TIV: Two Tornado Intercepts Already?

I talked to one of my friends who was associated with the TIVs and he indicated that the TIV had indeed penetrated a tornado. From what I understand, the TIV group penetrated a bonafide condensation-to-the-ground tornado. Apparently, a Nat'l Geographic camera crew followed too closely and also found themselves in the funnel. As I understand it, there is a Nat'l Geographic special about this in the works.

Gabe
 
I haven't seen any video or media coverage of this, even if it did happen. You'd think after all the attention this TIV thing gets for just "being there" we'd have all seen this incredible acheivement on television by now. I know I've seen this thing rolling around out there a ton of times, most times further from the tornado than I am. I would think that if they actually accomplished their goal, we might be privy to this information.

Otherwise, the TIV thing is pretty much played out IMO. No one cares anymore, except those groupie chicks Mark Svenvold wrote about.
 
Originally posted by Shane Adams
I would think that if they actually accomplished their goal, we might be privy to this information.
Click to expand...

That's a good point. However, sometimes media groups (such as Nat'l Geographic) make deals with groups like the TIVs to give the research group financial support in exchange for exclusive media rights (I'm talkign about major media groups, not local media). That is, no other media group is allowed to interview the group, etc. until a set time (usually after a television special or whatever). I imagine that this is probably the case with this group.

Gabe
 
Originally posted by Shane Adams
I haven't seen any video or media coverage of this, even if it did happen. You'd think after all the attention this TIV thing gets for just \"being there\" we'd have all seen this incredible acheivement on television by now. I know I've seen this thing rolling around out there a ton of times, most times further from the tornado than I am. I would think that if they actually accomplished their goal, we might be privy to this information.

Otherwise, the TIV thing is pretty much played out IMO. No one cares anymore, except those groupie chicks Mark Svenvold wrote about.
Click to expand...

I've noticed Nat Geo tends to hold publishing things until they're polished pieces. T. Samaras shot video for them from like 8 different angles inside of a tornado, and they didn't publish it on TV or in their magazine for many months.
 
Looks like the answer so far is...no one has seen them enter a tornado. With all the other chasers out there and the enrollment on Stormtrack it seems to me unlikely we would have all missed it. As Shane mentioned we all see them in the field from time to time. I saw them late on June 11th at Wayside, and then late on June 12th west of Hamlin.

Hmm, that makes me think though. They weren't too late on June 11th. Sure they had missed a few of the initial tornadoes but they got up north of the intersection of Ranch 285 on hwy 207 east of Wayside. A large wallcloud was very near the ground up there that eventually got wrapped up. I went up there for awhile, but when I saw it wrapping and another area of rotation approaching from the SW I bailed briefly south to get out it. A lot of chasers got caught in this including Gene Moore. He told me it was a rough ride. It's possible that large wallcloud scouring near the ground could loosely be called a tornado. Plus, later I had left and was going to try and go around the canyon to the south and east, but I came back and believe I could see another large tornado back in there as it was getting dark. So, it is possible they are referring to one of these.

There were quite a few chasers up there though and they would have witnessed any special intercept. Perhaps they are referring to being wrapped up in the bear cage with the other chasers. That would esplain why their camera crew was stuck in it with them. There was only one way out and I saw it and took it early enough to avoid it.
 
TIV Intercept

Wsa travelling with the TIV (as part of another chase group) on June 12th, and can confirm that they did have the intercept (I also have their radio traffic about the event on a video clip). A National Geographic crew was caught up as well as described above by Gabe. Probably the reason you haven't seen any footage yet is because it'll be part of some upcoming National Geopgraphic special (mooted for October?) or some footage that will be used in an IMAX setting.
 
TIV Intercept

From the pics I have from June 12th, the tornado TIV intercepted was the last of 6 touchdowns we sighted from the same supercell - their intercept was with a really late tornado on the west side of the storm after we had chased five earlier separate touchdowns from several rotating wall clouds moving to the east - it was a big rope-like tornado snaking almost at a right angle then down from of the back of the storm (my pics of this are from the east looking to the west into the sun - it was relatively weak compared to the earlier tornadoes, but still strong enough to shift the National Geographic vehicle 30 degrees sideways, in the midst of metal drums circling in the air in the vortex
 
Re: TIV Intercept

Okay, just for clarification, what exactly are we defining as an "intercept?" Did they punch right through the middle of the suck zone and live to tell about it? Were they on the immediate periphery of it? Were they simply hit by the rain wrap?

I don't question your report here. I'm just looking for a clearer picture of exactly what it was the TIV did that is being categorized as an "intercept."
 
What's more interesting to me is, the TIV wasn't ever designed with penetrating a tornado in mind. It was, from what I've read, designed to merely approach a tornado very closely and drive into some type of ditch or revene for added protection and film a tornado passing by very close to the TIV's location. Basically, the fact that the TIV was not designed for a tornado penetration is the one bit of "integrity" it's got above the more-ballyhooed, openly-idiotic Steve Green Tornado Hunter thing.

If the TIV guys are activiely attempting to penetrate tornadoes like Steve Green, that pretty much takes away any scientific merit they might have had (aided most by its association with the DOWs). Regardless of the fact they carry mounted scientific instruments, it would still be a publicity stunt to seek a direct encounter with a tornado.

Between never seeing them anywhere near a tornado (when they could've easily been), and now hearing they drove straight into one, I'm extremely unclear as to the exact mission of the TIV with regard to the literature I've read on its mission statement.
 
TIV Intercept

If you're interested in the precise details of their "intercept" why don't you contact them directly for the detail instead of idly speculating/rumour mongering here? My understanding, as is yours, is that they try to get as close as is reasonably "safe", and that IMAX is filming from that close perspective. I gather that the DOWs provide them with an assessment of how close is "safe" given the strength of a particular rotation. I don't know if they drove "straight into this one" as you say, but I was merely confirming the fact that they did intercept this one - from hearing the simultaneous radio traffic and conversations immediately after, that evening, with the various crews. I have pics of the tornado that they "intercepted" from a distance - and its unusual behaviour was apparently what caught out the Nationa Geographic crew (i.e. a horseshoe shaped path on the ground) - did it happen? I think so, from relatively close second-hand experience; did I see it by direct sight and know the exact details? No - ask them :D
 
Re: TIV Intercept

Originally posted by Peter Wharton
If you're interested in the precise details of their \"intercept\" why don't you contact them directly for the detail instead of idly speculating/rumour mongering here?
Click to expand...

What I indicated I was interested in was the perception of recent that the TIV was trying to penetrate a tornado (contrary to the literature regarding the TIV mission statement). As for the details of their "intercept" in question, I am not interested at all.
 
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