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Funny thing; last time I was here,I hadn't noticed the stairs set up next to the sad but still impressive 1949 Martin 202 outside... Tony tells me about how it was one of the first to have a forward access door; there's also a rear stairway under the tail.
" Let me go open it up for you..." he says, and suddenly I have total access. Cool. Tony heads back inside, and I'm all alone with the airplane.
That's the active control tower, BTW...




She's in a pretty sorry state, but just about everything is still here. There are even some suitcases... and look; the flight deck is not barricaded!










It's sad that no restoration has been done to this big old girl, but on the other hand, it has a certain grubby majesty in this state. Having all the gauges still installed makes all the difference. I get the feeling that I've stumbled across this beast in an abandoned airfield... and as far as piston aircraft are concerned, KTEB sort of qualifies... it's all very bittersweet.





I take a seat in the captain's throne, which unfortunately no longer moves forward enough for me to comfortably place my feet on the pedals. Yokes are locked, too... but a little imagination is sufficient to send me back in time for a little while.




Lots of toggle switches and incandescent lights, just the way I like it:




Next: more of the Martin...

Talk about lucky! It must have been great getting the opportunity to nose around that old thing.

It looks like you could just turn the key and start it up, they should preserve it not restore it, keep it looking like a forgotten about plane that just needs fuelling.

A lovely piece of history

Talk about lucky! It must have been great getting the opportunity to nose around that old thing.

It looks like you could just turn the key and start it up, they should preserve it not restore it, keep it looking like a forgotten about plane that just needs fuelling.

Yeah, I agree... it shouldn't be made to look new; just to look like it did the day they parked it here and shut down for the last time. I read somewhere that this is the only 202 left in the world... not sure about that, but if it's true, she deserves more attention!!

As in many cases with individual large aircraft, she looks in need of a kind benefactor...

LOL  :D is that you in the captain's chair in your new Avatar?

LOL  :D is that you in the captain's chair in your new Avatar?

Affirm.

If nothing else, they should move it indoors and let people look inside of it, maybe give tours. Let people see how air travel used to be.

BTW. I like the third shot, it looks like you are flying into a time warp or being abducted by aliens.

If nothing else, they should move it indoors and let people look inside of it, maybe give tours. Let people see how air travel used to be.

There's no room inside for that sucker, and all the airplanes out in the "yard" are quite accessible to all visitors. They even have an annual "Open Cockpit Day", and I'll bet when school groups come in, they open up more than the Martin.
I'm sure if Tony had had time, he would've given me a big guided tour of the Martin. I am actually curious about what sort of career it had, and how the Museum got ahold of it.