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One of my favorite TV shows for a while now has been Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel. There’s lots of action, interesting personalities, and really cool severe weather Reed Timmer operates TornadoVideos.net and makes his living from selling footage of extreme weather to media outlets and the public. He’s just one of the chasers who go after the storms. In season three, Reed added armor to his SUV along with lexan window coverings and hydraulics to drop the body to the ground to keep wind from getting under and lifting it. After the modifications, the SUV was renamed the Dominator. He drives it directly into tornadoes This season just kicked off last Wednesday and you can probably catch that episode on a re-run in the near future if you check your local listings. The video above is promotional spot for this new season which will be the show’s fourth in production. I hope everyone in the town that got hit is OK, but I have a feeling the medics will be needed. From what I’ve seen, Reed and the TVN crew arrived at the damage before EMS did and got in to help people out. This isn’t the first time something like that’s happened, either. For Reed and his guys, people come first. I hope everyone was OK. I know I’ll be tuned in for this entire season. Now I just have to figure out how to afford the gas to go storm chasing in the midwest sometime next summer…  High power rocketry is an interesting hobby / mental illness. I’ve gotten into it in the past, but left for a few different reasons. There was the expense for one thing (propellant isn’t free) and there were a few personality conflicts as well. I may very well get back into rocketry, but I don’t think I’m going to go very big with the rockets – the smaller ones can still be a lot of fun, too I’ve searched around YouTube for some videos that might shed a bit of light on high power rocketry and what can happen when you go big in a hobby that combines huge vehicles that weigh hundreds of pounds with massive power and incredible speeds and dynamic forces 8) Just remember – All the rockets you see flown were built in someone’s garage in their spare time The Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) is the largest group of rocketry enthusiasts in the United States. This is the group that you join when you want to fly high power rockets – especially rockets with H motors or bigger. Tripoli has rules that motor vendors follow as to who’s qualified to buy how big a motor and works to keep everyone as safe as possible. The individual clubs arrange most of the launches and arrange for the necessary FAA waivers and coordination. Every year, Tripoli has a launch that’s known as BALLS. This launch is held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada because of the remoteness of the location. You see, they call the launch BALLS for a reason. If you have a huge rocket and you’ve got the BALLS to fly it, this is the event to do so. Rockets at BALLS can fly higher than 100,000 feet and can reach speeds in excess of Mach 3 If you’ve ever seen your average A, B, or C motor in the hobby shop, you know what low power rocketry is like. If you’ve never heard of these letter designations before, I’ll explain why the Q motor in the video above is so remarkable. Every letter up in the alphabet is twice as powerful overall than the letter below it. C motors have twice the power of B motors and so forth. You can have a B motor that produces more thrust than a C motor, but it’s going to burn for a much shorter time than the C motor therefore producing less overall power. Get the idea? I don’t know how much instantaneous vs. overall power the Q motor above produced, but in general a Q motor is 65,536 times more powerful than the A motor you can buy at your local hobby shop The motor above is an O motor which is freaking huge is also a hybrid motor. Most motors you see in a hobby shop are solid fuel motors. The smaller motors (A, B, C, D, and E) are usually powered by black powder. When you get bigger than that, Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP) is the usual solid fuel. It’s the same thing the space shuttle’s solid fuel boosters use and overall it’s a very safe material. Until recently, the BATFE had classified it as a low explosive. The TRA took the BATFE to court to have APCP removed from the explosives list and a judge agreed based on science. When you get into high power rocketry, you’re not stuck with solid fuel rockets if you don’t want to be. Hybrid motors are one of the most popular alternatives due to their safety and power. The difference with a hybrid rocket motor is that instead of having the fuel and oxidizer already mixed as they are in solid propellants, they’re kept separate until ignition. The fuel for a hybrid motor is usually some sort of plastic or rubber while the oxidizer is usually nitrous oxide that you can get at race car shops. Neither the fuel nor the oxidizer is dangerous by itself. When the motor is ignited, the nitrous oxide flows through a channel in the fuel and then the fuel can actually burn. What goes up must come down – this includes any rocket ever launched by civilians and most launched by government agencies as well. Amateur rockets usually fly straight up in the boost phase, eject a parachute, and come back down to earth slowly to fly another day. At least, that’s the plan. Sometimes it doesn’t all go according to plan… Rockets are like anything else designed and built by humans – they can be flawed. Sometimes the recovery charge doesn’t go off to deploy the recovery system. Sometimes the recovery charge isn’t big enough. Sometimes the motor fails during the boost phase. If you’re in rocketry, sooner or later one or more of your rockets will crash. Nobody was harmed in the videos above and I can’t remember the last time anyone was hurt in this hobby. Still, if someone calls “HEADS UP!!!” make sure you look up, find the rocket, and get out of the way. Or go hide under a car If this looks like fun to you, go to the Tripoli Rocketry Association’s website – tripoli.org and find a club. Someone there will be happy to help you The Messerschmitt Bf-109 was one of Nazi Germany’s most feared and respected fighter planes during WWII. There aren’t that many real ones still flying, but I found this great video of one of them in action. If you look at the cowling, you can see that the exhaust stacks are on the lower portion of it instead of up higher. This is because the engine is an inverted V-12. The story I’ve heard as to why the engine was inverted is that having the valve covers on the bottom made for a lower profile nose which gave the pilots greater visibility. I love the sound of the inertial starter and the whine from the supercharger as the plane screams by in this video 8) And I know Buck will like it because it has absolutely no obnoxious background music Kick back, relax, and check out some WWII history For those of you out there who don’t know, David Hardy is a lawyer who champions the Second Amendment and fights the good fight. He was recently returning from a research trip and managed to accidentally step on a rattlesnake. He’s still in the ICU, but doing better. Click here to read his post and leave a kind word or two. My thoughts and prayers will be with him and I wish him a very speedy recovery! Now, I’d never go out in search of a thunderstorm to go play in, would I  17 October 2010 - Thunderstorms moving through Las Vegas I took this pic right after I saw a bolt of lightning just over the top of Mt. Charleston. Notice the rain on the windshield – the plan was working  17 October 2010 - Sun breaking through the clouds over Mt. Charleston  17 October 2010 - Panorama - Sun breaking through the clouds over Mt. Charleston Here’s the view toward Mt. Charleston from my overlook viewpoint. The overlook is the other direction, but I loved seeing the sun shining through the clouds like that. We don’t see this type of thing nearly as often as I’d like  17 October 2010 - Rainbow over Las Vegas near Nellis AFB  17 October 2010 - Rainbow over Las Vegas near Nellis AFB  17 October 2010 - Rainbow over Las Vegas near Nellis AFB - This pic is from my cellphone And this is what you’d have seen if you were there with me and looked back toward town  17 October 2010 - Sun coming through the clouds near the approach to Mt. Charleston I headed on up toward Indian Springs and Mt. Charleston in hopes of catching one of the storm cells, but alas it was not to be. I did manage to get a couple of decent pictures on the highway heading up there, though  17 October 2010 - Panorama - Sunlight and a thunderstorm on the mountains northwest of Las Vegas I actually stopped at the entrance to the Mt. Charleston access road and got a few good pics that made this panorama 8) My camera battery died shortly before I got these pictures but thankfully my cellphone’s camera was up to the job That’s about it for this post. Tomorrow’s another day at work and fun with the dentist after that, but the forecast for the rest of the week includes interesting weather. Here’s hoping I get to have some more weather fun Have a great day everyone —————— Here’s something I bet a lot of people didn’t know about but that’s very close to Las Vegas and very cool
 Moon over the mountain
All of these pictures were taken back in September of 2006 with a camera that’s probably about six or seven years old now. I’ll have to go back sometime and get some new pictures before too long
 Lake Mead seen from the hiking path
The views of the lake are pretty good from up on the hiking trail. The year before these pictures were taken was very wet with near record rainfall which is why you see so much green here. The water level was quite a bit higher back then, too.
 First tunnel on the path
Yep, the tunnels really are there
 Looking through one tunnel and into another
All the tunnels are pretty short, but I think they’re pretty cool. Here you can see through one tunnel and even through another one that’s curved.
 Timbers at the entrance to one of the tunnels
Not all the tunnels are just rock – a couple of them have timbers, too. If you like these pics and want to see the tunnels for yourself, check out the National Park Service’s web page for this hiking trail by clicking here. They’ve got some decent pictures and most of the information about the tunnels and the railroad that you’d ever want to know Have fun and happy hiking I say new, as in to me. It is basically a thirty year old airframe. Still works. Got this from a site/posting about the Edwards Show some years ago. When I get new name tapes made for it for the pilot, Major FA Evensen, Royal Norwegian Air Force, and me, new pictures will be posted here and at ORPO.  F-16AM 80-3666 Yesterday was a rather big day. After nearly a decade of hard work and $240 million dollars the public was able to walk the deck of the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge  16 October 2010 - JROTC cadets raising funds for a trip to MCRD San Diego I had to stop by the gas station to add fuel to the tank and pick up some sodas before actually heading down to the dam. And just look at what I found – JROTC cadets! They were on all four corners of the intersection raising money for a trip to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. They were actually having a car wash along with collecting money at the intersection. I just had my car washed last weekend so I gave ‘em some money and called it good  16 October 2010 - Entering Lake Mead National Recreation Area Directions on the event website said to take Lake Mead Blvd. through North Las Vegas into the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and down to the parking lot farther south. I’d normally take the 93 south through Boulder City and in from there, but I figured why not take the scenic route? It was awfully nice of the powers that be to suspend fees for entrance to the area for today as well  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Colorful desert near the north end of Lake Mead Did I mention that there’s a bit of scenery out there  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Event parking and shuttle bus loading area When I showed up at about 1100 hrs, there were lots of cars in the parking lot, but there was plenty of parking too and I didn’t have to wait at all for a bus. I was told that had I gone with my first plan for the day which was to show up right at 0800 when the event officially started, that I would have found a significantly different situation. They said there was a two hour wait in line to get on a bus  16 October 2010 - Las Vegas Metro PD still rides Harley Davidsons  16 October 2010 - Talk about a HUGE Metro PD presence! The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department we know now was created in the 1970′s when the Las Vegas Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Department merged. They’re the primary law enforcement agency in Clark County and they had just about everyone out for this event. I don’t know why they’d need some of the stuff they had, but they seemed ready for anything.  16 October 2010 - View into Black Canyon from the bus on the southbound lanes of the bridge I don’t think I’ll be able to get this picture again without hiring a helicopter. This was taken looking southeast into Black Canyon from the upper deck of a double decker bus as we crossed the bridge heading southbound. Those barriers are about four feet tall, so you’ll only see concrete if you drive over in a car. I’m glad I made the trip so I could see this view!  16 October 2010 - Aerial assets were ready and waiting in Arizona  16 October 2010 - Mojave County, AZ sheriff's deputies helped out with security Las Vegas Metro PD wasn’t the only law enforcement agency by any means. The officers above are Mojave County AZ sheriff’s deputies. I also saw Kingman, AZ police and Department of Homeland Security officers on the bridge.  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Bus unloading area at the south end of the bridge I don’t know how crowded this unloading area got, but it was wide open for us. One thing I was happy to see was a huge number of porta-potties! I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to be stuck out on a concrete bridge in the middle of nowhere with thousands of people and no place to answer nature’s call  16 October 2010 - Facts and figures about the bridge  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Time line of events leading up to opening day These were a couple of the informational banners around the bridge. Click on the images for full size of course  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Best view south from the northbound lanes This is another view you’ll probably never see without a helicopter 8) The organizers had ladders on the center divide barrier so you could see over the other side a bit better. It wasn’t as good as the view from the bus, but it wasn’t too shabby either.  16 October 2010 - Rules for visitors to the bridge  16 October 2010 - Yep, you're pretty much on your own out there These warning signs aren’t just there for show. There are good reasons for them as you’ll see in some of the upcoming pictures.  16 October 2010 - Yours truly at the entrance to the pedestrian walkway Yep, that’s me at the beginning of the pedestrian walkway  16 October 2010 - Mike O'Callaghan - American Hero  16 October 2010 - Pat Tillman - American Hero These are the two men for whom the bridge has been named. Click on the pictures for the full size versions and you can read about them and why they are worth remembering and celebrating. Never forget what they did for our nation and what they sacrificed to do it.  16 October 2010 - Looking north toward Nevada If you look north toward Nevada, you’ll see the welcome sign and roadway…  16 October 2010 - Looking out along the bridge And if you look south, you’ll see the bridge
 16 October 2010 - Information about the bridge  16 October 2010 - Information about the bridge  16 October 2010 - Information about the bridge  16 October 2010 - Information about the bridge  16 October 2010 - Information about the bridge Informational plaques have been placed all along the bridge. I only got pictures of a few of them due to the crowds getting in the way and I know I can easily return sometime in the not too distant future.  16 October 2010 - Looking down the pedestrian walkway Here’s a good view down along the pedestrian walkway. You can see how high the railing and the concrete wall are compared to the people in the distance. I have serious doubts about any cars coming over the side of the concrete wall and I don’t see how anyone could inadvertently go over the railing. Many people were wondering why the fence and railing weren’t built higher and the answer I got from the people who know is that this meets all the guidelines and requirements. I figure it this way – if someone wants over badly enough, they’ll find a way.  16 October 2010 - Paddle wheel boat giving a tour of Lake Mead Aside from showing off the paddle wheel boat on the lake, you can also see just how big the dam is by looking at the people and cars on the rim. You can also see how incredibly low the water level is in Lake Mead.  16 October 2010 - Plaque marking the border between Arizona and Nevada This isn’t the first time I’ve walked from Arizona to Nevada or vice versa  16 October 2010 - Plaque marking the center of the arch This marker shows where the apex is of the arch below the bridge deck. I’m thinking I’m going to have to do some sort of coordinated photo shoot between me and someone on the dam in the future.  16 October 2010 - Your Humble Scribe with Hoover Dam and Lake Mead in one picture 8) Remember how I said I wanted a couple of pics of me at the event? Here’s one that I was really hoping I’d get  16 October 2010 - Parking for tourists visiting Hoover Dam This is a view of the paid parking lot for tourists as well as the hut that hangs over the abyss near it. The hut is used for observations of the water and dam operations. I’m not really so sure I’d want to have to stay in it all day long.  16 October 2010 - Several ladder bridges allowed quicker access from the road to the pedestrian walkway There’s only one normal entrance to the pedestrian walkway and it’s all the way down at the Nevada end of the bridge. With people being dropped off at the Arizona end, someone had a moment of inspired genius and thought to find a way over the traffic retaining wall. These worked perfectly  16 October 2010 - I saw several of these weather stations along the span Not that I doubted anyone, but I was glad to see these weather stations. For those who think that the weather in the desert is always hot, sunny, and dry I have news – it isn’t. There’s some pretty impressive thunderstorms every year and even when there’s no thunder, lightning, or clouds there can be wind. Completion of the bridge was set back by two years when high winds caused a major crane collapse. Those winds were about 55 MPH, but I’ve seen gusts out here over 85 MPH. I have a sneaking suspicion that someone will monitor those weather stations and shut down the bridge if the weather gets too bad. I can’t see how cars would ever have a problem, but big rigs might.  16 October 2010 - Looking south over the southbound lanes This picture was taken from one of the ladders placed just for this purpose on the center divide.  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Hoover Dam viewed from the bypass bridge  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Hoover Dam viewed from the bypass bridge  16 October 2010 - Panorama - Hoover Dam viewed from the bypass bridge All three of these last pictures are panoramas and if you click on ‘em, they’re absolutely HUGE I’m still recovering today after several hours of walking across hot concrete, but it was well worth the effort. Have a great Sunday everyone This past Wednesday found me down on the Fabulous Las Vegas Strip for a bit of a shindig. Margaritaville was having a locals appreciation party and I found out about it because I gave ‘em my email address when I signed up for my local’s VIP card a couple months ago. Like I’m going to pass up free food, drink specials, and a chance to win tickets to the Buffett concert  13 October 2010 - A leprechaun calling people into O'Shea's This guy has been doing this for years and I think he has a pretty good job. I can certainly think of worse ways to make a living!  13 October 2010 - Margaritaville!!! If you’ve never seen the front of Margaritaville Las Vegas it’s pretty cool. I sure do miss the ocean and sailboats out here in the desert.  13 October 2010 - Panorama - Art on the upper deck at Margaritaville Las Vegas  13 October 2010 - Just like the sign at the top right of the above picture says I can assure you that there indeed is no passport required at Margaritaville and it certainly is a different state of mind  13 October 2010 - Table art at Margaritaville Las Vegas  13 October 2010 - A wonderful start to the evening  13 October 2010 - You knew there'd be an actual Margarita in there, right Margaritaville, build your own nachos, and a damn good margarita – that alone was worth the trip  13 October 2010 - Evening contrails over Las Vegas While Jimmy’s an aviation freak like I am, this isn’t really Margaritaville or Buffett related. I just thought it looked cool  13 October 2010 - Cars down on the Strip  13 October 2010 - Caesers Palace seen from Margaritaville Las Vegas These were just a couple more pics of the Strip taken with my cellphone that I thought were cool  13 October 2010 - I haven't tried Lone Palm Ale, but I think I'll have to...  13 October 2010 - I have tried Land Shark Lager and it's pretty good!  13 October 2010 - The 12 Volt Bar is where the party happened All these signs are related to songs and if you’re a Parrothead you’ll know which ones they are. Yes, I want these works of art!  13 October 2010 - Live entertainment at Margaritaville Las Vegas  13 October 2010 - I can live with this kind of performance!  13 October 2010 - Yep, they put on a great show! Have I mentioned that there’s live entertainment at Margaritaville? Well there is  13 October 2010 - Inspired by the song Love and Luck  13 October 2010 - I love this design  13 October 2010 - Cool shirt, but there's no way I could wear it at work  13 October 2010 - If you know the music you'll understand the flag Oh yeah, I did make it down to the retail side of the house and my 20% local’s discount came in handy! I didn’t buy anything you see here, but you’ll see my purchases in future posts. I just thought these things were way cool That’s about it for this post – I had a damn good time and Margaritaville is still one of my favorite places to go on the Strip This image shamelessly stolen from Theo Spark  Yep, there are better ways to log off As shocking as it might seem, I have never shot a computer in all my time in the desert with guns |
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I love seeing tornadoes and super cells when they’re over open spaces and I don’t want to ever see one hit a populated area. These are the guys who go out and do the scientific research to try to improve forecasts and building methods to ultimately save lives. I just find the whole thing exciting and fascinating.
The video above is from the finale episode for season three and you can watch as his driver’s window is blown out and glass cuts his face because he couldn’t get the protective lexan window covering in place before the tornado hit.
I met Wedge Oldham at a launch in California and my impression of him is that he’s the kind of guy you listen to about rocketry because he knows what he’s talking about 
I actually wasn’t really watching the weather radar when I heard a crack of thunder and checked the radar to see what the storm was doing. I found out that the storm was going from the southwest to the northeast and fairly quickly. I couldn’t tell just where it was that I’d have the best chance of seeing lightning and hearing thunder while getting rained on, so I headed out and went to a viewpoint that I’ve known about for quite a while 
I may have to get my mountain bike back up and working and bring a video camera with me next time.