Load 'Em Up!

Our transportation for our tour - the official Wright Flyer Centennial Tour trailer, suitably adorned.


Video - we lower the Flyer from her perch in the FAA Flight Deck Museum (1:42). Quicktime 4.6Mb AVI 8.7Mb

After working most of the day to lower the first AIAA Wright Flyer Replica from its perch in the FAA Flight Deck Museum and to remove the canard and vertical tail structure, we are ready to load the center wing box into the semi-truck.	The first step is to gingerly slide the tines of the forklift underneath the dolly constructed to hold the Flyer.


When we started to move the Flyer to the truck, it was raining (the first time in Southern California in months)! So, we began to cover the airplane with tarps to protect it. But then, briefly, the rain stopped; so we hurried to load the Flyer before it started to rain again.	Raised into position.


Forklifts cannot move sideways, but trucks can back up. Thus, the procedure for loading the Flyer is for the forklift to raise it into position, then have the truck driver slowly back the trailer into the airplane.	This is a photo through the side door of the trailer as it backs up and accepts the center wing section. Orville stays in place, forever flying.


Success! Loaded and ready to roll!	Video - 1:30 minutes MPEG format (15Mb), high speed access highly recommended. This file was sent to us by Encore Cafe in MPEG format. I'm trying options to convert this to .mov and .avi formats, without much success yet.