History repeats... Maybe somebody is trying to tell me something?

IK04

IK04

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Copperas Cove, Texas
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LNXGUY
Back in 1988, my freshly rebuilt 1946 Cessna 120 was destroyed in a freak microburst and extreme wind event and I only got to fly it once before it was gone...

I was able to find a nice 1946 C-140 a couple of years ago and flew it from Portland, OR to its new home in Texas and it has been parked at the Gatesville Municipal Airport (KGOP) since then.

Well yesterday, this happened: https://www.kwtx.com/video/2021/05/30/gatesville-airport-damaged-by-straight-line-winds/

Luckily, my little plane was not destroyed, but it received some damage to a wing and possibly more unseen damage...

Is this a sign I should just stay away from little airplanes?

Should I just stick to helicopters?

At least I wasn't the gentleman who lost that nice Bonanza...

I should hear from my insurance folks by Tuesday.
 
3rd time's the charm, right? :)

Good luck with the insurance company.
 
Hope you get the plane flying again with a small amount of work. Looks like a few planes were totaled...:(
 
IK04 said:
Back in 1988, my freshly rebuilt 1946 Cessna 120 was destroyed in a freak microburst and extreme wind event and I only got to fly it once before it was gone...

I was able to find a nice 1946 C-140 a couple of years ago and flew it from Portland, OR to its new home in Texas and it has been parked at the Gatesville Municipal Airport (KGOP) since then.

Well yesterday, this happened: https://www.kwtx.com/video/2021/05/30/gatesville-airport-damaged-by-straight-line-winds/

Luckily, my little plane was not destroyed, but it received some damage to a wing and possibly more unseen damage...

Is this a sign I should just stay away from little airplanes?

Should I just stick to helicopters?

At least I wasn't the gentleman who lost that nice Bonanza...

I should hear from my insurance folks by Tuesday.
Click to expand...


Ouch ! Hope the insurance works out well.
 
IK04 said:
Back in 1988, my freshly rebuilt 1946 Cessna 120 was destroyed in a freak microburst and extreme wind event and I only got to fly it once before it was gone...

I was able to find a nice 1946 C-140 a couple of years ago and flew it from Portland, OR to its new home in Texas and it has been parked at the Gatesville Municipal Airport (KGOP) since then.

Well yesterday, this happened: https://www.kwtx.com/video/2021/05/30/gatesville-airport-damaged-by-straight-line-winds/

Luckily, my little plane was not destroyed, but it received some damage to a wing and possibly more unseen damage...

Is this a sign I should just stay away from little airplanes?

Should I just stick to helicopters?

At least I wasn't the gentleman who lost that nice Bonanza...

I should hear from my insurance folks by Tuesday.
Click to expand...
Where was the 1988 incident? Texas also? Maybe the Gods are telling you to move.
 
IK04 said:
Somewhere between 29 and 40 people would have to fly West in order to get a hangar within 100 miles of here...
Click to expand...
So move 101 miles and get a hangar
 
Salty said:
So move 101 miles and get a hangar
Click to expand...

It's kind of an aviation wasteland around here since the '90s. The few hangars that are nearby are occupied with airplanes that haven't flown in years...

I had to drive 60 miles to fly a helicopter for my Flight Review and finding a rental airplane for a reasonable rate requires at least a 50+ mile drive.

I'm thinking I'll have to build something I can put on a trailer if I want to fly my own aircraft...
 
The hangar problem is everywhere. It is made worse by how the DOT funds projects. Many airports are municipalities. The DOT provides 90% grants with the city providing ten percent. This usually results in city councils not building hangars until they get their DOT money which only happens every few years. When they get the money it goes for what DOT approves which is not always hangars.

I am blessed with a huge hangar, big enough for four planes if I wanted to pack it that tight. If I didn’t have a hangar I would have to think hard before tying down outside. I really empathize with those who have no choice except to tie down outside.
 
IK04 said:
Back in 1988, my freshly rebuilt 1946 Cessna 120 was destroyed in a freak microburst and extreme wind event and I only got to fly it once before it was gone...

I was able to find a nice 1946 C-140 a couple of years ago and flew it from Portland, OR to its new home in Texas and it has been parked at the Gatesville Municipal Airport (KGOP) since then.

Well yesterday, this happened: https://www.kwtx.com/video/2021/05/30/gatesville-airport-damaged-by-straight-line-winds/

Luckily, my little plane was not destroyed, but it received some damage to a wing and possibly more unseen damage...

Is this a sign I should just stay away from little airplanes?

Should I just stick to helicopters?

At least I wasn't the gentleman who lost that nice Bonanza...

I should hear from my insurance folks by Tuesday.
Click to expand...
History doesn't actually repeat itself, but it does like to play practical jokes on people.
 
After a trip out to the airport this morning, I was able to take a good look at the little airplane and it's pretty obvious that it is not going to give up the fight to get back in the air...

The only damage was the wire was worked out of the inboard piano hinge on the right flap. With the hinge no longer supporting the flap at its root, the return spring sort of bowed it down out of alignment with the wing. It is probably not bent at all.

Most likely the hinge was worked loose by the constant banging of the flaps, since they have no positive lock and are only spring loaded into the up position...

So, I am right back to where I was before the rest of the airport was ravaged and several airplanes were really busted up bad:

Gatesville_Storm.jpg
 
IK04 said:
After a trip out to the airport this morning, I was able to take a good look at the little airplane and it's pretty obvious that it is not going to give up the fight to get back in the air...

The only damage was the wire was worked out of the inboard piano hinge on the right flap. With the hinge no longer supporting the flap at its root, the return spring sort of bowed it down out of alignment with the wing. It is probably not bent at all.

Most likely the hinge was worked loose by the constant banging of the flaps, since they have no positive lock and are only spring loaded into the up position...

So, I am right back to where I was before the rest of the airport was ravaged and several airplanes were really busted up bad:

View attachment 96876
Click to expand...
Sorry that happened, but glad the plane will fly again.
 
One of the few CH-47s not seriously damaged in the big one was tail number 666 parked on pad 13, facing South...

The one with my name painted on the side was ripped out of its six mooring chains (except one) and was beaten to death by the wind as it laid on its side, flopping around like fish... That one (667) was rebuilt and I saw it a few years later at Ft. Campbell.

The most impressive damage was the line of Cobras all laid on their sides, like dominoes and the OH-58 skids still tied down with no helicopter attached.

Gatesville is name for Fort Gates (now called North Fort Hood), which is named for Brevet Major Collinson Reed Gates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Gates

The Gatesville airport is West of Gatesville, but the city limits wrap around it. Blatant Gerrymandering.
 
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