Living out your dreams can have some limits in a town with 300 people and no stoplights. For Michael Hollinger, Bodie Hope, and Dylan “Rocky” Riley, three young men from Arkansas, the chance to live out one of their dreams became reality and they received the opportunity to meet their long-time hero, Storm Chaser Reed Timmer.

Passion for storm chasing came at a young age for Michael, who enjoys going out and chasing storms with his dad. That enjoyment spurred an immediate draw to the television program in which meteorologist Reed Timmer leads one of three storm-chasing teams, and Bosch is a sponsor.

Bosch held a Twitter “retweet” contest, which Michael entered and won. He later tweeted to Bosch that he works at an auto parts store and has sold Bosch ICON Wiper Blades because he showed customers the Reed Timmer television spot. In the midst of a conversation with Bosch, Michael mentioned, “Me and my friends even advertised Bosch Wiper Blades at a community function when we built the Mini Dominator. We worked hard on it!”

The “Mini-Dom” video became an instant hit with Bosch. The idea was a natural and Bosch worked to create a new video and to introduce Michael and his friends to their idol, Reed Timmer. The idea was for the boys and Bosch to pull a “Switcheroo” where Timmer’s storm chasing vehicle the Dominator would switch with their “Mini-Dom” while Timmer was inside a local convenience store, all scripted, caught on tape, and looking like the ultimate prank.

The “Mini-Dom” was a fun project the boys worked on around Halloween, built with cardboard, PVC pipe, chicken wire, and a 4-wheeler. After Timmer saw the pint-sized Dominator, he was amazed saying, “It has the anemometer and everything, it’s all decked out. You guys really are big fans.”

Michael, Bodie, and Dylan received the opportunity of a lifetime. Two of the boys had never even been on a plane before and now they can say they flew out to Chicago and shot a video with their idol, Reed Timmer. Michael mentions, “This has been a dream come true.”

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The Weather Channel Companies announced it has greenlit “Hurricane Hunters,” a new character-driven documentary series revealing the high-stakes world of pilots who fly planes into hurricanes to gather meteorological data from the eye of the storm. The show tracks their lives and dangerous missions during the height of hurricane season.

Produced by Christian D’Andrea, Aleco Bravo, Rich Battista, and High Noon Entertainment, the series is comprised of 4x 30-minute episodes and will premiere in July 2012.

“Hurricane Hunters” follows the Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based in Biloxi, Mississippi, whose mission is to fly planes into hurricanes to better understand them and gather key meteorological data that can only be captured by flying into the eye of the storm. The information they gather helps weather services predict storm paths and warn affected cities.

This is meteorology in the extreme: they risk their own lives, and other people’s lives depend on them. Remarkably, many of these highly trained men and women take on hurricane hunting as a second job – and their day jobs and hobbies are as varied as a FedEx pilot, an attorney, and an Elvis impersonator, making for a unique and eclectic group.

“The appeal of shows like this for The Weather Channel is that these are real people, and the type of work they do helps safeguard people and potentially saves lives,” said Bob Walker, executive vice president and general manager of networks and content, The Weather Channel.

“Few people can imagine what it would be like to travel into the eye of a hurricane – and these men and women volunteer to do it. ‘Hurricane Hunters’ offers viewers a rare inside look at an extraordinary group of people and the work they do in perilous weather conditions.”

“Hurricane Hunters” joins TWC’s growing stable of long-form, original content, which includes its most recent additions, “Twist of Fate,” “Storm Riders,” and “Coast Guard Alaska,” as well as the upcoming series “Lifeguard!” and anthology series “Braving the Elements,” both premiering in March 2012.

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