Beech 18 at the Columbus Zoo

[gale_dono]

Caught this in this morning's dispatch:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories ... 2ub-1.html

I tried to determine an ID but couldn't from the low resolution of the image. However, quick googling determines it came from Middletown:
http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/m ... bit/nYxHL/

So perhaps ex-Miami Valley Aviation? Any Beech 18 experts (or people with better eyes than me) have a guess at a concrete ID?

[mike furline]

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N766X.html

[RacingMustang]

Nice job digging Mike.

That's right down the road from me...cool. Interesting use for an old plane.

[Chris Brame]

Looks like a previous registration (N166X?) below and to the right of the other one.

Visitors will board the plane, half of which will be in the lions’ habitat; that area will be cooled to draw the lions closer to viewing windows, which will be replaced with glass that lions cannot break.

That's nice. How thick is the (probably corroded) skin on a Twin Beech? I'll pass.

[tom d. friedman]

i think zoo director jack hanna had better stay away from the campus bars at ohio state!! i don't get his logic on this 1!!

Last edited by tom d. friedman on Sat Feb 22, 2014 6:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[b17engineer]

Does anyone else think it strange that they would use an airframe built of aluminum for this project. A lion would have no problem slashing through this material if provoked. Just sayin'.

[The Inspector]

Does anyone else think it strange that they would use an airframe built of aluminum for this project. A lion would have no problem slashing through this material if provoked. Just sayin'.

I agree, GOOGLE up pictures of cars that Yellowstone bears wanted into, they look like a beer can run over by a professional lawnmower. STUPID-STUPID-STUPID Apparently Marlin darted Jack a few time over the years.

[tom d. friedman]

my daughter interned at the Columbus zoo this past summer for 8 weeks, because she is pursuing a masters degree in animal biology. she met hanna a number of times. he's a stand up guy in the conservation / zoo world granted. but I fail to realize the need of a crapped out beech 18 fuselage as an aid to caring for "lions, tigers, & bears.... oh my"!!! no "flying tigers cracks allowed"!!

[fotobass]

I live less than 10 minutes from the zoo, and have shot a number of different events for them.

Rest assured that, as Jack Hanna is as deeply concerned with visitor safety as he is with animal safety, I am quite certain they've got the necessary safety concerns sorted out.

I'll check with a couple folks I know and see what I can find out.

[tom d. friedman]

I still fail to see the need of a hacked beech 18 to accommodate the care of lions. you live in Columbus, maybe you can shed some light. my daughter interned with primates their, so has no clue to the 18. an aside funny...... the apes used to throw their crap at their handlers. needless to say my daughter was not amused. hazard of the job I suppose!! gives new meaning to the sh1t is flying at work!!

[gale_dono]

Meant to go visit this exhibit (well, mostly the Beech, really) when it opened today, but things got in the way, so I'll have photos at a later date; meanwhile, I do have this, from 10TV news' facebook page:



also found this, which I wish I'd found back when I posted this (quite nice of them to list the tail number, too, usually places like this forgo that sort of thing):

http://www.colszoo.org/news_room/press_ ... frica.aspx