The Spruce Goosed by the ADA?

Someone posted on the Pacific Northwest Flying forum that they had flown to
McMinnville, OR to tour the Spruce Goose. What they found out was that since
the entire airplane is not handicapped accessible the public was no longer
being allowed to go through it. The only view of the interior now available
is from a glass box inside the fuselage. If the airplane is not made
accessible to everybody then nobody can see it. Of course, modifying the
airplane to make it accessible would probably destroy its value as an
artifact.

Evergreen Museum is attempting to get around the rule by claiming that
registered members are not the general public, so at least their members
should still be allowed to tour the plane.

--
Christopher J. Campbell
World Famous Flight Instructor
Port Orchard, WA


If you go around beating the Bush, don't complain if you rile the animals.

I toured the Spruce Goose years ago when it was under the large dome near the
Queen Mary. As I remember there was some sort of small platform which allowed
visitors to get inside the fuselage for a look but you were not able to wander
around inside. Just a small area suspended above the floor and I think it was
encased in glass or plexiglass. It would have been great to crawl around but I
can only imagine what the public at large would do in that case. I wonder if
the display is the same arrangement or more restricted than before.

I don't recall being able to go thru the whole thing when I saw it at LB
about 15 yrs ago. I believe was just a viewing area.


"PS2727" wrote in message
...
I toured the Spruce Goose years ago when it was under the large dome near
the
Queen Mary. As I remember there was some sort of small platform which
allowed
visitors to get inside the fuselage for a look but you were not able to
wander
around inside. Just a small area suspended above the floor and I think it
was
encased in glass or plexiglass. It would have been great to crawl around
but I
can only imagine what the public at large would do in that case. I wonder
if
the display is the same arrangement or more restricted than before.

"Otis Winslow" wrote in message
.. .
I don't recall being able to go thru the whole thing when I saw it at LB
about 15 yrs ago. I believe was just a viewing area.


This was something that Evergreen was allowing at McMinnville, until the
access issue came up.

I seem to recall that Evergreen had to do considerable restoration work due
to deterioration and damage and various holes cut into the fuselage for
viewing at other locations. I think Disney had made several undesirable
modifications, for example.

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...
Someone posted on the Pacific Northwest Flying forum that they had flown
to
McMinnville, OR to tour the Spruce Goose. What they found out was that
since
the entire airplane is not handicapped accessible the public was no longer
being allowed to go through it. The only view of the interior now
available
is from a glass box inside the fuselage. If the airplane is not made
accessible to everybody then nobody can see it. Of course, modifying the
airplane to make it accessible would probably destroy its value as an
artifact.

Damn...Howard Hughes was such a insensitive putz.

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...

"Otis Winslow" wrote in message
.. .
I don't recall being able to go thru the whole thing when I saw it at LB
about 15 yrs ago. I believe was just a viewing area.

I saw it in LB back in '89 and we did go through, but certain areas
(cockpit, etc) were glassed off.



This was something that Evergreen was allowing at McMinnville, until the
access issue came up.

I seem to recall that Evergreen had to do considerable restoration work
due
to deterioration and damage and various holes cut into the fuselage for
viewing at other locations. I think Disney had made several undesirable
modifications, for example.

With the ADA, as always: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions".

I went to the Evergreen Aviation Museum across from the McMinnville airport
on 4 Jun 02. It had just recently been opened to the public. The museum was
terrific and the Hughes HK-1 "Spruce Goose" awesome. I was very happy to see
that the entire seaplane is on display -- no clipped wings or tail. I asked
if I could go inside but was told that because it was not accessible to
everyone no one except museum personnel could go inside -- ADA rules. There
were a couple large openings on the port side, one just in front of and the
other aligned with the leading edge of the wing, so I could see part of the
interior.

Piloting content: I flew my 182 into McMinnville at the end of a great
flight around the Olympic Peninsula from Boeing Field.

Not to be missed if you're in the area!

Jon

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...
Someone posted on the Pacific Northwest Flying forum that they had flown
to
McMinnville, OR to tour the Spruce Goose. What they found out was that
since
the entire airplane is not handicapped accessible the public was no longer
being allowed to go through it. The only view of the interior now
available
is from a glass box inside the fuselage. If the airplane is not made
accessible to everybody then nobody can see it. Of course, modifying the
airplane to make it accessible would probably destroy its value as an
artifact.

Evergreen Museum is attempting to get around the rule by claiming that
registered members are not the general public, so at least their members
should still be allowed to tour the plane.

--
Christopher J. Campbell
World Famous Flight Instructor
Port Orchard, WA


If you go around beating the Bush, don't complain if you rile the animals.

(PS2727) wrote:

I toured the Spruce Goose years ago when it was under the large dome near the
Queen Mary. As I remember there was some sort of small platform which allowed
visitors to get inside the fuselage for a look but you were not able to wander
around inside. Just a small area suspended above the floor and I think it was
encased in glass or plexiglass.

The old Air Force One airplanes at Wright-Patterson can never be
h-capped accessable. The passages left to museumgoers is only two feet
wide, after all the plexiglass protective walls are accounted for.

In spite of this I think the Air Force is still letting people go
through the planes.

Neat collection of planes, tho. I didn't get enough time, there.

Rob

The old Air Force One airplanes at Wright-Patterson can never be
h-capped accessable. The passages left to museumgoers is only two feet
wide, after all the plexiglass protective walls are accounted for.

In spite of this I think the Air Force is still letting people go
through the planes.

I was thinking the same thing. Heck, I had to turn sideways to slither
through one of the planes.

Maybe we should keep quiet, lest someone bitches and they have to shut 'em
down.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote:

The old Air Force One airplanes at Wright-Patterson can never be
h-capped accessable. The passages left to museumgoers is only two feet
wide, after all the plexiglass protective walls are accounted for.

In spite of this I think the Air Force is still letting people go
through the planes.

I was thinking the same thing. Heck, I had to turn sideways to slither
through one of the planes.

Maybe we should keep quiet, lest someone bitches and they have to shut 'em
down.

I'm not going back to that museum. For one, it's over 2000 miles from
where I am. For another, the passages were just too freaking narrow.
I'll look at the pictures.

And it occurs to me that given some very minor modifications, *one* of
the AF1's is very handicapped accessable. One just wouldn't be able to
wheel through the rest of the airplane.

Rob