Sun-N-Fun & 104 MPH Winds!

Ultralights do well in the wind!

When I was 12 years old, my family was in a tornado that I have never, ever forgotten. I will never forget the 2011 Sun-N-Fun event for the same reason. 

When our staff got the message that there was a Tornado Warning, they along with help from others were able to get the Pink Single Place and the Two-Place Tandem into a secure hangar. There wasn't room for the Ultralight and it had to weather the storm, whatever that meant. All that could be done was to point it into the wind and hope and pray for the best.  When tents, Porta Johns, tables, chairs, trailers and airplanes started flying, I thought that anything that we left out would be gone as soon as the storm was over.  Well, weather the storm is exactly what it did, without a scratch!  Who says that Ultralights don't do well in the wind?

 My New Friend Raul!

We are so fortunate that our staff is safe, the HoneyBee G2's are all fine and we will fly another day.  I want to say a special thanks to Raul Salazar and John Snider (www.personalrotorcraft.com) for their help in getting the gyros to the hangar.  Also a special thanks to our new friends at Safari Helicopters for allowing us to weather the storm in their new HUGE, beautiful and very heavy trailer.

It is great to bee amongst friends!

Jim

PS: Thanks for all the emails and phone calls of concern. We are all fine and getting ready to call it a day.