By Bob Jones, EAA 225135
On the night of December 10-11, several violent storms that spawned multiple tornados roared through Kentucky, killing 88 people — most from one tornado that was on the ground for more than 150 miles, almost wiping out the city of Mayfield and killing dozens. The small town of Dawson Springs and the community of Bremen were nearly devastated and 25 people lost their lives.
Those towns are near Madisonville Regional Airport (2I0), where Emily Herron, EAA 1308158, is the airport manager. The airport was spared and by the next morning it became a hub for search-and-rescue missions and, soon thereafter, relief supply missions.
Emily’s dad, Bob Jones, EAA 225135, flew his J-3 Cub from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on Sunday loaded with supplies and helped Emily deal with the traffic created by the storm. Flying the path of debris, he saw firsthand the devastation left in the tornado’s path. Sadly, two airports in Kentucky were hit. Although no lives were lost, several aircraft at the Mayfield Graves County Airport were damaged or destroyed and at Stuart Powell Field near Danville, two large T-hangars and 13 aircraft were destroyed.
After returning home, Bob realized that the communities around Madisonville needed help quickly, so he reached out to his fellow members of EAA Chapter 1640 in Elizabethtown for help. Chapter President Dick Booher, EAA 521634, rallied the members and their response was quick and generous. Several members donated money or supplies and they voted to add chapter money, as well. In two days, they raised nearly $1,000.
Soon, Bob’s pickup truck was loaded with food, diapers, clothing, and many gift cards. He and his wife then headed to Madisonville to deliver the supplies. While there, they helped unload supplies from several aircraft flown in by individuals. A Facebook group, Kentucky Pilots, saw Chapter 1640’s post about their efforts and put out the word that help was needed. The response was amazing, and over the days following the storms, aircraft came in from all over Kentucky, as well as Tennessee, Indiana, and Ohio, each loaded to max gross weight with relief supplies. Aircraft were also flying in to Mayfield and Bowling Green, who were both hard hit. All of these cities are thankful to the EAA members and the general aviation community for stepping up in a huge way after this disaster.
