About 14 years ago a B-1 was in here doing
practice approaches and touch and goes. On on of the landings he sets
his brakes on fire. He taxis in and the airport parks him on a taxiway
and then puts cones around him until parts and mechanics can be brought
in from Ellsworth the next day. That next day is a Saturday, which
doesn't have much going on, so we get to laughing in the tower that maybe
somebody should hang a for sale sign on the plane.
We talk one of our guys who's well known for doing things like this
that it would be a good idea. So he takes off for the hardware store to
buy a for sale sign. On the way back he stops at a car dealer and gets
one of them as is/no warranty signs hanging in all used cars. On that
sign was written something like low miles, new engines, needs brakes and
tires. Those signs were taped together and off goes our hero.
He climbs over the fence, leaving some skin on the barbed wire, and
makes his way the 1000 feet or so to the aircraft. As he's doing that we
see a couple airport vehicles starting to gather with the recently
arrived mechanics as well as the planes crew. Not looking good for our
intrepid airplane salesman. He gets to the nosewheel and tapes the sign
to the nose strut. Then he starts to make his way back from the plane as
the vehicles start to head out from the shop on the way to the bomber.
Somehow he makes it without being seen. The vehicles arrive at the
plane and of course notice the sign right away. The Air Force guys are
in stitches, funniest thing they've seen in a long time. Airport guys
are not sure what to think. Airport management is livid as they've been
tasked with security. Pretty soon a camera appears and all the Air Force
guys are taking pictures of each other by the sign. Our hero is back in
the tower now and notices the bombers commander is talking on a cell
phone. Our guy gets on the radio to the airport truck and asks for that
guys phone number. As soon as he finishes that call our guy calls the
aircraft commander. When he answers our guy says "I'm calling about the
plane you have for sale." Aircraft commander about falls over from the
laughter.
It just so happened that the chief photographer for our local newspaper
is a pilot and he may have been called prior to the sign being placed.
He was told to get up here with a big lens. Here's one of the pics he
got
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I needed a good laugh! That was a good one. Hopefully no one got in big trouble, and lessons were learned!
