Air Force cancels Miss Veedol’s ticket to Japan

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By Rochelle Feil Adamowsky
World staff writer

Thursday, September 9, 2010

World file photo/Kelly Gillin

The Miss Veedol is not cleared for takeoff.

Jake Lodato

Spirit of Wenatchee Committee spokesman

EAST WENATCHEE — Plans to fly the Miss Veedol to Misawa, Japan, have been put on hold this year. Air Force officials told the Spirit of Wenatchee Committee on Friday that they are unable to accommodate the airlift of the plane to Misawa.

Plans had been in place to load the plane onto an Air Force cargo jet to transport it to the Misawa Air Base in time for the annual Misawa Air Show on Sept. 19.

“They were giving us positive signals for the last few months,” said East Wenatchee Mayor Steve Lacy on Wednesday. He said Air Force officials told the Spirit of Wenatchee Committee that a rule preventing the Air Force from shipping cargo if it competes with the private sector prevented them from shipping the plane.

“In my view, they didn’t have to call it cargo,” Lacy said. “Someone in the higher echelons of the Air Force decided to call it this. ... It hit somebody’s desk who didn’t like the idea. That’s my thinking.”

“It’s so unfortunate it went clear down to the wire like that,” said Jake Lodato, spokesman for the Spirit of Wenatchee Committee. “If we had known a month ago or two, we would have tried to find an alternative. It had been pretty much confirmed by mid-August that it was OK, that it was going to go.”

The Spirit of Wenatchee Committee had planned to take the plane to Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma and partially disassemble it to load it onto a cargo jet when available.

Once in Japan, the plan was to fly the plane during the festival in Misawa. Plans were to keep the plane in Misawa for 14 months.

“A delegation came over, and we had that contract and the elaborate ceremony and all,” Lodato said of the Japanese group working to get the plane in Misawa. “I’m sure it’s a huge disappointment to them.”

“It’s disappointing because lots of people were anticipating it,” Lacy said. “But next year is it the 80th anniversary of the Veedol’s flight. Maybe next year is a more appropriate year to do it.”

A group from Misawa, the Miss Veedol Executive Committee, gathered funds to send the plane’s support crew to Misawa along with the replica. The support crew would be needed to reassemble the plane and to fly it once in Japan. Plans had also been in place for Lacy and Wenatchee Mayor Dennis Johnson and their wives to travel to Misawa for the air festival and accompany the plane. “The whole thing was contingent upon the plane being there,” Lacy said. He added that he expects they will go next year instead.

Effort is now under way to transport the plane in time for the September 2011 air show in Misawa, said Lodato. “My suspicion is that they will want us to disassemble the plane and ship it in an ocean container, and will have us ship it long, long before the September (2011) festival,” he said.

Shipping the plane via ocean container will cost less, said Lodato, but will mean the Spirit of Wenatchee Committee will have to do more extensive disassembly of the plane compared to what would have been needed to ship it in the military jet.

Lacy said everything else involved in getting Miss Veedol to Misawa is still in place. “It’s just a setback, not fatal to the idea ultimately.”

Rochelle Feil Adamowsky: 664-7153

feil@wenatcheeworld.com

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lonedog3 1 year, 4 months ago

"Plans had also been in place for Lacy and Wenatchee Mayor Dennis Johnson and their wives to travel to Misawa for the air festival and accompany the plane. “The whole thing was contingent upon the plane being there,” Lacy said. He added that he expects they will go next year instead. Lacy said everything else involved in getting Miss Veedol to Misawa is still in place. “It’s just a setback, not fatal to the idea ultimately.”

Of course it is not a fatal setback. Theres plenty of public tax monies still available to buy first class tickets for the two worthy mayors and family as well as finding a cargo plane to ship the cargo, over there. CARGO: the freight carried by a ship, airplane or other vehicle. HMMMM? Looks like the United States Air Force has the description right on.

hondojones 1 year, 4 months ago

If I remember my history right, Miss Veedol landed in East Wenatchee, so why are Wenatchee mayor Dennis Johnson and his wife going? Is Douglas County footing the bill for them also?

JimboBear 1 year, 4 months ago

I really like your way of thinking, Will. Sadly, there was no city of East Wenatchee in '31 when Veedol landed. I suppose there was an unincorporated town of East Wenatchee but the "city" wasn't incorporated until 1935, so I suppose that sort of spoils our fun, huh?

cslatamani 1 year, 4 months ago

In the interim, The Forum Johnsonium has plenty of storage space for the beautiful, historical red bird.

whyarealltheusernamestaken 1 year, 4 months ago

Well... it is a plane - just fill it up with gas - find your favorite long distance pilot, and fly it to Japan.

cslatamani 1 year, 4 months ago

Ah! But Anon ymous.... It seats just two.... Where, oh! where would the Mayor's sit???

hondojones 1 year, 4 months ago

Thanks for the history update Jim, 1935 wow! 22 years before my time. Now I know alittle more about the Wenatchee Valley. I have lived here all my life, wouldn't live anywhere else!

cslatamani 1 year, 4 months ago

The 80th Anniversary of the Veedol's flight will make it even MORE interesting and appropriate.. Such a wonderful, exciting piece of aviation history right here in beautiful Wenatchee... hey...when a door closes a window opens! Next year is perfect!!!

factsjack 1 year, 4 months ago

The county doesn't pay the tab! The city foots the bill for not only Mayor Lacy to travel to Japan but I believe two council members got to go this year and the mayor's secretary got a free trip last year! When I found this out it soured my entire opinion of the "Misawa event". I find it a ridiculous waste of money to send this plane to Japan!

TomyDear 1 year, 4 months ago

Well, gee... it's an airworthy machine - I don't know why they don't just FLY the silly thing over there. Doesn't have to be a non-stop, nobody is going for a record here. Duh.....

cslatamani 1 year, 4 months ago

TomyDear, So do you know something we don't know?? Like is there a runway in the middle of the Pacific somewhere? Duh... back.

lonedog3 1 year, 4 months ago

casa: yes there is a runway in the middle of the pacific. It is called Hawaii! Remember this plane, well the original, has flowen already from Japan to Wenatchee so it cn be done. They would just to leave the dead weight,(2 mayors, their staff and families), behind.