XPost: or.politics   
   From: bshatzerNO@comcast.net   
      
   Don Homuth wrote:   
      
   > On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 09:44:10 -0700, "Gatt"    
   > wrote:   
      
   >>"Bill Shatzer"  wrote in message   
   >>news:CKidnfQdTbeD1ObbnZ2dnUVZ_ruknZ2d@comcast.com...   
      
   >>>Please, Hughes H-4 Hercules. Not Spruce Goose - it has no spruce, ya'   
   >>>know.   
      
   >>LOL!  A purist.  Rumor is they can't open the flight deck because they don't   
   >>want to alter the airplane to allow handicap access. So rather than risk   
   >>being sued, access to the flight deck is by invitation only.   
      
   > When my old friend from Viet Nam and I were invited to the flight deck   
   > several years back, the guide said that the reason they didn't do it   
   > was mostly because the Tursts, and especially the kids, got into   
   > flipping switches and trying to manipulate controls, etc.  NTM that   
   > some several folks tried to steal stuff as souvenirs as well.   
      
   They probably took caution from the fate of the OMSI C-47, the very a/c   
   which is now at Evergreen.   
      
   At one time, access to the flight deck on that a/c was free and open.   
   All sorts of stuff got broken and some gauges were actually dismounted   
   and stolen.   
      
   They put up a plexiglas divider to prevent access to the cockpit - at   
   which time, the passenger compartment suffered a fate similar to that of   
   the flight deck.   
      
   They had to close off access to the interior of the a/c completely.   
      
   Tourists and aircraft interiors don't mix at all well.   
      
   Peace and justice,   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)