Gerard
2008-06-09, 08:47 PM
Hot and steamy day yesterday turns turbulent on Long Island around 5PM as lines of thunderstorms moved through from the NW. I got hit around 5PM and that was it
but up until about 9PM they were passing all around. At 7:30 a NY State PD Bell 430 came over FRG at around 1000 feet. They told tower they were trying to avoid the storms as they were heading to Stony Brook.
But at 8:30 a really nasty cell with vivid cloud to ground lightning was raging S/SE of FRG. At the same time Twinstar N355AG, a resident of FRG, was inbound from the NW advising Tower he saw the storm and instead of Microwave routing came low along the 1-4 Localizer. The ship had the globe/ball Wescam camera
mounted on its nose. As he came inbound the lightning was really crackling and the pilot advises Tower he was "enjoying the light show". Then I heard him say about a Citation ready to depart "He's taking off in this? followed by "WHOA"!! as a bolt of lightning must have startled him. He then remarked to the Citation crew "You guys got more guts than me taking off in this weather". Unfortunately I couldnt hear the reply. Well he has guts also flying in that weather close to that cell. The lightning was pretty intense and if that was the same cell that ripped up Bethpage State Park, dangerous winds also. I guess the Citation got up safely!! :)
They are calling for more storms tomorrow night as a cold front moves through to cool us down and storms spawned by cold fronts can be pretty nasty.
but up until about 9PM they were passing all around. At 7:30 a NY State PD Bell 430 came over FRG at around 1000 feet. They told tower they were trying to avoid the storms as they were heading to Stony Brook.
But at 8:30 a really nasty cell with vivid cloud to ground lightning was raging S/SE of FRG. At the same time Twinstar N355AG, a resident of FRG, was inbound from the NW advising Tower he saw the storm and instead of Microwave routing came low along the 1-4 Localizer. The ship had the globe/ball Wescam camera
mounted on its nose. As he came inbound the lightning was really crackling and the pilot advises Tower he was "enjoying the light show". Then I heard him say about a Citation ready to depart "He's taking off in this? followed by "WHOA"!! as a bolt of lightning must have startled him. He then remarked to the Citation crew "You guys got more guts than me taking off in this weather". Unfortunately I couldnt hear the reply. Well he has guts also flying in that weather close to that cell. The lightning was pretty intense and if that was the same cell that ripped up Bethpage State Park, dangerous winds also. I guess the Citation got up safely!! :)
They are calling for more storms tomorrow night as a cold front moves through to cool us down and storms spawned by cold fronts can be pretty nasty.