Planes Damaged by Katrina Get a Real Makeover

By Jere Hough Meteorologist / Feature Reporter

Published: Thu, May 24, 2007 - 5:05 am
Last Updated: Monday, August 13, 2007 - 9:30 pm

Jere Hough

(INTRO) THE WESTERN SHORE OF MOBILE BAY TOOK A BEATING FROM KATRINA...INCLUDING ONE OF THE AREA'S PREMIER ATTRACTIONS, BATTLESHIP PARK. THE USS ALABAMA IS DOING FINE NOW, BUT THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE ELSEWHERE. METEOROLOGIST JERE HOUGH FOUND REAL PROGRESS...JUST DOWN COUNTY ROAD 5.

The Aircraft Pavilion at Mobile's Battleship Park didn't fare too well during Katrina. Neither did the aircraft inside. They were damaged by debris, bumped into each other (hard), and some were pushed outside the building.

This is how the Pavilion looked in 2002. But after the storm, Curator Mike Thompson faced an enormous task.

"I only had one airplane that escaped the damage completely, and that was the F-4 that was up on the pole," says Thompsaon. "Everything else in the Park was damaged, and I had three aircraft that were actually destroyed."

Luckily, Mike Thompson is a perfectionist.

"When I first saw it, I said, 'Well, it's a mess.' But it gives me an opportunity to change a few things that have been bugging me for a long time."

First though, major cleaning. The Sea Sprite Helicopter, for instance.

Thompson continues, "One of the first things I had to do with it was crawl inside and start cleaning it from the inside out...and that included dead fish, other items, not to mention about two or three hundred pounds of sand."

Thompson replaces sheet metal or whole parts where possible. The planes are actually on loan from the military, and in many cases they can supply replacement parts. They also provide manuals and photographs so that he can make the restored planes look like they did in active duty.

Since the 2005 storm, five planes are back on display. There are sixteen more awaiting his work...most parked right outside the Pavilion. Thompson estimates it will be a few more years before they're all back.

Meteorologist Jere Hough stands by the Sea Sprite."You know all of these aircraft were designed for battle. But it turns out their toughest challenge was when Katrina pushed six feet of Mobile Bay into this building. That's about to the top of my head. But one by one, they are coming back. On County Road 5 at Battleship Park, I'm Jere Hough, News 5."

(TAG) THE PAVILION ITSELF HAS BEEN RENOVATED...REINFORCING WALLS AND STRENGTHENING DOORS. THE PLANES WILL ALSO BE ANCHORED TO THE FLOOR. TO VIEW WITH STORY AGAIN GO TO WKRG.COM AND SEARCH THE KEYWORD "AIRCRAFT."

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