A more serious Hurricane Charley thread.

[Amabokoboko]

I was watching coverage of the storm and saw a number of light aircraft that had been trashed by the storm.

Now aircraft are about the most mobile assets you can buy. Who on earth leaves their plane in the direct path of a hurricane? Or am I missing something?

Any Floridians care to speculate?

[Kolibear]

Who on earth leaves their plane in the direct path of a hurricane?

1987 - South England saw a number of light aircraft destroyed by a hurricane.

I suspect its a fairly simple choice , save yourself or save the aircraft. By the time you decide to evacute, the weather conditions are too dire to go flying, but I certainly would be more upset by losing my home rather than my aircraft.

I would like to express my sympathy for all Floridians caught up in Hurricane Charley, acts of nature are few and far between on this side of the Atlantic.

[Amabokoboko]

Although the 1987 hurricane did come as a surprise to many :rolleyes:, not least Michael Fish.

What I think I meant to say was, in a place that is affected so regularly by hurricanes as Florida, don't all aircraft owners have some sort of evacuation plan in place? There was relatively substantial warning ahead of Charley.

[Sensible]

My understanding is that the storm turned right and went inland rather than follow the predicted storm path offshore and up the coast. It may well be that some of those aircraft that were destroyed were moved from the predicted storm path.

I'm sure that when the Americans wake up, somebody will give a far more informed view than mine.

[ferrydude]

Now aircraft are about the most mobile assets you can buy. Who on earth leaves their plane in the direct path of a hurricane? Or am I missing something?

Perhaps those whose aircraft are not airworthy due to maintenance, or maybe those whose homes and families rated a higher priority than their aircraft. Or maybe it was plain and simple logic, since the forecasters were wrong, would you take a chance and fly somewhere else forecast to be safe and later find out you parked your aircraft on the ramp directly in the storms path?

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Amabokoboko,

I have a question for you. Where do you fly the planes to?

Let me give you an example. When Hurricane Andrew came in 1992, they evacuated Key West. They moved everyone from Key West to Homestead. In the end, Key West did not get anything while Homestead was hit by Andrew's eye with winds of 200mph.

This time you had Bonnie to the North and Charley coming in from the South.

I have watched people over many years fly their planes out. First they fly to Orlando, then when the projected track changes to point at Orlando, they get in their plane and fly to Tallahassee. Then the projected track changes again and points at Tallahassee, now they have to get back in their plane and fly back to Naples where they started from in the first place.

In Naples, most of the hangars are new and meet the most stringent building codes in the state. We take all the aircraft and put them in hangars, just in case the projected path comes our way. Once it is over, we take the planes out can get back to business.

Happy Flying,

Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.

[Ace Rimmer]

Yep the trouble with hurricanes is they don't often go where they are projected to. If you remember Charley was supposed to whack Tampa/St Pete when it suddenly went hard a starboard.

Still the kite getting trashed is the least of the current woes. We for example are still trying to track down Old Man Rimmer (waterside denizen of Port Charlotte - from the track I've heard it would be difficult to get a more direct splatto of Casa OMR - apparently the eye tracked up the river). Of his kites and (judging by the images from the airport they are ex kites) we care very little...

Right now we work on the no news is good news front

[OFBSLF]

Aero-news has an article discussing this:

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=52d2de84-fa11-4c13-8a1e-bb39f6e4397b&

[WestWind1950]

just got this link sent to me..... the pictures say it all :{

Florida planes (http://www.avweb.com/news/features/187931-1.html)

Westy


edited... don't know why it doesn't work... sorry ... thanks for the correction Naples...

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

WestWind1950,

Here is the fixed link:

Punta Gorda Air Terminal Gallery (http://www.avweb.com/news/features/187931-1.html)

That is a really sad sight. :(

Take Care,

Richard

[ChampChump]

My friend at Gardner, not far NE of Charlotte Cty, has always dug the aircraft in, up to wheel height, which has proven remarkably successful during her 40 odd years in Florida.

Charley was stronger than almost any preparations could counter.

:sad:

[seacue]

A few pictures taken 18 August at Orlando Exective Airport (http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/lab) . The hangar in the pics has structural damage and will be dismantled.

See http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php for more.

[WestWind1950]

happy now Amabokoboko?

and you have to consider that many people are at work, out of town on business, on vacation, etc. etc. and obviously saving the family and any valubles out of the home have higher priority.
I often wonder, too, about damage done by the many tornados in the Middle West states... never hear much, but I'm sure there's lots of damage every year... :(

Westy

[Amabokoboko]

Yeah, thanks guys. I am surprised that there isn't some sort of group effort by the thousands of young PPL's and FI's hanging around at the Florida schools not to organise a mass migration, but I do understand that folks probably would rather sit through a storm with their stuff.

I doubt tornadoes account for too many planes each year. Considering the size of them you would have to be pretty unlucky for one to hoover up your Cessna.

Incidentally, did you know that more than half of all people killed by tornadoes in the States, live in trailer parks? I kid you not.

And in other news, SA finally take a wicket. 95/2. Woo hoo.