Airfield Letter November 2024

Alex Nelon and Mark Cigal

11/4/20243 min read

November 4, 2024

We are now in month two of recovery from Hurricane Helene and –slowly but surely– damaged airplanes are being moved from their hangars by the salvage companies. It’s disheartening to see so many fine machines hauled away but our owner/pilots are already looking ahead to the next great thing to take us aloft.

There are many pictures like this one. Thankfully, the salvors were careful while handling the airplanes and many will undoubtedly fly again.

There is a lot of speculation on what form our airfield and facilities might take going forward. I will say there are plans to bring it back better than it ever was and our hangar tenants have been universally optimistic. Museum Board member Jeff Moore has an open dialogue with Pat Hartness at Triple Tree and we expect our future may be considerably brighter with their support and guidance.

I can’t let it go without writing that the help and determination from our Members, pilots and airplane owners has been wonderful. In a great show of what can be done is a short amount of time, Museum Board Member Dale Bartels and Member Joe Lilley cleaned up Peg Gritta’s Skybolt and moved the mud away from the space in the Museum Hangar where the airplane sits. They accomplished this in the short space of a day of hard work. The door had to be repaired as well. The opposing door on the runway side collapsed, preventing further movement of the mud that caked the floor in that area or they could have done more.

Some of the damaged hangar doors are being disassembled and moved at this writing.

Jacob Coby (C-182 in the Museum Hangar) and waitlisted Dennis Carlson (Highlander) are busy planning for new hangar doors to replace the old ones in the Museum Hangar that were damaged by the storm. Jacob even enlisted his young son and daughter to help with the cleanup (I hope they were able to wash the mud off their shoes!) …

The old Johnson Field hangars are slowly being cleaned out and repaired by their occupants and helpers. Several spaces will be available later this month and certainly by December, keeping our cash flow going so we don’t fall into arrears on our mortgage. There’s not much left at the end of every month but so far we’ve been able to make ends meet and even put a little aside for improvements.

Some of our present hangar occupants have indicated they will be vacating after their airplanes were damaged; others intend to replace their machines and are holding onto their hangars. We expect everything to shake out this month and will see where we are in a week or two.

Several of our Members and supporters have asked how they can help with the recovery of the Museum and the Airfield. The Museum opened a GoFundMe page where you can make a donation. If you want to help with a donation specifically for the airfield you can send a check directly to the address on the top of this letter. You will receive a letter confirming your donation in case your tax situation will let you claim some benefit. We are a non-profit charity under IRS code 501(c)3. Special thanks to Joe Harber and Jerry Groendyke for their donations, personally delivered.

Our hangar waitlist follows. An asterisk indicates a waitlisted member who wants to keep the position while recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene but agrees to be “leapfrogged” by someone needing a hangar right away.

Hangar Wait List:

  1. Walker/Wade (Cirrus, second space pending Skybolt decision)

  2. * Dennis Carlson (Highlander, folding wing)

  3. * Paul Catterson (aircraft destroyed at Marion)

  4. * Ben Flaspoehler (J3 in SC)

  5. * Mike Lynch (J3/172 in FL)

  6. Damian Davis (150)

  7. * Daryl Habit (Zenith 601 project)

  8. Ron Stamey (Highlander)

  9. * Barry Duncan RV7 project)

  10. Travis Brown (Cub)

  11. * John Wilkinson (Hummer)

  12. Bill Kemper (To Be Determined)

Thanks to everyone who has pitched in to help with our comeback to date.

The Museum opened its doors to relief agencies and donors who wanted to drop off supplies for people who were affected by the storm. In many cases, supplies had to be airlifted in by helicopter and there were a lot of flights made – and donated by – helicopter operators at their own expense. It was a remarkable turnout and a full out effort by a lot of people. Al and Sandy Denn were there almost every day in October as were Jarrod Jarvis and Maggie, Bill Kelder, Dale Bartels and the maintenance crew, and others willing to shoulder the load. The Museum newsletter may be back soon and we’ll all catch up then.

A long month of stories made short, we are still here and looking forward, not back. Our community was dealt a significant blow but we have held together. The same groups still gather for lunch and/or breakfast and talk airplanes and flying; when help is needed, it is given freely. It’s knowing we can count on each other’s support that has made the difference.

PRESS ON!

Alex Nelon 828-595-5950

Mark Cigal 860-930-5453