Hurricane Irma

All is well with Kermit, a nice tour of FoF as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BquXX4WGmTU&feature=youtu.be

Hi All,
I watched this video last night and looks like Irma may not be finished with Florida just yet I pray it doesn’t but the images make you wince a bit..

Irma is not even an organized system any more. There is a cold front dumping snow in the mountains in western Montana that will push Irma away and to the north in a couple of days. The system for Jose may brush the east coast unless the forecasts are incorrect.

Hi All,
I watched this video last night and looks like Irma may not be finished with Florida just yet I pray it doesn’t but the images make you wince a bit..:apologetic:

Geoff.

Thom Richard said his hangar did ok.

Wings of dreams have lost their second C47 in Fort Meyer, the aircraft is destroyed,

Just logged in with Stallion 51 and they have said that all is OK and the power is back on and hope to be flying later, this is good news hope the same for Kermit.

I saw that Irma is now down to a ‘tropical depression’ and traveling from Georgia into Alabama. All is quiet on Kermit’s Facebook page, has anyone picked up any news from that area? I guess the power being out across Florida may be a factor here…

Quote: “I have often wondered in these circumstance that having a flat version you can drive over on the taxyways, but can be hydraulically raised up to 45 degrees to protect buildings would work”..

I suspect the fact that the top lip of the “ramp” would be some distance away from the edge of the building (unless the ramp width can be increased as it is raised to 45′ so that it still butts up against the building wall) would mean that the air would swirl over the lip of the raised ramp and form a very turbulent vortex/zone in the dead space between the ramp and the building – possibly doing even more damage as a result? A least a 45′ berm built hard up against the side of the building means there would be no dead space/gap between the 45′ slope and the hangar wall for the wind to get into.

As with everything, I guess the cost of adding some form of permanent (or erectable) wind deflector berm(s)/plate(s) around any building in a hurricane zone has to be weighed against the chances of it actually being needed… and adding a 45′ slope to a two storey building would increase the footprint area needed around the base of the building by a significant amount. Might be better to just build the building with a 45′ Slope on each face (or at least those faces facing into prevailing wind etc) and try and make use of the space.

And, of course, in a hurricane zone, by virtue of the way a hurricane or typhoon behaves, it is possible the wind could come from pretty much any direction, depending on the track of any individual storm, so I guess you would have to build every wall at 45’…

Thom Richards said his hangar was rated to 140mph.

I do wonder how much that diminishes over time, If I was in a hurricane belt I would have earthern Berms built around the vunerable buildings and hangars to deflect the majority of the wind etc up over the building, I have often wondered in these circumstance that having a flat version you can drive over on the taxyways, but can be hydraulically raised up to 45 degrees to protect buildings would work, a bit like a grassed over version of thunderbird two’s launch ramp :p

I saw a photo on fb of a C-117 totally reduced to scrap metal by Irma.

Hi All,
Seems that Kermit is taking it all this hurricane business in his stride with this pic from off his Facebook :- https://www.facebook.com/KermitWeeks…..:highly_amused:

Geoff.

Some great shots of Kermit on his Facebook site, they want positive energy let’s send them all we can, good luck to all stateside.

I saw Kermit’s Facebook post this morning. Some of his solutions look a shade optimistic to me. Lashing a couple of planks to the top of the Connie’s wings using ropes doesn’t look like it will cut it against sustained strong winds. The Catalina also looks like a bit of a sitting duck. Good luck to all involved! If you scroll through the Facebook photos you get to a photo of the containers containing the remains of the Strathallan Lancaster.

Quote: “At least the Catalina appears to have the more industrial straps on it.”

I was quite surprised to see how un-loved the Catalina looked now. Anybody know when it last flew`?

Kermit mentioned that buildings at his new place already have *water issues* when it rains. The Connie looks to be sinking into the ground. I would have assumed some drainage work was done at the facility before buildings went up as he posted a pic of a drainage basin/gator pond that they opened the gates on. Not sure what use a few 1in ratchet straps are going to be. At least the Catalina appears to have the more industrial straps on it.

Surely Kermit should have flown all that he could to another state out the way.
I don’t have much hope for the Catalina that’s for sure going to be upside down on the ramp at some point. Hope it all works out for him.

Kermit’s post is a real eye-opener to those of us in quieter (though maybe less predictable?) meteorological areas….

I hope all the preparation has been sufficient and that everyone comes out the other side safely.

Hi All,
Kermit and his team have been beavering away in preparation for the coming storm. He posted a mass of photos to many to upload on to here but
it’s the first post on his Facebook profile below…:eagerness:

https://www.facebook.com/KermitWeeks

Geoff.

Last I saw it’s expected to be down to category 4 (defined by wind speed) by the time it gets to Florida. This may be out of date.

Oh dear.