On the Ramp Right Now!

Near us we have TWO "wingless" twin Beeches that have been converted into childrens' playhouses.

Reportedly they are "awaiting restoration someday maybe".

ARRRRGH!

Yep..."Playground Airplanes" can also provide somewhat painful "mile markers" as we proceed through life...like that day a few years ago when I spied an F-14 Tomcat, sitting among swings and sliding boards in a little park alongside I-70 !!! It just doesn't seem right...

Kim wrote:Yep..."Playground Airplanes" can also provide somewhat painful "mile markers" as we proceed through life......

The little town where I grew up had a P-80 Shooting Star in the park. It's long gone, like much of the town, today.

Kim wrote:
May I present the "Wiener Dog of Cargo Runners"....the Swearington Metroliner !!!!

Metroliner? I thought it was a Texas Death Tube or flying sewer pipe. I'm sure the manufacturer is quite fond of those nick names.

Lawn Dart.

andrew wrote:

Kim wrote:Yep..."Playground Airplanes" can also provide somewhat painful "mile markers" as we proceed through life......

The little town where I grew up had a P-80 Shooting Star in the park. It's long gone, like much of the town, today.

Used to a Republic F-84 in a park in Granite City, Illinois, back in the early 70's, and I think there still is one parked in front of a VFW on I-65 somewhere in Northern Illinois. It they're still there, Lincoln Illinois had a Phantom and A-7 Corsair (along with other relics) parked in the grass as park of their small military museum.

And of course, we've got our own "Scooter" gate guardian, a TA-4 Skyhawk here at Cape's airport:

I bet that fuse is scraped up under the N number of the flying Wiener Dog.

Probably so...they usually have a steel pole that fastens to the tail tie-down ring when the plane is parked for a while, and also when we're loading pallets into them.

Kim wrote:Yep..."Playground Airplanes" can also provide somewhat painful "mile markers" as we proceed through life...like that day a few years ago when I spied an F-14 Tomcat, sitting among swings and sliding boards in a little park alongside I-70 !!! It just doesn't seem right...

They can have worse fates. I recall seeing photos/video of a C124 'Globemaster' being chopped up with a giant guillotine-like blade.

[quote="fit90"]

Kim wrote:
May I present the "Wiener Dog of Cargo Runners"....the Swearington Metroliner !!!!

Metroliner? I thought it was a Texas Death Tube or flying sewer pipe. I'm sure the manufacturer is quite fond of those nick names.

Ha! Probably so! But they ARE hard-working dogs. A friend of mine brought one back from somewhere in Africa for refitting and overhaul to use in his cargo business.

ahrma_581 wrote:

Kim wrote:Yep..."Playground Airplanes" can also provide somewhat painful "mile markers" as we proceed through life...like that day a few years ago when I spied an F-14 Tomcat, sitting among swings and sliding boards in a little park alongside I-70 !!! It just doesn't seem right...

They can have worse fates. I recall seeing photos/video of a C124 'Globemaster' being chopped up with a giant guillotine-like blade.

Yeah, in the end, they're all nothing but potential beer cans!

So...here we have one of the larger Cargo Runners in recent times at Cape Girardeau...a Boeing 727 Cargo Conversion...running a bunch of truck rims to some place in Canada.





The infamous "D.B. Cooper" stair ramp!



34 pallets and 24,000 lbs later, he's on his happy way to Canuck Land!

Kim wrote:
The infamous "B.D. Cooper" stair ramp!

That's D.B. Cooper. I should know. I am D.B. Cooper. Whew, glad I got that off my chest.

Oops! Dyslexic Line Guy !!!!

Rusty in Action !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVW_yr10Vss

The incident prompted the invention of the "D. B. Cooper latch" which is a little windvane mounted on a pivot that rotates under slipstream pressure and blocks the airstair from being lowered during flight. They were installed at the rear corner of the door opening by some airlines.

This is what happens when you don't put the jackstand under the tail of a de-fueled, unloaded 727.
Guess where the CG is now?

I remember when that kid found some of DB's money.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/No-fingerprints-found-on-item-in-D-B-Cooper-case-1684566.php

lousyflyer wrote:The incident prompted the invention of the "D. B. Cooper latch" which is a little windvane mounted on a pivot that rotates under slipstream pressure and blocks the airstair from being lowered during flight. They were installed at the rear corner of the door opening by some airlines.

AKA among CEF Members as "The Rusty Latch" !

LOL!

Kim wrote:

lousyflyer wrote:The incident prompted the invention of the "D. B. Cooper latch" which is a little windvane mounted on a pivot that rotates under slipstream pressure and blocks the airstair from being lowered during flight. They were installed at the rear corner of the door opening by some airlines.

AKA among CEF Members as "The Rusty Latch" !

I guess it is now that the secret is finally out. How bout let's keep it amongst ourselves, okay. I would hate for it to get out on that internet.

Our Chinooks Showed Up After All !!!



After being faked out earlier by a Blackhawk, these two guys: "Thumper" and "Creep Show", dropped in for about 1400 gallons of high-quality kerosine!

The crews had just acquired their helicopters from another unit, and are on their way home to Akron, Ohio, after picking them up in California. They had one more stop, before making it to their home base.







Didn't get the story on "Thumper's" nose art, but apparently "The Creep Show" is known for making mysterious noises, both in flight and on the ground...



"Single Point Fueling"...makes a line guy happy !!!!





and another batch of happy customers flies away !!!!