Blackie

I meant to add that I can watch the weather forecast video from the link you posted, Paul. But otherwise I am getting exactly the same as John, even down to the strange message that he got when he clicked on the April 29 video. Not sure if it was the same one I got it for, but it was certainly one of them. Oh, and I am using IE7 on a dual core PC with loads of RAM.

I am getting exactly the same as John - the spinning circle but no video, not even the daily briefings. Yet I did get video on the very first day, and I can watch streaming from TVN and video from other sites. But nothing since then, not even when other people have said they were watching it. I just downloaded the latest Flash update and rebooted the PC, so it isn't that. And I had the 50MB broadband installed by Virgin Media early this week and am getting that or very close to it on speed tests. Come to think of it, I think I got the video streaming before I had that installed and haven't been able to get it since. The PC has been TCP optimised too. Any ideas, Paul or any other techie expert? Thanks Peter

Amazing pictures there, John. That is lightning to die for...well, photographically, not literally! Glad you guys stayed safe. It certainly seemed to be going wild as things were kicking off. Hope you manage to spot an elusive twister today. Good luck Peter

Glad you liked it, John. Hope you liked the photos, too - my memories of last year include me photographing everything in sight and you videoing anything that moved! Enjoy this year's chase Peter

No problem, Paul. If it comes out in the next couple of weeks I will drop a copy off at your place. After that and I will be away myself, in Miami, so will get someone else to get some copies and will save one for you. Looks like you may have excitement from day one, which will be great. Peter

Not sure if this was posted on the site, but the article I wrote about last year's chase with Michael Fish in the March/April issue of The Travel & Leisure Magazine can now be seen online. Just click on this link: http://www.digital.tlmags.com/index.aspx?issue=issue08, then click on where it says Cut to the Chase on the front page. It is on page 43 in case the direct link doesn't work. Brings it all back... Cheers Peter

Good luck guys. Will be following your reports and thinking back to last year. Hope you have more luck than we did on Chase 1, but it was still great fun and we had some superb weather to watch and photograph. Cheers Peter PS - Paul, I see you are still up and not tucked up in bed. The Times put the adventure supplement back again, so I don't know if it is coming out tomorrow now or whenever. It will be a Satuday when it does and it will include the storm chase story I wrote. The Echo editor never did return my emails, so it's their loss. Shame, but I might try him one last time on Monday and let him know you are back out there. Good luck again.

Thanks Louby You mean I have finally managed to win one of the monthly competitions? Yay Now I can put that bridesmaid's dress away! I missed the voting as I was away once again. What were the final scores, please? They don't seem to be on this thread. Actually, if I'm honest, of the three weather pics I entered I was hoping the one that didn't make it through to the final would win. The green hail core cloud we saw in Kansas was pretty amazing. I had never seen anything like it before. But then again, the others were spectacular too. Who needs a tornado anyway?

Just back from an extended trip to the States, so here are my last minute entries... All are from Storm Chase 1, with Michael Fish. No tornadoes, but plenty of great clouds. Weather pics: hail core wall cloud masquerading as a tornado "muddy" storm remnants with the setting sun Non weather: reflecting on the weather...three amigos from Storm Chase 1 Nodding donkey at dusk in Sherman, north Texas "Silver Machine" Chevy Tahoe, reflected in truck wheel at 80mph

Good luck with the storm chasing in Arkansas tomorrow, Paul. I see you online as well, Gorky. Where are you at the moment and where will you be heading tomorrow? I am still stuck in Chicago. Would you believe the American Airlines flight I got switched to after my Virgin flight got cancelled was also cancelled, so they have put us up in hotels - I am in a Westin, with a very comfortable bed I shall test very soon - and we will be on an 8am flight tomorrow. So I will eventually get back at 10pm instead of 8am! :lol: I thought I saw John online when he should have been on his flight, and assumed he was on the same American flight as me. But I couldn't see him in the queue for the hotel voucher, so maybe he was on the earlier flight and just logged in quickly from the gate area. Anyway, I have to be up at 5am, so I shall head off to bed. That will be the most sleep I have had on this trip so far! :lol: Enjoy your chasing, guys. Look forward to seeing the photos and videos.

OK, latest update is they have decided they can't fix the first plane, and a second one may or may not take off at 10pm - but they don't want to get our hopes up. :lol: I have just posted some pics from our last night on the Day 11 thread and will now try and find a power socket, a beer and John. Not necessarily in that order! :lol:

Nice pics from yesterday, Nick. Here are just a few of the ones that I took at the NWC and also on the road to Decatur, plus the final group photo at the Cow Camp. Thought I would post them while I wait for my delayed flight, which is the one I got put on after my original flight got cancelled...

Hi Paul That's great news about Ian's camera. I bet he is so relieved at that. Also great that all the footage he shot won't have been lost either. Latest news on my flight is that they have pushed back the departure to 10pm. I think I am having one of those days... :lol: Oh well, if nothing else I may post the odd pic or two from yesterday before the laptop battery dies. Edit: I see John, our resident leprechaun from the last 10 days is still online. Hey John, guess you are on the same flight as me. I am just to the right of the service counter by gate 16. Let's say we go have a beer or two? And maybe the odd chaser... :lol:

Seems my flying jinx is in perfect working order today. My American Airlines flight is now delayed so I won't get in until 11am tomorrow...asuming it isn't delayed any more! :lol: I hope John isn't on this flight, otherwise he may not make his connection to Cork. And that would seriously Swearing AGAIN him off. Any word on Ian's video camera Nick? Edit: I see the swearing filter is still working then! :lol:

Guess whose flight from Chicago got cancelled? D'oh! I get to DFW at 10.30 for a flight five hours before the rest of the gang, and will end up arriving back at Heathrow two hours after everyone else having been shunted onto an American Airlines flight. I can't remember which flight John is getting from Chicago, but it could be the same one! Anyway, really sad to leave today. A big thank you to both Paul Sherman and Paul Michaelwhite for all the driving, and to Nick and of course Michael Fish for all the expert guidance in getting us to the right places at what should have been the right time. And to everyone else for making it such a fantastic and enjoyable experience. I am currently in Chilis Too in Terminal 3 at Chicago O'Hare, with ,y flight due to take off in about 50 minutes. I am having serious withdrawal symptoms already. Mind you, I saw they have a vodka called Skyy on the menu, so I decided to have a Skyy chaser with my Corona Extra. It seemed onlynatural after watching the skies and chasing for the past 10 days... Hope the rest of the group had better luck with their flights than me, and look forward to hearing reports from Paul, Ian C and Nick from their extended chase. I am still sorting through my photos, so will post some more galleries from the rest of the trip over the next few days. I did take quite a few, apparently. Hope everyone at home has been enjoying our exploits. I will watch with envy when the next groups fly out to join the guys. Thanks again to everyone on Storm Chase 1 for such a fantastic experience. And for anyone even remotely thinking of joining one of next year's chases, go for it. You will not regret it. Hi Nick I see you are online, so I guess you have found your bolthole for tonight. Where are you? Did Ian call the Hampton Inn about his video camera? I hope he gets it back. That would be a real bummer if he has lost it. Good luck guys and happy storm chasing for the rest of your trip. Hope you catch some motherships and the odd tornado or two.

Here's a few pictures of where we ate last night, a sports bar called Jax in Garden City, Kansas. The lads were a bit thirsty... Fancy a pint, anyone?