Overview

When you're on the road chasing tornadoes for a week or two, the vehicle you ride in becomes extremely important. Ever since their inception in 1999, F5! has been driving the most comfortable and safest vehicle on the road, the Suburban. As a result, tours have limited seating as F5! only allows up to four clients per Suburban, along with one meteorologist and a driver. This setup offers valued clients much more comfort, safety and personal exposure to the staff of expert meteorologists. This is a high-class operation!

Experienced Meteorologists on Every Tour
The chase team includes experienced storm chasers who are also degreed meteorologists or military trained forecasters. The staff of meteorologists use a balance of significant chase experience, technical knowledge, higher education, and their seasoned gut feelings to put you in the right place at the right time. On-board real-time Doppler Radar imagery means F5! doesn't depend on The Weather Channel or outside services that cater to amateur chasers. They depend on our F5! team of experts in the field along with a network of in-house meteorologists.

Network of Meteorologists
To complement their on-board meteorologists and offer second opinions and real-time NOWCASTING support, F5! has a network of meteorologists that are available in several locations across the country. These in-house meteorologists provide the on-board meteorologists with additional analysis of the daily forecast, real-time weather data while on the road, and anything else needed while in motion. This additional weather support gives F5! access to everything from real-time Doppler radar, real-time lightning strike information, satellite imagery and all the surface and upper level weather data and computer models available. This is one of the biggest advantages of F5! tours: they never lack critical information. Since weather forecasting and real-time operational weather support is their business year round, the staff is always prepared and ready with the latest information for the F5! chase team. A combination of real-time weather support and on-board technology means meteorologists and clients get the best chance to see the next big storm up close and personal!

On-Board Technology
Suburbans are equipped with a host of high-tech instruments that keep F5! informed of the latest severe weather developments and exact location at all times. The vehicles include real-time satellite delivered Doppler Radar, a ham radio for reporting and listening to local severe weather information. They also use several digital cellular phones to remain in contact with their real-time support and to offer dial-up internet access when needed, a laptop computer for displaying radar imagery and other critical time-sensitive data. All watches, warnings and all other essential weather information is collected by NOAA weather radio and through in-house meteorologists. F5! uses G.P.S. navigation so they never get lost on country roads in the middle of nowhere. They also carry a scanner, digital video camera, several cameras, and a first aid kit. Incidentally, F5! also brings along plenty of things to do while waiting for storm initiation, such as movies (for watching through an in-vehicle DVD system), board games, electronic games and F5!'s own well-traveled stimulating conversation of course.

Chase Vehicle Safety
As mentioned above, F5! uses Suburbans exclusively and keeps the chase vehicle in prime shape all year. Beyond the comfort and the personal style these 4-wheel drive trucks provide clients, Suburbans also offer maximum safety and durability during severe weather. Suburbans are one of the biggest and heaviest vehicles on the road. They have a very low center of gravity, so they never flip or get blown off the road in high winds - unlike the top-heavy 15-passenger vans other companies use. These passenger vans require special federal rules and regulations due to their unsafe history. Although viewing tornadoes is the main objective of the tours, safety is always considered F5!'s top priority.

Learn Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Weather in a Week
F5!'s meteorologists love spending time with clients and explaining the processes that are taking place in the atmosphere to generate such huge, awe-inspiring beautiful storms. From the forecast in the hotel room to the rotating wall cloud giving birth to a tornado, meteorologists enjoy sharing their knowledge with clients who love the weather as much as they do. After one week on a tour, you'll take home a thorough knowledge of how the atmosphere works and a long-lasting friendship. F5! encourages questions and will provide additional documentation to help explain the weather during the trip. Although their focus on these safaris is to witness the development and life cycle of a tornado, they also take pride in the education their meteorologists provide. By limiting the number of clients per Suburban, you will get all the personal attention you desire.

Bonus Addition to the F5! Team
Ever since 2002, F5! has also been the tour company of choice for Geoff Mackely, a world-famous storm-chasing photographer and film-maker. Since F5!'s meteorologists are not professional photographers, Geoff brings a perfect match to their tours. F5! finds the tornadoes and Geoff gets the best video and photos possible! Geoff also provides most the video and pictures for the year-end season highlight video provided to tour guests. Along with F5!, Geoff has also been featured on all kinds of specials for the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel and many other programs featuring video and photos from tornadoes, hurricanes and volcanoes across the world. You can visit his official website at www.rambocam.com and meet him in person on tour!

   Affiliations

• American Meteorological Society
• National Weather Association

   Payments Accepted

   Reservation Policy

   Cancellation Policy