The OTUS Experience - 2026
Welcome to The OTUS Experience, where you’ll have the opportunity to be a part of the team during the 2026 season! Witness firsthand our ground-breaking research of collecting data inside tornadoes to further our mission of better protecting life & property.
The Logistics:
Time slots will be open from May 20th till when the tornado season ends, typically by end of July.
You’ll be in our support vehicle with a core OTUS member and an experienced chaser, who will educate you on how these storms work & best practices.
After paying the deposit, we’ll be reaching out for you to complete our intake form, sign our liability waiver, and hop on a brief call with us so we can answer any questions you may have! Following this, you will be placed on our “alert list,” where we’ll provide notice which days are “chase” days and which days are “off” days (we typically project out from 2-7 days).
You can book a time slot (from 2-5 consecutive days) anytime, with 4 slots available per day. Upon booking, you’ll be charged the remaining balance for your trip ($2k/day rate). Once your experience has ended, we will refund you $1.5k/day for days that ended up being “off” (An off day counts as a day where you rode with us for any amount of time where there were no storms to chase).
48 hours prior to your timeslot, we’ll contact you with the airport you need to be at before noon on your first chase day to get picked up by the team! More information in FAQ’s.
To get started, see below to put down a deposit and begin securing your spot! It will be fully refunded to you by July 31st if you do not book a timeslot with us this season.
Please read the Disclaimers & FAQ section below for more information!
Please Read!
This initial deposit will begin the process of securing your spot on our “alert list” and allow you to book chasing slots with us; it will count towards your tour. From there, we’ll be giving you real-time updates on where you need to meet the team on your first day.
If for whatever reason you don’t chase with us this season, it will be fully refunded back to you by July 31st! One exception: deposit will be non-refundable if you secure a spot for a chase.
Spots are limited, we have received an overwhelming amount of requests and will be capping our “alert list” to 30 people. Thank you for your interest and we’re looking forward to an epic season ahead!
Here’s what we saw from the ground last year!
Disclaimers & Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimers:
Storm chasing can be incredibly rewarding, seeing breathtaking views and witnessing unforgettable tornadoes. However, weather is difficult to predict, and we cannot make any guarantees of what you will see.
This opportunity is “first come first serve”, we can only hold 4 VIP guests at a time in our support vehicle. We won’t facilitate anyone renting their own vehicle and following the team due to safety concerns.
We try our absolute best to fly on every tornado possible and be perfectly positioned. However, mistakes do happen, and there is always the risk of a technical difficulty / drone failure, or operational mistake while out in the field.
Storm chasing is risky. We may encounter large hail, lightning, strong winds, blinding rain, powerful tornadoes, and distracted drivers while on a chase. You must be able to take direction from our staff.
You will be spending long hours on the road! Bathroom breaks & stops for food may be brief at times.
We do have a lot of cameras on us; you may appear on our social media, on Max Velocity’s livestream, or on other channels.
Luggage - Space in the vehicle is at a premium, so you will be allowed one carry-on sized suitcase and one backpack for the duration of the trip.
Food - Breakfast is often included in the hotels. Lunch and dinner are on your own, basic amenities are included like snacks & drinks. Alcohol is not permitted inside the vehicle.
FAQ:
How will the booking process work?
During your initial call, we’ll explain how to book your days. You can always communicate with us about booking directly at info@theotusproject.com.
What will flights look like?
Once we notify you what airport you’ll need to be at prior to your chase, it will be up to you on how to get there. We can’t stress enough how important it is to be on time! If you miss the meetup time and we have to leave to chase a storm, we will have to coordinate on how you will meet up with us that night following the chase (may require a vehicle rental).
For the return flight, we will do our best to provide 48 hour notice on what airport to book from, as we will likely end up in a new location following a chase!
What will lodging look like?
We typically don’t know where we’re staying for the night until a few hours before arrival. We stay at well-rated hotels/motels, though vacancy may vary significantly depending on the location. Each person will be provided with their own room, unless otherwise specified.