ANN reports that the airfield at Fort Pierce Florida took the brunt of Hurricane Frances and several hangars were damaged. One collapsed crushing 8 aircraft including it is believed two Grumman Albatross amphibians.
http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav.cfm?ContentBlockID=69318935-842f-45c1-a832-ce4e07e2bd65&Dynamic=1
mmitch.
By: David Burke - 17th September 2004 at 01:36
Flood – The Dakota is N238GB which served with the Fifth Air Force in Australia
before coming to England in the days prior to D-Day for the Ninth AF. She was called ‘The Last Straw’ and sadly it looks like that has come! I have been keeping an eye on her for a while in the hope that the firemen would release at least the cockpit for preservation. She had been out of use in Jamaica for about twenty years.
A sad end to a former warrior.
By: Loose-Head - 17th September 2004 at 00:21
Does anybody know if airworthy Historic aircraft at any of the ” At risk,” locations were flown out to other bases before the series of hurricanes hit – as per the evacuation of the the majority of the local populace.
Apologies if this has been covered already.
By: China Clipper - 16th September 2004 at 23:08
Eglin fighters evacuated. Families stayed?
When I saw video of the fighters evacuating, I first thought, well, looks like the pilots take the jets out, and the wives and families get to slug it out with Hurricane Ivan without them…
Another thing military families have to cope with.
By: John Boyle - 16th September 2004 at 23:04
FYI: About 60 F-15s and 16s from Eglin are waiting it out at Dyess. We got great video of the fighters landing at what is normally a B-1/C-130 base.
A bit of change…
By: China Clipper - 16th September 2004 at 22:46
Awful about Mirabella, and all the airports (and restoration outfits and museums) damaged in Hurricanes Charles and Frances. Now Ivan has hit on or near Pensacola with the USN naval aviation musuem and Eglin AFB, FL
Sad to lose wonderful birds to storms like these!
Tnx for the news about Mirabella… They have done mx on Jimmy Buffett’s aircraft for years…
By: Skybolt - 15th September 2004 at 12:11
What a tragedy. I spent a magic week in Florida in the winter staying at Stuart, just up the road from Fort Pierce. No interesting aircraft based there but there were large numbers of GA machines and transient aircraft. Nice friendly airport with the usual Florida atmosphere so rare in the UK and Europe. I even got badly sunburned on 1 February which is indded a first for me. Also visited Paris Air at Vero Beach which was the finest FBO in terms of organisation and appearence I have ever encountered in 50 years as a pilot. You could literally eat off the hangar floor.
Cheers,
Trapper 69
By: Flood - 15th September 2004 at 02:19
Not quite Florida but this was sent to me and I thought it was interesting enough to include…
Caption reads:-
An inoperative plane is seen in a flooded part of the Norman Manley airport after the passing of Hurricane Ivan in the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004. (AP Photo/Walter Astrada)
The plane is a DC3, and it looks as though it had been off charge before the storm hit, but still a sad way to go…
Flood
By: Archer - 9th September 2004 at 11:19
Sad news that! I spent six months at the Pan Am Flight Academy in 2002 and know the field well. I hope that some of the Albatross bits can be salvaged!
This is one of their aircraft:
Sorry about the Piper that’s in the way!
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September 9, 2004 at 9:53 am