Elmira Tornado

Heard on the radio this morning that Elmira was hit by a suspected tornado last night. Anyone have any idea how Harris Hill fared?

On Friday, July 27, 2012 8:54:40 AM UTC-4, Tony wrote:
Heard on the radio this morning that Elmira was hit by a suspected tornado last night. Anyone have any idea how Harris Hill fared?

Harris Hill is a bit NW of the actual city (about 3-4 miles). From looking
at the newspaper reports the tornado was well south of the field. I haven't
heard any other info though.

-- Matt (long ago member at Harris Hill)

On Friday, July 27, 2012 10:15:50 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Friday, July 27, 2012 8:54:40 AM UTC-4, Tony wrote: Heard on the radio this morning that Elmira was hit by a suspected tornado last night. Anyone have any idea how Harris Hill fared? Harris Hill is a bit NW of the actual city (about 3-4 miles). From looking at the newspaper reports the tornado was well south of the field. I haven't heard any other info though. -- Matt (long ago member at Harris Hill)

No damage on Harris Hill. Wind gusted over 50, though. Quite a storm to watch from the soaring museum porch as it passed south of the field by a mile or so. Never did see a funnel but the gust front cloud ahead of the main cell was pretty impressive.-- Ron, NSM

In 1963 at the National Contest in Elmira, an apparent tornado in a squall line selectively destroyed my father's modified LK-10A, Steve Dupont's HP-10 and Bill Coverdale's KA-6. One wing of the LK survived to fly again on another LK in Georgia. Not sure if the other sailplanes were rebuilt. A sad day for this 12 year kid to see the family sailplane wrecked. It "flew" up and over a line of trees at the Schweizer school tiedowns and then apparently dove into the ground about 400 feet downwind of the tiedown -- it didn't tumble, it just flew. Ever since, I disassemble if any windy weather is forecast, even with substantial tiedown stakes, strong ropes, proper tight knots (no rolling hitches, no slip-knots). No tiedown system can keep an aircraft grounded if the wind is strong enough. Glider trailers can be rolled as well, as they did in this 1963 storm and the 1973 contest at Liberal, Kansas.

From 1936 to 1963, Dad lost three aircraft to wind, a J-2 Cub, a Luscombe (in the 1946 Navy blimp hangar hurricane fire in Miami) and the LK sailplane, and he was good about tiedowns and knots. I haven't lost any, yet. Just to remind me, Mother Nature sent a dustdevil INTO my big hangar last week at Marfa (TX), moved things around inside but no damage, just a bunch of dirt. Gotta remember to close the 60' wide doors. That ol' devil wind will get ya!