Aircraft As Cultural Icon?
Mon May 07, 2007 9:26 am
From today's AvWeb email:
Link to rest of story
Link to Times-Herald article
Cockpit filled with cement to keep the kids out? There’s a new one.
Aircraft As Cultural Icon?
A small town just northwest of New York City is grappling with the fate of a beloved but problematic landmark, social touchstone and nostalgia piece in one of its most prominent parks. The former National Guard F-86 has been a fixture in the Village of Monroe, N.Y., for 44 years after three local men hauled it 200 miles from Rome, N.Y., where it had been retired.
In fact, the locals call the patch of greenspace where it resides Airplane Park, rather than the correct official name of Ford R. Dally Park, after the park's superintendant who spearheaded the project in 1963. The old Sabre has served as a piece of playground equipment (the cockpit was open and kids could play inside until it was filled with cement in 1980s) and an important geographical marker for giving directions (take a left at the airplane) but more recently its main purpose has become, as the Times Herald-Record newspaper put it, “a billboard for teenage pronouncements of love: "I (heart) Drew," "I (heart) Reener," and "Jerry (heart)'s Lisa."
It’s also considered enough of a hazard that the park was closed last fall. What to do with the fighter, a predecessor of the famous century series of Cold War jet combat aircraft, has become a hot topic in Monroe.
Link to rest of story
Link to Times-Herald article
Cockpit filled with cement to keep the kids out? There’s a new one.
Mon May 07, 2007 9:29 am
Filled the cockpit with cement?
Mon May 07, 2007 9:47 am
I would say they should clean it up (remove the concrete 
) and stick it on a pole where it cant be reached by vandals.
(Or better yet clean it up AND put it inside
) If the town lets it go I hope it finds a good home.
) and stick it on a pole where it cant be reached by vandals.
(Or better yet clean it up AND put it inside
) If the town lets it go I hope it finds a good home.
Mon May 07, 2007 10:12 am
I've got room at my place for it. 
Gary
Gary
Mon May 07, 2007 10:22 am
My brother lives in Monroe. I actually used the slide once about 10 years ago. (I had to, in order to see what the cockpit looked like up there! )
It's rough but not anything that hasn't been saved before!
If it's such an Icon, they should restore it, weather proof it as best as they can, and put it on a pole.
It really only need some TLC, a nose and canopy.
Jerry
)
It's rough but not anything that hasn't been saved before!
If it's such an Icon, they should restore it, weather proof it as best as they can, and put it on a pole.
It really only need some TLC, a nose and canopy.
Jerry
Mon May 07, 2007 11:15 am
retroaviation wrote:I've got room at my place for it.
Gary
The rate you're going, you'd better snap up a couple more acres!
Mon May 07, 2007 3:55 pm
i say NOT to Austin Petting Zoo, he got waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy to much hogging, share the love i say hsare the love!!!
I want a Sabre how about sending me it in Oz we dont even have a Dog....
I want a Sabre how about sending me it in Oz we dont even have a Dog....
Mon May 07, 2007 4:59 pm
sabredriver wrote:I want a Sabre how about sending me it in Oz we dont even have a Dog....
Awww, you should’ve been around a couple of years ago when I helped some folks take one apart and move it. You might’ve had a hard time getting it in your luggage, though.
LINK
Mon May 07, 2007 5:44 pm
sabredriver wrote:i say NOT to Austin Petting Zoo, he got waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy to much hogging, share the love i say hsare the love!!!
I want a Sabre how about sending me it in Oz we dont even have a Dog....
I'll happily share what's in my pond. The PBY is going to Oz already, and we can easily ship that helicopter right along with it. Now the C-47 will probably have to stick around here for a while.
Gary