http://forums.aopa.org/showthread.php?t=72561http://www.warbirdradio.com/2011/03/breaking-news-massive-storm-strikes-sun-n-fun/http://www.wtsp.com/slideshows/2011/gallery.aspx?slideshowname=Sun-N-Fun-DamageA line of storms across Florida have slammed into Sun and Fun in Lakeland Florida, a hangar collapsed and several planes were over turned or pushed into each other.Some of these are just painful to look at, I was actually going to fly my plane over there last weekend, but didn't thankfully.

Ouch! I'm glad I decided not to go this year either. It surely would not have been a pleasant experience... :(

Ouch! I'm glad I decided not to go this year either. It surely would not have been a pleasant experience... :(

We were going to enter my plane in the plane beauty pageant, I can only imagine how crestfallen I would have been if we flew it over there, got it all polished up and.... Bam it's hailed on and flipped over.My heart goes out to all the pilots that are just looking at a heap of metal that used to be their pride and joy.One of the problems is that you have to make your own tiedown spot on grass, which got loosened into mud from recent rainfall last weekend, then the high winds from this storm(and there's another one coming right now), and it's flipover city.Just sad.

So, the lesson is don't buy an LSA?

So, the lesson is don't buy an LSA?

*Tie it down tighter

So, the lesson is don't buy an LSA?

No, just don't get caught in a major storm in one, in the air or on the ground.

Yeah, it was really bad down in Central Florida today. We had up to 75MPH straight line winds in places, (Lakeland one of them) in addition to 3 tornadoes, that pretty much stayed active all across the State. My area South of Kissimmee avoided the worst of it, but one of the tornadoes went past just a few miles South.

Still waiting our turn in PBC

I found out about this right after it happened when one of my coworkers called from the show, about that the weather was really bad and there may have been a hangar collapse. With his iPhone he sent photos of the damage and it was quite extensive, planes thrown about and left smashed upside down and into one another, and to my understanding our booth in Hangar D may have been flooded. It was confirmed from the National Weather Service that indeed an EF-1 tornado had hit. Even though there were millions of dollars in damage overall, thank goodness it wasn't much worse and that everyone is pretty much alright.Currently the plans are that most events are going to resume and continue on through the weekend as planned. As they say, "The show must go on!"

I found out about this right after it happened when one of my coworkers called from the show, about that the weather was really bad and there may have been a hangar collapse. With his iPhone he sent photos of the damage and it was quite extensive, planes thrown about and left smashed upside down and into one another, and to my understanding our booth in Hangar D may have been flooded. It was confirmed from the National Weather Service that indeed an EF-1 tornado had hit. Even though there were millions of dollars in damage overall, thank goodness it wasn't much worse and that everyone is pretty much alright.Currently the plans are that most events are going to resume and continue on through the weekend as planned. As they say, "The show must go on!"

There were some injuries at Sun & Fun and taken to the Hospital, but I don't think they were serious.

One of the problems is that you have to make your own tiedown spot on grass, which got loosened into mud from recent rainfall last weekend, then the high winds from this storm(and there's another one coming right now), and it's flipover city.

A lot of that could have been avoided by using trailer screw-in anchors instead of tent pegs...Whenever I had to provide anchors for a new <100' tower installation, I used 5' long trailer screw-in anchors.

A lot of that could have been avoided by using trailer screw-in anchors instead of tent pegs...Whenever I had to provide anchors for a new <100' tower installation, I used 5' long trailer screw-in anchors.

It's hard to say for sure that weak tie-downs were the cause of the problems, here's a plane that stayed tied down and...well you can see for yourself.Also to Tracon, it wasn't just LSAa and kitplanes, here's a beefy Caravan with a cargopod

A lot of that could have been avoided by using trailer screw-in anchors instead of tent pegs...Whenever I had to provide anchors for a new <100' tower installation, I used 5' long trailer screw-in anchors.

I understand that proper tie downs are inspected...and provided (for rent) if you haven’t got adequate equipment.But you really can’t expect to escape damage in a storm like that.http://vimeo.com/21775121

I saw that identical 208 but from another angle on Flickr. Very sad.

It's hard to say for sure that weak tie-downs were the cause of the problems, here's a plane that stayed tied down and...well you can see for yourself.

Well, I did state the qualifier "a lot..." Obviously improper tie downs wasn't the only cause. In the case of the Aviat, you could see that the starboard wing's tie-down rope broke...In a few other cases, you can see that the tie-downs held too well, with the result that the wing's snapped!