How long does a funnel cloud usually stay in the air?

Question

before it touches the ground or water. I'm thinking about skydiving a few miles away from a funnel cloud to get it on tape in the air and when it touches down. Has anyone done that before or will I be the first?

Answer 1

This is not a good idea.  The area around a funnel cloud is the primary updraft for a thunderstorm.  It is possible for you to be swept up into the thunderstorm and be unable to come down.  Note that even for a non-tornadic thunderstorm the updraft may be 100 miles per hour or more.  You can get swept up into an area of large hail and limited oxygen.

Here is a link to an article about some paragliders that were caught in a thunderstorm in Australia.  One survived and one didn't.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/dead...

Answer 2

I highly doubt anyone has been brave enough to do that. Funnel clouds usually last a little while, but a tornado does not always form. There may not be enough energy to form the tornado. I wouldn't choose to do it because the sky dive has to be just right. Also, you might not even get anything good recorded. The tornado might not form, the storm could shift direction, and other things could go wrong for you. The chances of everything being just right are quite low.

Answer 3

I haven't done that before. Hope this helps.

Respectfully,

BK