Thu, Sep 23, 2004
Aircraft Caught Outside By Ivan Fared The Worst
Warbird enthusiasts have been staying up late, eyes glued to
their favorite news channel, hoping to get a glimpse of the
National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola (FL). Smack in the
middle of Hurricane Ivan's sights last week, the museum's
collection of rare and mystical warbirds was, in large part, on the
flight line when the storm roared through, destroying or damaging
90-percent of the buildings at NAS Pensacola.
Good news, campers. It appears the majority of the museum's
collection was spared Ivan's wrath.
"There was minimum damage," said Vice Adm. Jack Fetterman (USN,
Ret.), who heads up the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. "The
museum is in great shape."
Fetterman told local reporters only two of the museum's 70 or so
planes on exhibit outside the museum were damaged by Ivan. Those
inside were untouched by the storm. As for the museum itself,
Fetterman said there was some water damage near the entrance, but
that otherwise, the building came through just fine.
Even so, it appears it will be several days before the museum is
again open for business. "We could be up for visitors within a
week-and-a-half to two weeks," Fetterman said.
The worst damage done by Ivan may have been to delay a
prospective museum donor. Fetterman said the unnamed donor is on
the line for $5 million. The donor was supposed to be in Pensacola
next week. But his trip may be delayed by Ivan. If that deal does
go through, Fetterman said the museum hopes to use that money to
break ground on an expansion that will give it more than a
half-million square feet of covered space -- more than twice the
floor space found at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in
Washington (DC).
"We feel confident if we can get that $5 million bump that we
will be there," Fetterman told reporters.
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