Hurricane Jeanne Lands Roughly at Flying Field

Photos by Richard Jorgensen

Hurricane Jeanne, the third hurricane to harass Sebring this season, made a very hard landing at the Highlands R/C Flying Field on September 26th, 2004.

Our treasured sunshades, which were already leaning slightly due to hurricane Charley, were further abused by Jeanne.

This time several of the overhead panels were damaged with a few of them being ripped away and tossed aside by Jeanne's 100MPH winds.

We were pleased to find that the new shed built in 2002 escaped significant damage but the pump shed built a few years earlier didn't fare as well.

Jeanne ripped it from it's anchors and tore it to pieces while spreading its debris across the surrounding fields.

Fortunately most of the shed's contents stayed put and, except for a bit of water damage, were unscathed.

Jeanne's unrelenting winds ripped through all of the pilot safety stations, breaking them into smaller pieces and depositing several of them ungraciously into an adjacent ditch.

Our Porta-Potty was blown some 200 yards off into a nearby field. Some county landfill workers were kind enough to take a "front loader" out and carry the Porta-Potty back to its normal resting place.

The workers also advised our pilots out there picking up the debris to not venture out into those fields at this time as they had seen a number of huge water moccasins. They said it would be hazardous to try and recover any of the blown debris until the storm waters recede.

Reflecting the tenacity so often seen in Floridians following these windy assaults, the Highland's R/C Club leadership isn't about to let Jeanne's wrath have significant impact on flight operations or other routine activities of the upcoming active winter flying season.

Volunteers are sought to help clean up the flying field and surrounds. Plans for the needed repairs to our fine facility will be discussed at the October business meeting. Please join us and lend a hand!