Warbird Information Exchange

Air Force Re-evaluates Static Display's Value
By Libera Real
Expresso News


Vintage aircraft on display at Lackland AFB

San Antonio, TX - Local vintage aircraft enthusiasts were surprised to hear the announcement Tuesday that may have several aircraft that have been long-standing static display tenants of the parade grounds put up for auction next month.

Apparently, despite some serious reservations from Air Force officials - who expressed fear that they could eventually be used as "weapons of mass destruction," the Obama administration has decided that their sale would provide a means for additional fundraising for pet Air Force weapons projects. Air Force spokesperson Bill Caff said that the sale of the P-51, B-24, B-17, and P-82 alone was expected to bring upwards of 6 million dollars.

It was not clear at the press conference if all of the aircraft will be put up for auction, or if the auction will be limited to the propeller-driven aircraft, but local air museums and enthusiasts were already making plans to be there. Local air museum volunteer Johny Cabrera said that if the jets were included that even foreign countries might get involved in the bidding process. The parade grounds include several rare jets including the secretive SR-71 Aurora, A-10 Warthog, and F-16 "Lawn Dart" as well as other vintage jets.

Several of the local base personnel when asked about the possible auction expressed sadness at the loss of these historic aircraft, a number of young cadets mentioning that they would feel "out of touch" with their past and the occasional visit they could experience during their basic training. Another older gentleman noted that while he would "miss" the aircraft, he thought it would be a good idea to recoup the annual expenditures for maintaining the aircraft and expressed his hope that groups such as the Confederate Air Force might be able to operate the aircraft. He noted that since 9/11 the parade grounds have been off limit to the public anyway and since airshows are regularly hosted by the Air Force base he thought that there would be at least as much exposure to the aircraft in the future.

The spokesperson said that the evaluation will be completed by the end of the week and further information will be available next Monday.

And where exactly did you find that?

As I recall, the SR-71 is a small scale replica. The P-38 on a stick there is a full scale replica.

I do wish the spot was still open to the general public like it used to be when I was a kid. It was a lovely place for a homeschool field trip and picnic.

Ryan