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8/21/2004 |
| Unfortunatly, this is how the Fairchild 24 sat for over three years. Before the flood, the airplane was moved from hanger to hanger as year after year went by and not once was the engine started. I look back and wonder why such a great antique bird just sat. |
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9/10/2004 |
| During the flood, the water reached nearly six feet in the hanger causing the tail to float and an air compressor to fall underneath the tail of the airplane. When the water receeded, a slick, oily sludge was left behind. A remarkably small amount of damage was done to the airplane by the floodwater. |
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9/12/2004 |
| The number one priority after the flood was to get the engine running as quickly as possible. All seven of the cylinders were submerged and needed a thorough cleansing before the engine was started to prevent further damage to the cylinders by the contaminates in the water. |
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9/12/2004 |
| A sight for sore eyes! At last, after 30 hours of work spread over three days, the engine is running. The engine ran for nearly two hours before it ran out of gas. With the water completly gone, the engine can be put aside temporarly while we take care of more pressing matters. This is the first time in nearly four years that the engine had run. |
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9/17/2004 |
| With another hurricane on the way and standing water still on the field, all airworthy airplanes were flown to higher airports while all other airplanes were moved to the highest point on the airport. The main mass of rain missed us and spared us from another major flooding problem. |
