Hangar of Treasured Aircraft Collapses Under Heavy Snow

February 18, 2010 — The snow that piled up along the Eastern seaboard over the last two weeks broke more than meteorological records. Paul Ennis, 79, EAA 67592, VAA 1312, of Salisbury, Maryland, and his wife Ellie, 68, suffered a heart-breaking loss when the snow load proved to be too much for the hangar built by Ennis’ father in 1936. Initially, the front of the hangar collapsed, crushing the family Piper Cub in half. Then the rest of the roof collapsed in stages, crushing a total of six airplanes inside including another Cub, a Cessna 150, and a Great Lakes biplane owned by the family since the airport’s founding.

Originally named Ennis Airport and now known as Delmarva Airport, it’s been owned and operated by the family since Fred Ennis started it in the depths of the Great Depression. The field has been a local landmark for decades. To read more about the Ennis’ loss, please click here.