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Sun n Fun Tornado

by Jason Schappert

Let me say this… I hate posting sad things. So if airplanes thrown around at one of the largest airshows in America by a tornado depresses you don’t scroll down….

Everyone was ok only minor injuries however some aircraft didn’t manage quite as well :(

Thanks to everyone who checked in on me to make sure the wife and I were ok

-Jason

Click To Enlarge

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

Sun n Fun Tornado

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  • http://pestcemetery.com The Bug Doctor

    Only two porta potties in a line of 50 knocked down and a “garage sale” sign put this very odd day in perspective.

  • http://pestcemetery.com The Bug Doctor

    Only two porta potties in a line of 50 knocked down and a “garage sale” sign put this very odd day in perspective.

  • http://pestcemetery.com The Bug Doctor

    Only two porta potties in a line of 50 knocked down and a “garage sale” sign put this very odd day in perspective.

  • Anonymous

    haha I figured the garage sign picture came from across town!!! Strange it landed at Sun n Fun

    Jason

  • MelloFello

    Thank God you didnt go with “Our” 512R.. Dude these pics are crazy.. wow.. It looks liked more tornado and fun.. I feel the pain that the aircraft owners must be feeling right now.

  • MelloFello

    Thank God you didnt go with “Our” 512R.. Dude these pics are crazy.. wow.. It looks liked more tornado and fun.. I feel the pain that the aircraft owners must be feeling right now.

  • J.A.Z

    Sun and Fun?? It looks more like a Cloudy and Not fun… Sad to see all that devastation. Was anyone hurt?

  • http://profiles.google.com/f.schwerzmann flurin schwerzmann

    Ouch, that will get expensive…

  • joseppi

    As much Pain as they may be feeling, imagine the joy when insurance kicks in and they get NEW planes!! Whoo Hoo!! Thanking God that no one was hurt of course!!

  • Francisco L

    Sad pictures. I hope no person got injured and I am sure you guys will get the show in the road soon. sad to see all those beautiful machines crumpled. I only hope for insurance.

    Hope it gets better.

  • Fernando Russek

    A VERY SAD DAY

  • Jdtilton

    Thanks for the pictures, Jason. Glad you and Missus are okay.

  • Ron Fox

    We were out there today and worked to get my buddy’s Focke Wulf secured and then helped some other aviators (a gentleman whose L-19 had been blown back and on its ailerons and wingtips, and a fellow whose Navion had shifted). Not sure how the DC-3 traveled several hundred yards but like you glad everyone was okay. Hope to catch you tomorrow or Saturday.
    Ron

  • Melschappert

    Oh My Jason was this today? Sounds as though you and Ashly were there and I think Okay. Send me some details.

  • No

    Ohhh nooo ! its pure torture to look at these pictures, i hope no one was injured.

  • Jim_franko

    WOW…glad you left 512r back at X35!!

  • ShannonFLHI

    Man that sucks. Insurance better take care of it.

  • Bob in Maine

    How sad. It isn’t Japan but hurt and loss is always a sad affair. Hope everyone was OK.

  • Anonymous

    I hope they were all well insured!!!

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Yep So glad 12R stayed home for this trip

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    No one hurt!!! Thank goodness. Only thing hurt were wallets and airplanes

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Yes it will!

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    No one was hurt so that’s a HUGE plus!

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Couldn’t have said it better :(

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Thanks Judith!!!

    How was the weather in your neck of the woods?

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Ron,

    I’ll be out there all day! Speaking tomorrow at 10 in tent 1 hope to see ya then

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Yep this was today and We’re all good

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Sorry, But i had to post them :(

    Makes me cry

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Meee tooo! It would have flown away for sure

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    There will be a lot of insurance calls Friday Morning

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Everyone is OK just the poor airplanes hurt

    Jason

  • Thomas

    Great to hear no people where hurt… very good news. :) It looks like some of the planes weren’t damaged too badly.

    What can we learn from this? Better tie downs, more hanger space available, or ? .

  • Craig George

    So, if you’re not in your plane, you can’t look at the sky and know there is a storm coming? Didn’t you have some sort of pre-storm warning? How about your local weather report??????

  • Jpouncey54

    Bummer

  • Anonymous

    Wow… please say there were dozens of pilots who managed to flee with their aircraft before this hit! How well was this storm forecast?

  • Christina

    How terribly awful, glad to hear everyone is okay; very said for the damaged aircrafts though. Get home safe Jason!

  • Howard Markel

    Howard in Zephyrhills,FL -about 30 miles NW of Sun-N-Fun.
    Very sad to see the damage , but glad to hear so little injuries.
    I was up since 5am following the whole line of storms , even in the line of the cell preceding the one that hit Lakeland,FL. Weather forecasts and reports were actually very good at predicting the possibility of severe storms Thursday morning.
    The squall line that pushed through the area was something we see hear once or twice every 10 years . We are very fortunate . This was the kind of weather system that often spawns major killer tornadoes and all one can do is hunker down amd take cover.
    Unfortunately , with the size Sun-N-Fun has grown too, if you had enough hanger space, there’d be no space left for the show and all its aspects. Just need to remember ,especially as aviation enthusiasts , we all know how weather can throw us curve balls. Sometimes very extreme curveballs.
    Hope to be there Sat. or Sun. ,but may take my 8yr old daughter to Kermit Weeks place for his Mustang-Mustang event . Just love the sound of those Merlins .

  • http://profiles.google.com/sagar.karvande Sagar Karvande

    this is really sad……. :-( :-(
    and it couldn’t have happen at any worst time than this…..
    in some pics you can actually see the planes sucked up and thrown across despite securely tied down….
    luckily every one are fine !!!
    anyways i hope next day’s Sun shine brings back the fun back in the town

    sagar karvande

  • Anonymous

    Better tie downs would help however the ground here in FL is sugar sand and the rain the day before didn’t help!

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    We had a 15min warning. By the time word spread the 15mins was up and the storm was here.
    It was like something out of a movie

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Bummer is right

  • Anonymous

    We had 15mins. No serious injuries so everyone was ok but the planes…..not so much

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    I will don’t you worry!

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Thanks Howard! You’re correct this was one heck of a curve ball! We knew a storm was coming but only had a 15min heads up on the tornado.

    Enjoy the mustangs

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    Today already looks brighter at Sun n Fun

    Jason

  • Anonymous

    My condolences . I remember the twister that hit KOPF back in 1998 and Hurricane Wilma back in 2005, the second one causing over $27K in damages to my airplane. Those planes that appear to be intact may have control surface damage so there is more than meet the eye hen it comes to wind damage. Good luck all.

  • Rocketav8or

    My condolences also. It breaks my heart to see this. So many planes destroyed and damaged. I bought a wrecked plane and spent about 400 hrs. rebuilding it, just to have it destroyed by a buck deer 10 yrs later. I can only imagine the pain and heartbreak at sun-n fun right now. Y’all are in our prayers.

  • Amanhas123

    thats terrible

  • Bryantemil

    It Sucks

  • Anonymous

    That’s the truth! More than meets the ye is right! Everyone is due for a VERY through preflight plus some

    Jason

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