28 replies to this topic

[DrkLts]

Fort Worth B-36 bound for museum in Arizona

By Chris Vaughn

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


FORT WORTH - The Air Force, its patience run out over promises for an aviation museum in Fort Worth, plans to take a rare Cold War bomber out of the city and give it to a museum in Tucson, Ariz.

The City of Fort Worth, one of four B-36 Peacemakers left in the world, will be trucked out of Fort Worth in the coming months for the drive west to the Pima Air and Space Museum.

The airplane, a curious-looking warbird with 10 engines, was built in the west side's "bomber plant" and was long intended to be the centerpiece of an aviation museum featuring locally built products.

But Charles D. Metcalf, director of the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio, informed Fort Worth leaders this week that their proposal to park the plane in front of Meacham Airport wasn't enough.

"We didn't see them as having the resources to ensure the long-term preservation of the aircraft," said Rob Bardua, a spokesman for the Air Force museum.

"We're not surprised, but we're disappointed," said Bill Guy, a retired pilot and president of the B-36 Peacemaker Museum Inc., the group that petitioned for the airplane.

Losing the B-36 to an already established museum was always what Fort Worth supporters feared as year after year dragged by with no permanent home for the airplane.

Alliance, Dallas/Fort Worth and Meacham airports have all been candidates, but quarreling among supporters, a shortage of major financial backers and unsuccessful fund raising through the International Airshow at Alliance Airport has left plans strictly on paper.

The Aviation Heritage Association, which raises money through the air show for a planned museum, has about $1.4 million. The B-36 group has about $60,000.

"We need to do whatever is in the best interest of the airplane," Councilman Chuck Silcox said. "It was born here, was named after this town and we would have loved to have it stay here. But if you can't afford it, you can't afford it."

Silcox, Councilman Clyde Picht and Mayor Mike Moncrief talked about their disappointment in the Air Force's decision at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

Picht, who is leaving the council this month, encouraged his colleagues to fight to keep the plane here.

"I think it's an insult to this community," Picht said. "If that airplane gets out of here, it will be one of the bigger disgraces to the community."

Moncrief said he wishes the plane could stay but believes there's little that can be done.

The 162-foot-long airplane, made at what was then Consolidated Vultee, flew in the 1940s and '50s as a long-distance bomber capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

The plane would complete the bomber inventory at the Pima museum, said James Stemm, assistant curator. The museum has 273 aircraft, one of the nation's largest collections.

For years, the B-36 sat in the Texas weather near Lockheed Martin, stripped by vandals and ruined by small animals.

But Pete Geren, then Fort Worth's U.S. representative, fought to keep the bomber.

Volunteers brought the airplane back to respectability, but it has never been displayed except at an occasional air show.

Staff Writer Anna M. Tinsley Contributed to This Report.

[DrkLts]

Some Letters to the Editor in today's S-T in response to last weeks story above.

Losing a piece of local heritage

Star-Telegram


By this time, I hope that the Wednesday news story about the loss of the B-36 Peacemaker ("Fort Worth B-36 bound for museum in Arizona") has made people start thinking about the consequences for Fort Worth.

Here's what that article meant to me: Fort Worth probably will never have an aviation museum. Should it? You decide.

For the past six decades, thousands of residents have worked in the aviation industry. Aircraft that they built have been used by friendly countries all over the world. And still they build.

But our city officials are indifferent to what this city has given to aviation. Apparently they don't feel that our residents are worthy of the recognition for their outstanding accomplishments that would come from building a museum.

The mayor accepted the possible loss of one of our country's most famous aircraft by saying that the city just doesn't have any money. And yet the city finds money for the cow-huggers to pretend that our cowboys are still herding cattle as they drive longhorns up and down Exchange Avenue. How many years has it been since the cattle industry had an impact on Fort Worth's economy?

The B-36 is still here and should stay here. If residents express enough outrage toward our city officials, maybe they'll get the message and do what has to be done to keep the plane here.

Fort Worth is a major aviation city, and it's time that it gets that recognition. It's also time that our residents get the recognition that they so richly deserve. Unless the community gets involved now, the B-36 will be gone, and so will the hopes of ever showcasing the outstanding aviation history of Fort Worth.

Les Lennox, Fort Worth

•

The loss of the B-36 isn't just the loss of "old men's dreams," as per your Friday editorial "Into the sunset," but a very significant loss for Fort Worth.

This city gave birth to this aircraft, and it accomplished big things for America. We should have been very proud and determined to keep it here.

Jim Stotts, Burleson

•

The writer of "Into the sunset" should have checked the facts before laying blame on the B-36 Peacemaker Museum group for losing the B-36 bomber to the Pima Air Museum in Arizona.

The painful truth is that the aircraft would be on display today at the south gate of Naval Air Station Fort Worth except for the indifference of former Mayor Kenneth Barr and many of our present City Council members.

Unfortunately, the same indifference lingers today, with no end in sight.

Don Pyeatt, Fort Worth

•

As a Fort Worth resident and GD retiree, I'm dismayed that we don't have a single General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin aircraft on public display in our city. That company has had a major economic impact on our area for 63 years.

We recently had an opportunity to create a museum and display the last B-36, the City of Fort Worth, at Meacham Airport as a testament to the skills and dedication of the thousands of local residents who worked at "the bomber plant."

Unfortunately, the Fort Worth mayor didn't support this project, so the Air Force determined that the aircraft will go to Arizona. The same attitude prevailed on the City Council regarding the supersonic B-58 Hustler, which was reassigned from Fort Worth to Galveston.

These aircraft were built at Fort Worth. What a loss!

Lee Long, Fort Worth

[Buck]

Too bad the grumpy old warbirds here rejected the only workable idea -- at DFW Airport.

Everything was done and they could have raised money for a shed. Then they suddenly decided DFW wasn't "in Fort Worth" and they wanted it only on the west side.

Pettiness cost us this plane.

[Bill Sievers]

To say that I'm outraged about this transfer of the Fort Worth B-36 to the Pima Air Museum is an understatement! Aside from the petty bickering, turf protection, finger pointing, etc., etc. by all of the private interests and politicians, I really think Lockheed-Martin has an obligation to protect its (and ours) industrial heritage by being a more active steward in keeping this magnificent aircraft in Fort Worth (the same is true for the B-58 although that's now moot). On a relative scale, LMCO could easily afford to spend whatever amount is necessary to properly provide a permanent home for this plane as well as any of the others it built over the years. It's time the CEO of the LMCO FTW operation had a serious talk with the FTW city council and the Air Force. All it takes is the will and some corporate might to keep the B-36 in Fort Worth. I might add, it also shouldn't be out of the question for LMCO to go down to Galveston and take back the B-58, and reinstall it in Fort Worth!

Bill Sievers
"I don't have a humble opinion!"

[DrkLts]

If in doubt of our aviation history, here is an old post of mine from way back...

What about our heritage in Aviation? FW is rich in that as well as a western history. For instance GD now LockheedMartin started manufacturing military planes around WW2 and Bell Helicopter is based here right? Also with the construction of DFW Airport attracted American Airlines headquarters to FW as well. Even before DFW we had Meacham Airport. Also I think we got the first & maybe the only major industial airport (Alliance) that proved to be VERY succesfull since we lured dozens of companies to that area. What about Carswell now Fort Worth N.A.S? The first base to combine all branches of the military. I know some of you see all them planes in the air when you drive around Ridgmar Mall - what a sight!
Oh check this out...(from book I quoted at the time I posted this)

The first non-stop flight around the world was made by, again, a team of the US Air Force flyers in 1949. Taking off from Carswell Air Force base in Fort Worth, Texas on 26 February, Captain James Gallagher and a crew of 14 headed east in a B-50 Superfortress, called Lucky Lady II. They were refuelled four times in air by KB-29 tanker planes of the 43rd Air Refuelling Squadron, over the Azores, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Hawaii. The circumnavigation was completed on 2 March, having travelled 94 hours and 1 minute, covering 37 743 km (23,452 miles) at an average 398 km/h (249 mph).

[JBB]

If the group planning the Aviation Heritage museum has over a million in the bank, why didn't they step forward to contribute that money toward a shelter for the plane when the museum goal became unattainable? This whole mess seems really ridiculous and unnecessary.

[safly]

Born and raised in a military towm, I honestly do feel for FW. But who is to blame as an earlier post pointed out. LMCO has their hands full and preservations should be on someones priority. Maybe our dear Nat'l level Lady Politicians from the FW area did not have preservation in mind when there was some dealing for TRV money. They of all people certainly have the resources and contacts available to them, just not the guidance in this case. We get one of the biggest Gov't contracts in the history of THE GAME only a few years ago, and this proud piece of FW history gets lost in the shuffle with only $60K to its name. FOR SHAME!

I can side with Councilman Clyde Pichts frustrations. He having served for our country with an excellent military/war record gives more respect and a much clearer perspective to the opinions on this topic than any other CC member. If he ran for mayor, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat.

[JBB]

Maybe our dear Nat'l level Lady Politicians from the FW area did not have preservation in mind when there was some dealing for TRV money.

Huh?

[safly]

Senators and Reps. from these parts. Big supporters of JSF and Defense spending/investing. Hello. Think MacFly. Think.


Could have been a priority on THEIR list(s) when dealing or politicing for $$$$ involving the JSF and TRV projects.

[Willy1]

I'm saddened by the news of losing the bomber to Arizona, of all places. I have always been proud of FW's rich aviation history. I think an aviation musuem would be a great addition to FW's already great collection of museums. I remember going to the Pate Museum when I was a kid and it was fascinating. It's a shame to lose this great piece of history to another city just because no one was willing to put up the cash. I think an aviation museum in the new section of the TRV part of downtown, North of the courthouse would be a great attraction to draw even more people downtown and to add a little culture to the CBD other than bars and restaraunts. I can almost imagine a great Saturday in the future; go SD Square for lunch and a little shopping, then take the rail to the north end downtown to spend a couple hours at the aviation museum before walking over to a FW Cats game... The afterwards, I'd walk home to my loft in the new 75 story residential high rise...

[JBB]

Senators and Reps. from these parts. Big supporters of JSF and Defense spending/investing. Hello. Think MacFly. Think.


Could have been a priority on THEIR list(s) when dealing or politicing for $$$$ involving the JSF and TRV projects.

Got it. Just didn't see what connection you were making in the original post.

[safly]

I'm saddened by the news of losing the bomber to Arizona, of all places. I have always been proud of FW's rich aviation history. I think an aviation musuem would be a great addition to FW's already great collection of museums. I remember going to the Pate Museum when I was a kid and it was fascinating. It's a shame to lose this great piece of history to another city just because no one was willing to put up the cash. I think an aviation museum in the new section of the TRV part of downtown, North of the courthouse would be a great attraction to draw even more people downtown and to add a little culture to the CBD other than bars and restaraunts. I can almost imagine a great Saturday in the future; go SD Square for lunch and a little shopping, then take the rail to the north end downtown to spend a couple hours at the aviation museum before walking over to a FW Cats game...  The afterwards, I'd walk home to my loft in the new 75 story residential high rise... 

Arizona has a rich history of sorts with aviation too. Remember that movie, "Can't Buy Me Love"? There was a scene where the guy and the girl go out to an old military aircraft graveyard, that was in AZ. They will take care of it there, but still our loss. I like the idea of showcasing it by the RiverFront area. wouldl have been nice in the Old RS Building.

[hipolyte]

Indifference seems to be a Fort Worth quality these days. Many of our greatest historical assets are in danger or have perished simply because no will step up to the plate.
Thistle Hill, the Swift & Co. building, and the B-36 are threatened, while the 7th street theater, and the Calder Eagle are already gone. The disaster that has befallen the Water Gardens was caused by sheer neglect.
The economy has been rocky, and money is short. So this is a good time to see where our priorities really are. If the Corporations, private patrons, civic leaders, and citizens of Fort Worth can't or won't take care of our heritage, we might as well all move to Dallas.
Feeling pretty grumpy today.

[Buck]

Who said Swift is threatened?

And Thistle Hill is only threatened with an ownership change. The exterior is protected.

The B-36 was repossessed by the American people because we couldn't agree where to put it.

We have several theaters, including the New Isis, in need of attention from those who miss the 7th Street.

The Calder Eagle was a poor fit here and was never displayed properly. It was sold by its owner.

Agree about the Water Gardens.

Otherwise, no reason for grumpiness.

[safly]

the Water Gardens ar closed off? when did this happen?

[JBB]

The active pool has been closed since the drownings last summer and will remain closed until modifications are made.

[pmburk]

I worked on the B36 Peacemaker project.

I am very, very sad to see the plane being transferred. I can see that there was probably some pettiness involved, but I can also understand why the guys wanted it to stay here in Fort Worth rather than Dallas. The group had some funds raised and they did have a good solid display plan with some renderings, etc., and even some land set aside by the city for a display until things were built. They had plans for a small museum inside the front entrance of Meacham Airport and were finalizing plans for how to set up the static displays. It really seemed like things were moving forward.

I guess we were not all completely surprised - but it is still terribly disappointing. In a moment of annoyance, I might say that if the plane were somehow connected to Sid Richardson or the Bass family, or if it had a picture of a cow or a cowboy hat painted on it, maybe more of an effort would have been made to keep it here. But then, that would just be me venting.

For the record, there IS a little known aviation museum in Fort Worth. The Vintage Flying Museum based at Meacham Airport. It is privately owned and houses a fully restored B17, which recently flew after about 4 years on the ground. They also have quite a few other planes and a room full of cased displays, mostly WWII stuff. They are open on the weekends and every now & then I lead tours. It's a fun little stop.

www.vintageflyingmuseum.org

While I'm at it, I'm going to throw a plug in here. We are having our annual "Warbird Roundup" on June 18 from 9 to 4 - lots of warbirds flying in, WWII vehicles, etc. It's a great, family oriented day and a fun way to spend an afternoon in Fort Worth. $10 per individual or $15 a carload.
http://www.vintagefl...docs/cwru05.pdf

[pmburk]

What types of planes are you expecting?

How often does the B-17 get off the ground? What types of volunteer mechanics do they need?

I'm not sure what planes are going to be at this year's roundup; I haven't heard yet! There are usually some CAF planes from Waco and Lancaster. Last year we had an R4D (Navy version of the C47), a Corsair, a Douglas A26 Invader, and quite a few smaller ones, from what I can remember. Of course the Museum houses the B17, as well as an AT6 Texan and several other planes, so they were there as well. They also offer tours of the B17, which is always fun.

The B-17 just flew for the first time in about 4 years back on May 1. I don't know if they take it up during the week or anything... but it was at the Denton Airshow last weekend. And they can ALWAYS use volunteers! You can call the museum directly and leave a message, or if you want to email me off the group, I can put you in touch with someone: pammipoo@hotmail.com. It is a privately owned museum, and the museum owners are very involved and focused on the B17.

There's a Yahoo group for the Museum here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vfm/

It isn't very active, though.

[safly]

There are usually some CAF planes from Waco and Lancaster.

Uhhhmmm. Don't ya mean Temple?

[pmburk]

There are usually some CAF planes from Waco and Lancaster.

Uhhhmmm. Don't ya mean Temple?

No, Waco (Ranger Wing) & the DFW Wing out of Lancaster Municipal Airport. The A26 "Spirit of Waco" flies out of Waco, the R4D "Ready for Duty" is out of Lancaster. They made the fly-in last year and I imagine they'll be there this year.

Is there a wing in Temple?

[safly]

Maybe, but I do know that there is a vintage plane show in Temple every year. Never been, but I see the ads all the time I drive down i-35. Going to make it out there one day. My favorite show was seeing the Thunderbirds perform at RAFB in San Antonio.

[pmburk]

Oh, yeah! That's the Central Texas Airshow. Good show I've heard, although I haven't been. I don't think there is a CAF wing there, but lots of CAF planes fly in for that show.

[safly]

I could probably retrieve the information from prior posts, but do you have any websites or schedules to link for the Forum here? I think TX Air Shows are quality family-oriented events, and for a good cause. Always good to experience the SPIRIT of our past aviation/ military efforts.

[pmburk]

Sure!

Here's the link to the Vintage Flying Museum (Meacham Field) official site:
http://www.vintageflyingmuseum.org/

And a link to the June 18 Roundup. It is a Saturday from 9 to 4. I really encourage everyone to come to this. It's a great, really fun event for the whole family. I'll be there and I'd love to meet any of the forum members who can make it out!
http://www.vintagefl...docs/cwru05.pdf

"This years event will be as pleasurable as last year. Plan on spending a day at the airport! There will be free rides for youngsters 8-17 with parental consent, rides will also be offered by Sky Mavs for $25.00 for adults. There will be lots of planes flying in, fly-bys, and a chance to see and tour "Chuckie" the B-17G Bomber."


The CAF will also have a B-24 and a B-29 at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison from June 20-24:
http://www.cavanaugh...s_story_caf.htm


There's a pretty comprehensive list of Texas airshows, fly-ins, etc. here:
http://www.aerovents...on=list&page=tx

[safly]

By looking at your pic. Are you that lady on those funny Sonic commercials? You know the one where you are sittin in the car with your husband, and he says something stupid to you. And then you SLAP em.

[pmburk]

If I am, it is news to me!

[pmburk]

Just a reminder about the Warbird Roundup this Saturday, June 18, from 9-4 at the Vintage Flying Museum, Meacham Field. I've just heard we have over 20 warbirds coming in, including a beautiful DC-3 and a B-25! I'll be there and hope some of you can make it out!

www.vintageflyingmuseum.org

[RD Milhollin]

Well, not really about a B-36...

This was sent to me concerning the museum at Houston Hobby Airport and their most recent fund-raising effort. Fort Worth's lack of a strong unified group of flight enthusiasts, rather several competing small groups, probably had a lot to do with Fort Worth losing the B-36 "City of Fort Worth" (and the planes that used to be at the Pate Museum in Cresson)

"Yes, it's that time again. The 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport is raffling off an airplane, and *you* could be the winner!
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport is raffling a vintage 1958 Cessna 175 as a fundraiser. Raffle tickets for the new fundraising contest are available for $50 each, and no more than 2,500 tickets will be sold. The winner will be announced at the Museum's July 2010 Wings & Wheels open house, or a sooner Wings & Wheels if all tickets have been sold. The raffle airplane will be on display at the Museum’s monthly Wings & Wheels open houses, at fly-ins and air shows and at popular flying destinations throughout the contest.

Our 175 has been completely restored over the last 7 years. The restoration included a custom paint job, single piece windshield, and new exterior lights & lenses. Inside, you’ll find a new headliner, custom "58" molded into side door panels, leather seats, and new carpeting."


To view pictures of the plane, visit http://www.1940airte...lePlane/N9379B/