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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
Last Major Site Update: Thursday, May 8, 2008
ANOTHER "MINI" STORM CHASE TRIP - MAY 1-2, 2008
A special "spot" chase was done during the week of May 1, 2008 with a special trip that left Florida on the evening of April 29 and into Kansas City, Missouri to be in position for severe storms and tornadoes on May 1 (and possibly May 2). A tornado was intercepted in Warren County, Kansas on May 1! The May 2 target proved to be too far from Kansas for any intercepts, so an alternate northern target was sought with smaller storms intercepted there. The remainder of the time (no storms) was spent in Chicago with a return to Florida on May 5 (back from Chicago instead of Kansas City). A full chase log is ready in the STORM CHASING section of this web site (under MIDWEST 2008). You can also click the picture above, or the link HERE to go right to the chase log!
A special "spot" chase was made during the second week in April 2008 from the 8th through the 11th. Some tornadoes and extreme weather was caught on April 9, 2008 in west-central Texas, including a destructive tornado in Breckenridge, Texas. On April 10, attention shifted east into Arkansas, where extreme flooding was observed. A complete chase log on this event is complete, and can be seen in the STORM CHASING section of this site (under the section for MIDWEST 2008). You can also click the picture above, or the link HERE to go right to the chase log!
I finally wrapped up a very interesting, fun, and productive 3-month stay in the Chicago area with a storm-chase in Missouri / Arkansas on March 31 (while starting my long drive back to FL). April 1 and 2 were travel days and I finally arrived safely back in FL during the morning of April 2. In the images above, a severe storm can be seen in SW Missouri on March 31. In the middle, highway 78 stretches through rural Alabama and Mississippi en-route to Florida on April 1. To the right, The "Weatherlab" portable weather station gets a new Oregon Scientific WMR-968 plus a re-design for storm chase season 2008! Please click the image above (or click HERE) to check out the detailed log for the March 31 chase as well!
Spring has arrived in Chicago as og Friday, March 21, 2008 but that does not mean winter is over just yet. A late-season snow-storm struck the northern Midwestern US leaving a narrow blanket of snow from Minnesota through Wisconsin / Illinois and into Michigan. The snow "swath" in Illinois was confined to the extreme northern portions of the state (north of Chicago) and into southern Wisconsin, where 10 to 12" of snow fell. The snow "swath" was so distinct that the northern portions of Chicago had 6 to 8" while the southern portions saw only a light dusting! In the pictures above, a beautiful winter scene plays out in Chicago's northside and far-northern suberbs after the storm departs and sun comes out. The Chicago area has had one of the worst winters in about 30 years for 2008.
The picture above shows some intense thunderstorms, including a cold-air funnel and small hail, in a place unlikely for storms - Central California! These storms were encountered while in the central California area for a weekend with friends. A region of vorticity aloft, accompanied by very cold air aloft, allowed storms to develop in the otherwise stable cool Pacific air mass. Winds were from the northwest with temperatures in the 60's. More information on details of this unwary storm observation can be found by clicking the image above, or by clicking HERE.
20 YEARS OF STORM CHASING DVD - NEW!
Now available - "20 years Of Storm Chasing" - A new DVD showing all storm chases from 1987 through 2007! This new DVD has it all - Hurricanes, hail, tornadoes, thunderstorms, lightning, atmospheric phenomena, and much more! From Florida to California, Central America / Mexico to the Canada Border, extreme weather is captured on this documentary. See storms from the air, the Hurricane Hunters, and frightful air-travel. See the largest storm surge ever in the USA with Katrina, and the widest tornado scouring away a small Nebraska village in 2004! Look up into the calm eye of a hurricane and see the blue sky overhead, only to be sand-blasted by the storms second half afterwards - Just a few things this DVD has in store for you!
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!
See the chases for the year 2007 in my yearly chase log (this chase log contains ALL the storms I ever chased in my life) and is a must see. Check it out in the STORM CHASING section of this web site, or for the direct link to it, click HERE!
We are pleased to now be able to offer high-quality digital stock photography for royalty-free usage! For more details, please check the special OFFERS section of this site and look for the digital photography link, or simply click the link HERE to go right to it!
Sky-Chaser BLOG Page
Airshow! Aviation At Its Finest
Alcatraz Island And Prison (New!)
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 (New!)
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.
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