Tropical Cyclone Yasi

[Mick F]

G'day Dave,
I was in VH-FDZ, piloting that so that the Townsville crews could stay and look after their families and homes.

Mick

[Steve Bottom]

it' just gone 3.00am and the worst of this thing is over for me ..

House feels intact, have not been outside to check further.

we still have power !!!!!! and were all OK.

Thoughts turn to those who are not so lucky.. it's been a LONG 24hrs , but for some it is going to be a long long rebuild process.

[Russell D]

All the coverage of the cyclone has me curious... While it's obviously unsafe to fly through a cyclone, is it safe to fly above one? How high would the extreme winds and turbulence actually reach? And how much distance do airline pilots generally like to keep between themselves and such weather (when at cruise alt)?

This kind of follows on from what Gareth was asking...

In the U.S., the USAF in collaboration with NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) regularly conduct meteorological and scientific flights through the heart of thunderstorms and hurricanes. A number of different aircraft specially fitted with scientific and recording instruments are used for this purpose, including Gulfstream, P3 Orions, etc.

There are a number of videos on youtube, including one of a NOAA plane flying through the eye of hurricane Katrina which later went on to hit New Orleans.

Just wondering if we have any such flights conducted in Australia (either by the federal funded BOM or RAAF aircraft that are quickly fitted out for the purpose just prior to a storm/cyclone)?

Some links to NOAA videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLcf9mepUro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5YwvJhu2EY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWVMcLQioQs

[Brenden S]

Glad your OK Steve, much carnage out at the airport at all?

[Jarden S]

I was CNS today a few broken trees by the boundry and what looks like a new river that is parallel to the main runway. There was heaps of extra flights today though. Plus the China eastern and southern charters

[Mick F]

Ex-tropical cyclone Yasi is situated well and truely over land now, south east of Alice Springs. However still showing great form!

Check out this Radar image, it still looks like it's even got an eye!

Mick

[Mick F]

Great video of TC Yasi's development right through to decaying in Central Australia.

http://www.theweatherchaser.com/vide...l-cyclone-yasi

Mick