Storm Chase 2015 - Which Tour Are You On?

[Ben Passmore]

Hi All.

 

I'll get us started - Tour 2!  The wife is letting me loose on my own.  Big mistake.

 

I'm a Storm Chasing Newbie from Melksham, Wiltshire.  A bit of a country boy, so hopefully i'll fit in the Mid West for the 10 days I'm there.   

 

BA flight prices seem to be hovering around £600 (LHR - DFW).  Worth hanging on for a potential sale or grab them now?

 

I was thinking about flying in the day before and staying locally in a hotel.  Speak up if you have any ideas / advice (especially if you're on tour 2 and are thinking about flights, etc.)

 

Ben 

 

[Dorsetbred]

Ben, I've done 5 tours and would certainly arrive the day before, as it gives you chance to be bright and sparky when you kick off on the chase. Personal opinion that is, but there's nowt worse than chasing and being half asleep. Melksham to Texas, you'll feel at home, loads of cows but the grass ain't green. Enjoy.

[Jonathan Kent]

Hi I'm on tour Number 3 - 30th May at Dallas Fort worth very much looking forward to it! I just want to see one tornado and Ill be happy! 

 

Anyone else on that tour want to meet up at the airport let me know, I'll be leaving from Heathrow.

[Dorsetbred]

Hi I'm on tour Number 3 - 30th May at Dallas Fort worth very much looking forward to it! I just want to see one tornado and Ill be happy! 

 

Anyone else on that tour want to meet up at the airport let me know, I'll be leaving from Heathrow.

Welcome to the pleasure dome! You're in for the ride of your life, enjoy..

[Jason Searle]

Hi everyone, 

 

I'm a storm-chasing newbie as well and definitely looking to book for either Tour 2 or 3 (just awaiting invoices from work to come in).  Always wanted to go storm chase, but ended up being an optician instead.  After a tough few years training (and not actually seeing any weather at all from my window-less room) I'm treating myself.  

 

I see you are from near me Ben, I'm based in Yate, near Bristol. How have you found the booking process?

[Paul]

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us on here. Feel free to drop me a pm if you have any questions about booking or the tours

[Jason Searle]

Hi Paul,  thank you!

 

I shall be looking at it properly tomorrow as a little frazzled from work and a little life admin to clear (plus we have a cracking thunderstorm here to get me in the mood!).  I look forward to contributing to the forums and getting to know everyone too!

[Ben Passmore]

Hi Paul,  thank you!

 

I shall be looking at it properly tomorrow as a little frazzled from work and a little life admin to clear (plus we have a cracking thunderstorm here to get me in the mood!).  I look forward to contributing to the forums and getting to know everyone too!

 

Hi Jason

 

I assume you enjoyed the storms last night?!  I live in Melksham and as you'll see from the link below, we got hammered.  They started to develop at 7pm and were at their full strength at 10:pm before dying off at midnight. 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29273833

 

Regarding your question on the booking process for the tours, it's very simple.  Select the tour you'd like, set up your payment plan and wait for the feedback from the Netweather team. They can help with any questions you may have. I was advised to purchase storm chasing insurance through Dogtag.  If you do decide to book a tour then make sure you get the correct insurance, which Paul can advise you on. 

 

Ben

[AndyR]

Hi all. I'm from Brighton in sussex and I'm on tours 2 and 3. Went storm chasing this year for the first time and I got to say. It was the greatest trip I've ever had. Can't wait to do it again next year. I be flying from heathrow on the 18th May. Look forward to seeing you all. Saw a beautiful storm on the 19th September of constant lightening n that's made me even more excited for the tour. Can't wait.

Andy

[Jason Searle]

Hi Ben, I did enjoy the storms the other night - some great photos of the lightning too!  (Sorry for the delay in reply, I'm fully booked with work at the moment and finally found 5 minutes to get online to do something other than work!).

 

We had a great show!  Saw the damage around Melksham on TV. Hope you weren't affected too badly!  (A couple of shots from over Yate that night below)

 

I'm now booked on to Tour 2 and really cannot wait until next year. I have wanted this sort of experience from when I was a young boy watching Twister! Thanks for all of your advice!

 

 

 

[durks]

hiya guys

 

my names dave from the uk,im doing tour 2 next year and cant wait,i guess im the same as most people who are doing this for the first time,lots of questions,i see that people will be getting there a day or so early so that's one question answered,just wondering if there are any suggestions/tips for essential items to take which you may not think of taking?

[Dorsetbred]

hiya guys

 

my names dave from the uk,im doing tour 2 next year and cant wait,i guess im the same as most people who are doing this for the first time,lots of questions,i see that people will be getting there a day or so early so that's one question answered,just wondering if there are any suggestions/tips for essential items to take which you may not think of taking?

Dave, welcome to the house of fun, your in for a blast!

SO things to take, spare batteries for any gear you have, sometimes a stop in a gas station does not always provide everything you need.

You will need to take a good mosquito repellent on tour 2 in your down sarf of the USA, nearly everything bites.

Camera gear don'#t know what you have as to what to advise, but again spare memory cards for the camera. I always take a small PC to down load the days worth on it for later, but not necessary if you have lots of spare cards. A wide angle lens, as sometimes those mothers are larger than a standard lens from where you stopped. A tripod for those night time shots to avoid wobbly lightning.

As what not to take, the kitchen sink, i.e. 50 changes of clothes as you will have to carry them upstairs (as is usually the case when stopping AT A MOTEL).

Well that'

s your starter for 10, I'm sure others will post to assist, we are a friendly bunch here, and welcome to the best place to go chasing storms,

[Nick L]

Just gone for a rare moment of spontaneity and will be joining Tour 2

 

 

Done storm chasing before during my time in Oklahoma, although never properly saw a tornado so this needs rectifying! Now that I've got myself a full time forecasting job I really had no excuse not to go for it

[CycloneGail]

G'day everyone, I'm on Tour 3 this time, after doing Tour 4 in 2013.  

 

Will be travelling from Sydney again, so will be arriving in Dallas on 27 May, 3 days early to get over the 16.5hr flight and crossing the date line (will be having a bit of a groundhog day on the 27th I think). Looking forward to chasing in a different area next year, although who knows, we may be back up around Nebraska and the lovely I80 again if mother nature decides its to be.

[Nick L]

So when would folks recommend booking flights? I've had a browse and can't find much for under £800, was hoping for something closer to £600! I wasn't planning on booking flights until after Xmas but fingers crossed they come down a little bit.

 

Edit: Although I've found connecting flights for £700.

[Paul]

Between Xmas and New Year is often a decent time, even through into mid-Jan can be ok as well as BA and the like have sales on. 

[Nick L]

Cheers, I won't be able to purchase the flights until the end of December anyway so that works out good

[Team Jo]

I've been a bit fly by wire and booked like a week or two before going and got quite good deals (they seemed to like a solo traveller) - I went through the BA website. Make sure you register for an exec blue membership (it's free) you get a few sort of perks with it.

[Nick L]

I've been a bit fly by wire and booked like a week or two before going and got quite good deals (they seemed to like a solo traveller) - I went through the BA website. Make sure you register for an exec blue membership (it's free) you get a few sort of perks with it.

 

I don't think I could handle that, I like to be all booked and done well in advance! But will certainly bear the membership thing in mind

[Ashleigh Parker]

Hello! I am on Tour 2. I was thinking of booking flights this evening. Storm chasing is all new to me (apart from online streaming), so should be a trip to remember. Really looking forward to it!

[Nick L]

Hello! I am on Tour 2. I was thinking of booking flights this evening. Storm chasing is all new to me (apart from online streaming), so should be a trip to remember. Really looking forward to it!

 

Hello fellow Tour 2'er! Did you go ahead with the flight booking in the end?

[Ashleigh Parker]

Hello fellow Tour 2'er! Did you go ahead with the flight booking in the end?

 

Hello! Yes, I did. Thought I might as well get it out the way, just in case the price went up.

[Nick L]

Hello! Yes, I did. Thought I might as well get it out the way, just in case the price went up.

 

How cheap did you manage to get it? I'll have to wait until the end of the month for financial reasons but I'm constantly checking

[Ashleigh Parker]

How cheap did you manage to get it? I'll have to wait until the end of the month for financial reasons but I'm constantly checking

 

It was £805 for a direct flight. I don't bother with this changing lark if there is a direct flight.

[Nick L]

It was £805 for a direct flight. I don't bother with this changing lark if there is a direct flight.

 

Ah around the ballpark I've seen so far then. If it's considerably cheaper to do so I'll get a connecting flight, but obviously I'd much rather a direct one!