 For some months now, Cindy Carter has lived looking forward to each Saturday. That's when she takes flying lessons at the Centerville Airport. This particular Saturday, she is hoping it will be one she would never forget. A happy girl, a bit of a giggler with little on her mind right now except her flying. And the possibility, she might solo today. Within two hours, she will face the greatest challenge of her life, hanging clouds. But appearances can be deceiving. A low pressure system is drawing in warm, exceptionally moist surface air from the Gulf of Mexico with low level, very dry hot air from the southwest and cold, dry surface air from the north. Unaware of the dramatic weather changes just over the horizon, Cindy and her instructor continue the lesson. Throttle bag, nose up, smoothly until the wings put flying. Power nose bag up to the horizon. And then, that breath-stopping moment every student pilot waits for. When the instructor says, make this a good landing and you can let me out, you're ready to solo. Joyous moment, never to be forgotten. Alone, in control. A powerful engine throbbing up front, an empty sky above. All's right with the world. Or so it seems. As the hot, dry air mass meets the moist gulf air, a squall line forms. Turbulence grows as the cold front moves in. As these storms move into the influence of the strong jet stream aloft, they can become more intense. These are the ingredients needed to trigger tornadoes. Trying to expect the unexpected. Weathermen today have the incredible advantage of being able to see the weather from high above. One of the enormous benefits that has come from our space research program conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. Though tornadoes remain largely a mystery. In laboratory work sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, actual baby tornadoes are created for extensive study to help men better understand the nature of these phenomena. But the real thing is still beyond the control of men. Across the state, far from Cindy, the first tornado of the day forms and quickly dies. But the storm cloud that spawned it lives on, building with power from the sun and unstable air as it moves towards its destiny in Centerville. Fortunately, the ominous signs of potential danger have been spotted by weather satellites and relayed to the severe weather center in Kansas City. In a given year, more than 600 tornadoes can be expected to touch down in the United States. Though prevailing temperatures and air currents make the central states most vulnerable, tornadoes can happen any place, at any time, day or night. The clouds are a concern for Cindy's instructor. She must be warned so she can land before the storm moves in. Intent on her solo flying, Cindy has her radio turned off and cannot hear the urgent call. And just in, folks, the National Weather Service has just issued a tornado warning for our area. Satellite photographs and ground observation indicates that the storm system now moving our way may produce a tornado at any time. 9-4-0, I was just about to give you a call. It's getting kind of bumpy out here. Cindy, where are you right now? At this area, near the old water tower. Okay, listen very carefully. We've got a squall line moving in here with tornado warnings and it's almost on us. What's your heading right now? 295. Did you see the road down to your right? No. Oh, yeah, I see it now. Okay, listen very carefully. That road goes to Bealton and they have a unicorn there and a man on the field. Follow the road to Bealton, contact them on Unicom and they'll help you get down. You understand? Okay, yeah. Good girl. Flying to safety away from the storm, Cindy now faces the challenge of making her first solo landing at an unfamiliar field. A mile away, that's good. Now we're about 30 degrees more to the left. I want you to come around to the left about 30 more degrees and then try to line it up on final. Now you'll be landing on 2,300 feet. There's a little bit of a hill here. We run airplanes in and out of here every day so it's all right. Now you've got trees and wires over your threshold. So I want you to come in with power on and bring it in just a little bit high. I want you to make sure that you clear those trees. All right, look, now bring it around about 31 degrees to the left. You're a little low, Cindy. Get some power in there but keep your speed up too. Very good. Gently, gently does it. Now nice and easy does it. Bring it around, bring it around to the left a little more. Okay, full flaps on. Now you're lined up with the runway. Nice and easy does it. Drop the right wing. Get the right wing down now, Cindy. Very good. Okay, now listen, full flaps. No, no, no, watch those movements. Add some power now. Don't start your flare yet. Don't start your flare. Keep your speed up. Keep your speed up. Okay, now back on the stick and cut the power. Cut the power and hold that stick all the way back. Looking real good. Looking good. Looking good. Just fine. Now start to apply your brakes. Start to apply your brakes. Hold that stick all the way back. You've got it made. Cindy, you're in. Thanks for the help. And now you have to throw in my coat. Well, the tornado's knocked down all the lines to Centerville, but you come on in here and have a cup of coffee. We'll get away with communicating, all right? Okay. The storm once again goes through an eerie gyration. Inside, the air has begun the violent upward spiral until a funnel cloud. Innocent looking, but deadly, a tornado. With winds that may reach 300 miles an hour, it's just a curiosity till it touches down to earth. Then anything in its path may be totally destroyed. The most violent and unpredictable storm in nature. This is a tornado alert. A tornado has just been spotted. Take cover immediately. We repeat, this is a tornado alert. Take cover immediately. A Cindy brings the airplane back home through now quiet skies. Over Centerville, she finds a different town than she left yesterday. Then it was like a thousand others. Today, edible as it seems, yesterday's tornado lasted but a few minutes and covered only a few miles. But left in its wake, the tragic scars of unbelievable violence. And the lights across the street went out. Price before we ran. Did you got under the bed? The kids did. I couldn't get under there. It sounded like a big Russian boy in the hell and the top of the scene and everything started falling in on top of it. What did it sound like last night when the storm started? Well, it went goose, goose, stop a while and goose. It was in that little storm cellar. And that's just the way it sounded in the hell. It seemed like that big on that cellar door. The newsman from the local radio station has located Cindy's parents and relayed word she is saying. But now you have a pile of rubble that you once lovingly and finally called a home. What do you do now? Really, that's just jealous. We've got our kids. We're like it. We really are. How aware of her parents' safety, Cindy can finally relax. It's been a narrow escape. But fortunately this time there was just enough of a warning to save many lives. And tomorrow may bring even more advanced warning techniques to help forecast exactly when and where tornadoes will strike. Meanwhile, the satellites developed by NASA will continue to look for the tornado below.