News Helicopter Films Tractor Trailer Destroyed by Tornado

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:33 pm

Amazingly, the driver walked away,

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normalicy · Post by **normalicy** » Fri May 27, 2011 12:02 am

Dang!

Pugsley · Post by **Pugsley** » Fri May 27, 2011 6:35 am

theophilusmousse · Post by **theophilusmousse** » Fri May 27, 2011 9:32 am

Is it just me, or does a helicopter seem to be a particularly bad way to chase a tornado?
... what with the unpredictable wind
... and stuff flying through the air, like branches, or bits of metal, or cars, houses, old ladies on bicycles, cows... you know, stuff you DON'T want going through the rotors of the gizmo keeping you from falling to your death.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri May 27, 2011 12:11 pm

Not as dangerous as you think. If you watch StormChasers you'll seen drones (basically model airplanes) fly right up to super cells to drop probes,

That chopper was actually pretty far away using a telephoto. Those cells can be pretty compact and well defined and a good chopper pilot can skirt around them. As long as you're not inside the vortex or it the intake area, you're fine. I'm sure midwest news chopper pilots are pretty good at this.