We’ve all seen the images from last week’s Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In. Broken wings, crunched elevators and rudders, and crushed windshields resulted from an EF-1 tornado that hit the Lakeland Linder Airport on Thursday, March 31. Nothing can prevent an airplane from being damaged from the force of a tornado, but there are ways to improve the chances of getting through a nasty storm unscathed. If there is no time to fly away from the threatening weather and no option to park the airplane in a hangar, a solid tie down is the last resort. And if it’s done properly, chances are the airplane will weather the storm just fine.
Most small airplanes are ready to fly at about 50 to 60 knots, speeds well exceeded by many severe storms. And since an airplane’s wings don’t know the difference between wind created by the force of its engine or the winds from a storm, it will literally take off unless it’s somehow secured.
