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| On Friday and Saturday, Hurricane Charley struck the Punta Gorda Terminal in Florida hard and fast. AVweb staffers were on hand to capture the devastation.
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| Aircraft Depot, a local maintenance shop, lost both hangar doors, and aircraft inside were blown out of the hangar. |
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| The view looking northwest, near the terminal. A number of upended aircraft came to rest against the terminal, inside its fence. |
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| Several rows of T-hangars like these – some with airplanes inside, some blown out and destroyed, some blown out relatively intact. On the other hand, newer T-hangars on the northwest side of the field were largely intact. |
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| Despite the mayhem, a lucky few aircraft emerged relatively undamaged. This Bonanza’s nosegear collapsed, bending the prop. But it remained upright. |
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| High winds leveled this steel building, located south of the Punta Gorda terminal buildings. |
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| Punta Gorda’s resident DC-3 was driven back and knocked off its gear. It suffered significant wing damage. |
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| This Cessna broke free of it’s tiedowns, tumbled intoa ball and stopped in a drainage ditch. |
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| Several rows of T-hangars north of the terminal building were destroyed. Some aircraft went with them, some were damaged, and a lucky few remained mostly intact inside the wrecked structures. |
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Another structural failure. We believe this wooden homebuilt was tied down without its wings attached. However, high winds ripped the tail section off.
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| The airport terminal building suffered serious roof damage but appears to be structurally sound. |
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| Some aircraft were smashed beyond recognition. This upended hulk is a Cessna Skymaster. |
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| Many airplanes were ripped from their hangars and tumbled across the ramp like toys. We believe this wreck is a Taylorcraft. |
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| Sometimes, strong ropes aren’t enough. This Tomahawk was securely tied down but the wind – or debris – twisted off the tail. |
Hurricane Charley Firsthand – Punta Gorda Air Terminal Gallery
Key Takeaways:
- Hurricane Charley inflicted severe and widespread devastation upon the Punta Gorda Terminal, significantly damaging airport infrastructure.
- Numerous hangars, including T-hangars and steel buildings, were destroyed, and many aircraft were severely damaged, blown from hangars, or piled up.
- While most aircraft and structures suffered extensive damage, some newer T-hangars on one side of the field remained largely intact, and a few individual aircraft emerged with relatively minor damage.
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