIL, DVD, DVD VIDEO, EBAY, ERIC NGUYEN, EUROPE, EVERGLADES, EXTRA 300, EXTRA, EXTREME JOURNALISM, EXTREME WEATHER, EXTREME, F104, F117, F14, F15, F16, F18, F86, FAY, FISH, FLIGHT DELAYS, FLORIDA, FLYING, FORECAST, FORT PIERCE, FRAUD, FRED CABANAS, FREE LANCE, G FORCE, GALLERY, GEAR, GEE, GLOC, GLORY, GLOSSARY, GRAVITY, GREAT PLAINS, GREYOUT, GULF OF MEXICO, GULF STREAM, GULF, GULFPORT, GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE, GULFSTREAM JET, GUST FRONT, HAIL, HALO, HAM RADIO, HANG GLIDING, HERCULES, HIGH PRESSURE, HOMESTEAD, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, HURRICANE, HURRICANE ANDREW, HURRICANE CHARLEY, HURRICANE CHASE, HURRICANE CHASER, HURRICANE CHASE CAREER, HURRICANE CHASING, HURRICANE CHASING 2005, HURRICANE CHASING 2005 DVD, HURRICANE CHASING CAREER, HURRICANE CHASING DVD, HURRICANE CHASING VIDEO, HURRICANE DEAN, HURRICANE DENNIS, HURRICANE DVD, HURRICANE FELIX, HURRICANE FRANCES, HURRICANE GUSTAV, HURRICANE HUNTERS, HURRICANE IKE, HURRICANE INTERCEPTION, HURRICANE IVAN, HURRICANE JEANNE, HURRICANE KATRINA, HURRICANE LILI, HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, HURRICANE SEASON, HURRICANE SHUDDERS, HURRICANE SURF, HURRICANE VIDEO, HURRICANE WILMA, HUSS, IAN GROOM, INFLOW, INTAMIN AG, INVERSION, IT, ITALIAN, ITALY, JACOBS LADDER, JATO, JET STREAM, JET-SKI, JIM STANTON, KANSAS, KC10, KG4PJN, KING AIR, KINGS ISLAND, L39, LAKELAND, LANDSPOUT, LIGHTNING, LINKS, LOG, LOS ANGELES, LOUISIANA, LOW APPROACH, LUNAR ECLIPSE, MAGIC MOUNTAIN, MARTY JONES, MD80, MESO, MESOCYCLONE, MESOLOW, MESONET, METEOROLOGY, MEXICO, MIAMI, MICROBURST, MIDWEST, MIG, MIKE MULLINS, MISSISSIPPI, MISSISSIPPI, MURPHEYS LAW, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, NEBRASKA, NEW IBERIA, NEW ORLEANS, NEW YORK, NIAGARA FALLS, NOWCAST, OBSERVATION, OCCLUDED FRONT, OFFERS, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, ORION, OTTER, OUTFLOW, P3, PAC, PANAMA CITY, PANAMA, PAT DOGGIN, PENSACOLA, PHOTOGRAPHY, PICK, PILOT, PILOTS GLORY, PINHOLE EYE, PIPER CUB, PIPER DECATHALON, PITTS SPECIAL, PITTS, POMPANO AIR CENTER, PROGNOSIS, PUNTA GORDA, QUINTER, RAIN, RANTOUL, RED CROSS, REAL MEDIA, REEF ROAD, REPTILES, RESUME, ROBBERY, ROLLER COASTER, SAINT LOUIS, SAN FRANCISCO, SEADOO, SEASONS, SEAWALL, SEPTEMBER 11, SEPTEMBERS FURY, SEVERE THUNDERSTORM, SEVERE WEATHER, SIOUX FALLS, SKY CHASER, SKY-CHASER, SKYDIVER, SNOW, SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, SOLAR ECLIPSE, SOUTH DAKOTA, SPOTTER, STADIUM EFFECT, STEALTH, STOCK VIDEO, STOLEN, STORM CHASE, STORM CHASER, STORM CHASER CONVENTION, STORM CHASING, STORM CHASING DVD, STORM CHASING VIDEO, STORM SURGE, STOVEPIPE TORNADO, STRONG THUNDERSTORM, SUMMERFEST, SUN N FUN, SUPER SONIC, SUPERCELL, SURFING, SURGECAM, T6, TAMPA BAY, TERRORISM, TESLA COIL, TEXAN, TEXAS, TGI FRIDAYS, THE BEAST, THEFT, THUNDER, THUNDERSTORM, TITAN, TOM TEIDT, TOP THRILL DRAGSTER, TORNADO ALLEY, TORNADO, TORONTO, TRADE WINDS, TRADES, TRAVEL, TRIPLE POINT, TROPICAL CYCLONE, TROPICAL DEPRESSION, TROPICAL, TROUGH, TSTORM, TUNNEL, TURTLES, TUTORIAL, TWISTER, TWISTEX, TYPHOON, UNIVERSE, UNUSUAL ATTITUDE, VB, VIDEOGRAPHY, VISION, VISUAL BASIC, WARM FRONT, WAVES, WEATHER, WEATHERLAB, WEATHERVINE, WEB DESIGN, WEDGE TORNADO, WFFC, WHIRLPOOL RAPIDS, WIND SHEAR, WINDSOR, WORLD FREEFALL CONVENTION, WORLD TRADE CENTER, WTC, WXLAB, XDW
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