Hurricane Katrina Mississippi Maj Gen. Tony Pineda Commander

The FBO at Gulfport, with extensive damage from the storm. They had just gotten running water back, but there was still no power and mold was growing inside.

Inside the FBO AvCenter hangar.

View of Gulfport. Note there is no foliage on any of the trees, and most of the buildings are wrecked.

9 September 2005 On 9 September, we were tasked to fly Major General Antonio Pineda, CAP’s National Commander, along with a CAP reporter and videographer, on a tour of the forward staging areas in Mississippi. For this flight, instead of our usual call sign of “CAP FLIGHT 9914”, our call sign was “CAP FLIGHT ONE” because we were carrying the National Commander.

9 September 2005 Bay St. Louis, MS Our first stop with Gen. Pineda was Stennis International Airport in Bay St. Louis. This area was the hardest hit, where the right front quadrant of Katrina’s eyewall made landfall. This was now 11 days after the hurricane, and much of the airport had been cleaned up.

Damaged aircraft at Stennis Airport.

Our GA-8, today known as “CAP FLIGHT ONE”, on the ramp at Stennis. Note the NOAA aircraft in the foreground.

Gen. Pineda (fourth from right) listens to the ground team at the Stennis staging area. They had been camping there for almost a week. Most of this team was from Pennsylvania. Lt. Col. Dietrich Whisennand from Texas Wing was also here (third from right).

The ground team’s meeting/dining/work area at Stennis.

CAP’s mobile communications unit at Stennis.

CAP’s “Camp Stennis”

Army helicopters on the ramp at Stennis, adjacent to the CAP campsite. One CAP cadet remarked that with all the relief aircraft at Stennis, it was like having their own private air show, all day, every day.

Gen. Pineda and the CAP Stennis staging area team.

Hangar destroyed at Stennis.

Military relief airlift flights operate almost continuously.

9 September 2005 MS Gulf Coast Tour Departing Stennis, we flew at feet above the surface, just offshore, all the way past Gulfport/Biloxi to Pascagoula. The widespread destruction was beyond description.

This Wal-Mart in Gulfport was flooded instantly by the storm surge. Eight people are still buried in the mud inside.

Casino riverboat washed ashore near Biloxi.

Casino in Biloxi, MS.

Remains of Treasure Island casino in Biloxi.

The fairly new Beau Rivage casino and hotel in Biloxi appeared relatively undamaged, compared to its neighbors…

…like this one…

…and this.

9 September 2005 Pascagoula, MS Our next stop was the CAP forward staging area at Trent Lott Airport in Pascagoula.

Gen. Pineda addresses the ground team at the Pascagoula staging area. Most of this group was from Orlando, Florida.

“CAP FLIGHT ONE” on the ramp at Pascagoula.

9 September 2005 Wiggins, MS Our last stop was at Wiggins, MS, a small airport some 30 or so miles inland that still suffered amazing damage from the storm. A CAP ground team from Georgia Wing had arrived the previous day to set up a forward staging area. Because this is not a major airport, it hadn’t yet been cleaned up as much as the others.

Remains of the T-hangars at Wiggins.

The owner of this airplane offered Maj. Russell a good deal on it… Only the tail tie-down held; the wing tie- down rings came off and the airplane flipped over its tail and came to rest on its back.

What’s left of the windsock at Wiggins tells the whole story…

Aircraft and hangar debris was strewn across the airport.

The Georgia Wing ground team and Gen. Pineda at Wiggins.

After returning our passengers to Jackson, MS Hawkins Field, the hot and tired flight crew of CAP Flight one poses with the CAP National Commander. (Left to right: Major Randy Russell, Major General Antonio Pineda, Captain David Goldstein.)