Quoted: Any word on how the museum at Pensacola faired? They had some really awesome one of a kind aircraft in there.

Bad news.  

"At the Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the Blue Angels precision flight team, officials estimate the damages at hundreds of millions of dollars. Although no airplanes in the fleet were damaged, many vintage planes at the National Museum of Naval Aviation were destroyed."



www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/orl-asechivan19091904sep19,0,7827648.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

Photo Gallery:  

www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/sfl-ivan-gallery,0,6373275.photogallery?coll=orl-home-headlines

Incredible. And tragic. Florida has certainly gotten more than their share of hardship this year, I wish them all well.

Thanks for the links.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: NOOOO! Please tell me that the FloraBama is still there. It's just a memory now... I've been hearing rumors now that the Florabama suffered severe damage - but was not completely destroyed.  Heck, supposedly some liquor bottles were left standing in place, undamaged! Still no power here in FWB. Did the new bridge from Niceville to Destin survive? How about Destin it's self? Found out that my folks house down there survived just fine. Just some tree limbs and debris strewn around, thank God.... I think the mid-bay bridge is ok, but I do believe you cant enter Destin at the other end. My parents live right there at the end of the bridge in Niceville. They lost thier pool cage and some limbs as well, but never lost power. Niceville is up further inside the bay area and better protected than the beach front. Even after Opal I didnt see any real signs of damage except when we crossed over into Destin and Fort Walton Beach. Im starting to understand why they really call it "Nice"ville.

Roger - Mid-bay bridge is currently the ONLY way to get to Destin from FWB (I am not sure about the long way from the east, though).  I haven't been there to check it out - gas is too precious a commodity right now.

Niceville barely got hit - FWB has neighborhoods that look like a warzone.  I still have power lines down in the back - don't know when power will be restored.

The museum building had some minor damage.
The outdoor display aircraft got assfucked.

The only C-47 types of aircraft that the museum has are two R4D's and they are both parked outside. One was a loaner from the Smithsonion, it was the first aircraft to land at the South Pole.


***The National Museum of Naval Aviation was almost unscathed by the storm.
Nichols said there were a few leaks in the roof, but the exhibits inside
were unharmed.

Some of the historic aircraft parked on the tarmac behind the museum were damaged, however. One C-47 transport plane had its wings destroyed, the canopy of an A-6 was sheared off.
A couple of wings lay on the pavement and some planes, evidently blown off their moorings, had
collided with other aircraft, causing significant damage.

Pensacola NAS seems to be the hardest hit of Pensacola Bay Area bases.***

Quoted: Quoted: Any word on how the museum at Pensacola faired? They had some really awesome one of a kind aircraft in there. Bad news.   "At the Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the Blue Angels precision flight team, officials estimate the damages at hundreds of millions of dollars. Although no airplanes in the fleet were damaged, many vintage planes at the National Museum of Naval Aviation were destroyed." www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/orl-asechivan19091904sep19,0,7827648.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

I read that the Naval Aviation Museum fared pretty well, outside displays were pretty much trashed but the main building just had some leaks in the roof. The FloraBama is pretty much destroyed.  There are a lot of photos at www.pensacolabeachliving.com.

Quoted: Anybody know how Battleship Park did? I figure Alabama came through just fine, but what about the F-4 and B-52 outside and the hanger?

We got lucky at the last hour, Ivan turned just before it hit land. Baldwin Co was hit hard and Gulf Shores and Orange Beach look just like Pensacola, but Mobile Co, where the Battleship park is, was just fine.

Quoted: NOOOO! Please tell me that the FloraBama is still there.

FloraBama is gone, a moment of silence please........

Quoted: Quoted: NOOOO! Please tell me that the FloraBama is still there. FloraBama is gone, a moment of silence please........

I'm glad to say the FloraBama is not gone.  I commandeered a Gator and drove down to take a look at my folk’s condo which shares a property line with the FloraBama.  There is damage to the structure and they'll be cleaning sand out of there for a while but she still stands.

Gulf side photo of porch bar in back and original structure to the right.


Closeup of the porch bar in back.


A couple of shots from the road.




E-95