Read and Initial: We Move Our Tails For You

Just about two years ago we moved to our present location. Airplanes were placed where they could be worked on and parts were positioned near by for installation or repair. We thought we would be up and running quickly, but that just wasn't the case. It took nearly nine months just to get our certificate of occupancy so we could use our new space. Months later we still had bits and pieces scattered around when, in through the gate came two more airplanes, an F-4C Phantom II and a TA-4J Skyhawk, both had been transferred from the Joint Reserve Base, formerly Carswell Air Force Base. More parts, the Skyhawk came in two pieces.

Our maintenance effort tried hard to get our restoration house in order, but somehow we never seemed to get any traction, literally and figuratively. We have a little aircraft tug we call Miss Piggy that we expected to use to move aircraft around the yard and maintenance pad. Problem was, Miss Piggy had a mind of her own for awhile and refused to accept brakes. It took months to settle her down and then winter had set in, work slowed. All along, some work was being done on the aircraft here and there, but we had two airplanes without tails and they just didn't look right. Finally, last week the weather broke and a day was set to bring in a crane to move our B-36 props and put our tails in place. It took some time, but the winds were low and the sun was warm and seven volunteers and a crane operator moved those tails and set them in place.

We now have two more airplanes standing proud with tails held high, now longer sitting, looking broken and downcast. Lots of people have been responsible for the restoration on the TA-4 and especially the F-111 Aardvark. Our Vaark was literally a basket case when we got "Balls 9." A museum in Connecticut had abandoned the aircraft in Arizona when it could not raised the money it needed to move it. It sat, almost forgotten, for nearly nine years when we found it. We beat the bushes and with the help of the B-36 Peacemaker Museum and others, we finally had what we needed to bring the airplane home to Fort Worth, but that was about it. The airplane had been heavily disassembled and we learned it did not have all its panels. Not much work went into "Balls 9" after it arrived here in 2007, but once the airplane was moved to our new location things started to change.

One of the B-36 group, Glen Hill, started replacing panels, one at a time, almost without anyone noticing. Then little by little and with the help of folks like Jim Bloomberg, Jack Thompson, Hank Wright and others, the holes started disappearing and "Balls 9" started looking more and more like the proud bird she is. Now, this Vaark is almost finished and ready for a new coat of paint.