Libya and the Lady Be Good.

[Steve Nelson]

This is intended to be completely non-political. I was watching the news tonight which featured clips of the unrest in Libya, and Kaddafi's anti-US rantings. There was even a shot of a statue of a giant fist crushing a fighter plane with "USA" painted on it. With all the anti-American sentiment on the part of the Official Establishment, I can't help but wonder why they removed the major remains of the "Lady Be Good" from the crash site back in the 90s, and placed them in a secured police compound. Seems like the Libyan Authorities should have been happy just to let her be picked apart by souvenir hunters.

SN

[Ken]

IMHO, governments typically only do things that will benefit them, now or as a chess move for the future. I would guess that they were either coaxed into the move or decided it might have use as a future bargaining chip.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14525&start=0

The sands didn't reveal much about her condition as she sat, but the photos of her in the police compound are truly sad.

Ken

[wwrw2007]

Sad to thing about what could happen. The first thing I think of is the Connie in Kuwait.
http://www.conniesurvivors.com/N11SR.htm

[Steve Nelson]

I figured it had to be some strategic move on the Official Establishment's part. Maybe if Kadaffi is tossed out, and a slightly friendlier regime takes over, the NMUSAF or Smithsonian might be able to get what's left of The Lady repatriated as a "goodwill" gesture. But my cynical side says she'll probably eventually either be scrapped, or at best turned into a local tourist draw. Of course, right now the country and its people have more important concerns than the stripped wreckage of a 68-year-old airplane. I wish the Libyan people good luck with their future.

SN

[whistlingdeath77]

[hang the expense]

I figured it had to be some strategic move on the Official Establishment's part. Maybe if Kadaffi is tossed out, and a slightly friendlier regime takes over, the NMUSAF or Smithsonian might be able to get what's left of The Lady repatriated as a "goodwill" gesture. But my cynical side says she'll probably eventually either be scrapped, or at best turned into a local tourist draw. Of course, right now the country and its people have more important concerns than the stripped wreckage of a 68-year-old airplane. I wish the Libyan people good luck with their future.

SN

What will be taking over from nutcase kadaffi will be ten times worse with regards to human rights as well as womans rights.Time will prove me to be correct.

[mstennes]

I figured it had to be some strategic move on the Official Establishment's part. Maybe if Kadaffi is tossed out, and a slightly friendlier regime takes over, the NMUSAF or Smithsonian might be able to get what's left of The Lady repatriated as a "goodwill" gesture. But my cynical side says she'll probably eventually either be scrapped, or at best turned into a local tourist draw. Of course, right now the country and its people have more important concerns than the stripped wreckage of a 68-year-old airplane. I wish the Libyan people good luck with their future.

SN

What will be taking over from nutcase kadaffi will be ten times worse with regards to human rights as well as womans rights.Time will prove me to be correct.

Well without going to political, I agree with you there, seems people always want a change in goverment, but when they over throw their present goverment in favor of a new goverment 99.9% of the time they get a far worse goverment, than they had.

[P51Mstg]

I think "hang the expense" is being a bit conservative. Whoever takes over Libya is going to be 100 times worse, not just 10.....

Kadaffi (whichever of the 50 English spellings you prefer) will look like Mickey Mouse compared to his successor.

Mark H

[SaxMan]

I guess I'm always the optimist that the next regime would be an improvement. Regardless, you have to figure whomever ends up running Libya will need money to help rebuild the country. There has to be a pretty fair number of wrecks still out in the desert waiting to be recovered and plenty of people willing to pay cash for them. Maybe they'll even find a Martin Maryland that would be suitable for restoration.

[airnutz]

There has to be a pretty fair number of wrecks still out in the desert waiting to be recovered and plenty of people willing to pay cash for them. Maybe they'll even find a Martin Maryland that would be suitable for restoration.

SaxMan, I've always hoped for the Stuka or Maryland etc. laying in or under the sand waiting for return to the air, tho if they're under the sand that's a force of crushing dynamic shifting sand. On the surface has it's own drawbacks, anything of use will be used. It may be scrap-to-dollars or raw material to be converted to something else. In one of the links to earlier threads JDK mentioned "foreign" souvenir hunters for some of LBG's woes, but I'd surmise some of her was put to practical use by the locals.

Regardless of why the Libyans put her in the compound, I'm surprised there is that much of her remaining considering the time that has passed, but I'm happy for it.