ERAU hit by tornado

[Daytonaflyer]

The winter months in Daytona? The winter is usually the calmer time for weather phenomena in Daytona Beach.
Nope, no hangars to store the airplanes, they're all stored outside on the tarmac. They have a pretty huge ramp with about 100 airplanes. There are maintenance hangars, but it looks like those were destroyed too.
I can't believe a tornado hit in winter. Usually the summer months are when the tornados and hurricanes are possible.

 

[great cornholio]

Anyone know if any of the other schools on DAB got messed up? Or was it pretty much just the Riddle ramp? Looks like the campus is messed up pretty bad. I went through a few hurricanes and nothing compared to these pics.

 

[CargoATRdriver]

Guess we now know what god thinks of ERAU's flight training costs.... Can you imagine how long it will take to get a rating or license there now???

 

[Metro752]

Since this is posted all over the forums, this comment seems more fitting here.

I HOPE THE INSURANCE COMPANIES FORCE RIDDLE AND ALL THESE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT GET HAMMERED TO $HIT every year by weather to HANGAR their airplanes, or they won't insure them.

Sounds good to me!


Haha enjoy the tuition hike!

 

[JediNein]

The hangars didn't do the aircraft inside any good. Tornados don't give a rip what they hit, buildings, airplanes, it's all FOD now.

 

[zawillif]

Anyone know if any of the other schools on DAB got messed up? Or was it pretty much just the Riddle ramp? Looks like the campus is messed up pretty bad. I went through a few hurricanes and nothing compared to these pics.

From what I hear the tornado itself touched down midfield, and moved across campus east through to the Sutton Place Apartments. After that it stopped. Most of the other ramps on the field have very little damage.

 

[gnx99]

Ouch, that's terrible!

 

[nwa_contrails]

Here's a link to video that was on the first quoted article:

http://www.wesh.com/video/10606743/index.html

About halfway through the guy starts showing the rest of the ramp, showing how it ripped up the planes in one part of the ramp and left other parts of it pretty much alone. The last 20 seconds are crazy though, showing half of a seminole just laying on the ramp, no tail section...amazing...

 

[FlynChick]

The hangars didn't do the aircraft inside any good. Tornados don't give a rip what they hit, buildings, airplanes, it's all FOD now.

It was an F2 Tornado, which is sustained winds, the winds peaked upwards f 230 mph, VERy few hangars (even ANG hangars) could tolerate that. The hangar was destroyed along with the a/c in it... and for those that think flight schools should hangar all their a/c, it isn't practical. Riddle had over 70 a/c on the ramp... how would they get them in and out of a hanger when they opperate 0500-0200 every day? Very bad

 

[FmrFreightDog]

Wow. Guess ASA will have to postpone those newhire classes. So many poor future airline pilots with 249 hours and no airplane to fly.....