The 2005 AOPA Commander Countdown Sweepstakes started with a long weather delay. A West Coast weather phenomenon called the "Pineapple Express" swept into Southern California immediately after Christmas. This weather anomaly—which last visited California in 1998— overwhelms the southern part of the state, leaving in its wake damage, death, and destruction from mud slides, raging rivers, and flooding. This storm system stayed for more than 16 days and delayed AOPA's ambitious refurbishment schedule for more than two weeks.
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