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RozeAY

Lake Wales Destroyed - Jumping again!

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I was watching Fox News this morning and they showed live footage of Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales. The airport was basically destroyed. Half of the hanger was completely torn down. The only part of the roof remaining was the small section over the Otter, which looked ok. Best of luck to Lake Wales and any other DZ that suffered because of Hurricane Charley last night.

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sorry for the people there, hope they can redo teh DZ as good or even better...

Just a little sidenote, this is not really a skydiving incident from which skydivers can learn much... I think the thread belongs to the bonfire...
scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

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I also saw footage on the local NBC station and the hangar is destroyed. While the plane looked okay from the limited angle we had, the reporter indicated the plane had "extensive damage."

We'd go to help clean up but roads are impassable. We're probably going to try anyway.... anyone else who is local and can, please help them - they need it.

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I was watching Fox News this morning and they showed live footage of Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales. The airport was basically destroyed. Half of the hanger was completely torn down. The only part of the roof remaining was the small section over the Otter, which looked ok. Best of luck to Lake Wales and any other DZ that suffered because of Hurricane Charley last night.



Now WHY would anyone leave a perfectly good Otter in the path of a hurricane??? That's just IMMORAL!:(
"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

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Last I heard, the plane was not destroyed. It sounded like from my DZO that the hanger was mostly destroyed and the trailers were completely gone but that the plane was Ok. I'll give a better update if I hear anything else. Gonna try to head to the DZ tomorrow after Charley passes us here in NC. No one was in the trailers or hurt from what i've heard.

Best of luck to those down in Lake Wales. We still support you guys for collegiates this year.

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I was just watching the news and saw it for myself. I thought, "oh look, a super otter in a wrecked hangar...that sucks...wait, that's manifest from Lake Wales I can see through the non-existent roof" :<

I'm very sad to see such a great DZ get wrecked like that, I truly do hope the plane is Ok and they can rebuild and repair soon.

Good luck, guys.
-R


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Last I heard, the plane was not destroyed.


those twin o's are built to last :P
and agian as everyone has said, best of luck to the jumpers in all of florida!



You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE

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I'm sorry to hear that. :( The Lake Wales DZ is a popular spot among the jumpers at my DZ. When the snow comes, we usually headed to Lake Wales, and spent the holidays there. I hope Betty will have the courage and support to rebuild this beautiful DZ.

Yves.

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The path of the storm was projected to miss LW...It turned.

Are you a pilot? Are you going to fly in hurricane winds?

Where are you gonna fly to? My friends flew A/C FROM Tampa to Orlando to avoid the storm. They would have been better off leaving the planes in Tampa.

Stop being an arm chair pilot.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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Lake Wales kept their planes, I heard Zhills kept their's too. With a million+ $ hanger trashed, I think a plane is the least of their worries right now.

If anyone is in the area please swing by and see if they need help on clean up. I bet the Ghetto is trashed :( I'd be there if I was in the area in a heartbeat since everyone there is so cool.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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Here's a photo from WTVT of the Lake Wales airport damage.

The building at the top of the photo is the hanger for the skydiving operation.

The building at the bottom of the photo is the armory building where the dinners and some creeping took place at last year's Nationals.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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Are you a pilot? Are you going to fly in hurricane winds?



Nope but I know 3 that would have flown down there and moved it for them. Hurricane winds I would have gotten out before that.

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Where are you gonna fly to?



Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas Pay a tarmac spot for a couple of days. I bet that another dropzone out of the storms path with a private strip would let anyother DZ aircraft park for free. You don't have to fly to Canada only far enough to make further decisions if needed. I think it sucks that it happened, but it would have been cheaper.

I am not an armchair pilot I am anyone out there that thinks a very valuable piece of mobile property could have been relocated that is all. It could have been a travel trailer or anything else for that matter.

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I think this is a picture of Lake Wales, too. I am not sure, though. My thoughts are with all my east coast friends that were affected by this monster storm.
.....................................................................
PMS#28, Pelogrande Rodriguez#1074
My Pink M

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Somewhat larger version of the same photo.

Yes, it's definitely Lake Wales.

You can see the damage to the FBO office and restaurant in the lower right as well as the gear store on the left. The nose of the twin otter peaks out of the collapsed roof.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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Here is a list of business based at Lake Wales that probally need help:

Florida Skydiving Center
Carolina Sky Sports (Planes)
Jumpin Jacks (restraunt)
Freakin Suits
Downwind Pro Shop

That place looks like a bomb went off in the hanger. [:/]:(

I hope someone can make out out to help in the clean up and take some pictures.

World cup of canopy flying is to take place there this fall, they are going to need help to get ready by then. [:/]
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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I have not felt this bad about something in a long time. Lake Wales is my "favorite DZ to travel to." My team did our 1st camp there this year and they were wonderful. They threw a great Nationals last year as well. I hope Betty and Roger and the rest of the gang have the courage to rebuild and reopen.

Tim T.
Team Paraclete

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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/news/epaper/2004/08/14/0814lakewalesupdate.html

Relevant part . . .
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The Lake Wales Municipal Airport, southwest of the town, took one of Charley's strongest punches in Polk County. All of the small airport's hangars were badly damaged and will have to be destroyed and rebuilt.

The largest hangar, which belongs to the Florida Skydiving Center, had its roof collapse. The group made seven jumps Friday before the storm approached, then put the skydivers put their lone plane inside the hangar. A gust of wind later pushed the plane several yards forward, just before a ceiling beam fell to the floor, right where the plane had been parked.

"The entire skydiving community will help us rebuild," said aircraft mechanic and Lake Wales resident Tim Meyer.

Mark Gibson, who builds self-powered ultralight planes at the airport, lost his main hangar as well. After surveying the damage, which included several of the small aircraft that had been tossed about by the strong winds before landing upsidedown or on their noses, Gibson quardened off his hangar with a homemade sign: "No Tresspassing, Insured by Smith and Wesson."

"If [President] Bush wants to be re-elected he'll send some money down here," Gibson said.



http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/orl-bk-localmain-pm-081404,0,1241854.story?coll=orl-home-specialbreaking

Relevant part . . .
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Power in Lake Wales, a small city of 11,000 people, will be out for up to seven days. The eastern side of the county - the east of State Road 17 -- is without power.

The Lake Wales Airport, famous for its skydiving facility, was destroyed with most of its aluminum hangars blown across the site.


quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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