Posted on 08/14/2005 12:13:48 PM PDT by Mark
SIMI VALLEY- An F-14 Tomcat fighter jet will be hoisted into a permanent display area next week close to the nearly completed Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
The 30,000-pound Northrop Grumman aircraft will be carried by a crane outside the pavilion in a ceremony celebrating Reagan's "peace through strength" strategy and marking a milestone in the making of the Air Force One Pavilion.
"This is the last of the really large artifacts coming to the library to complete the Air Force One Pavilion," said Melissa Giller, director of communications for the Reagan Library. "Although the F-14 will sit on the Peace Plaza and not inside the pavilion, it helps complete the story of President Reagan's initiative of peace through strength."
There will be standing room only for the Aug. 22 ceremony as the aircraft is craned over a 35-foot-high outdoor colonnade viewable from the Peace Plaza.
Following the aircraft's placement, Rear Admiral David Venlet will discuss the role of the F-14 in current warfare. Venlet received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his role in the shooting down of two Libyan Su-22 aircraft in 1981, marking the first combat kills for the F-14.
"This incident played a critical role early on in the Reagan administration as it sent a clear message to those governments who chose to provoke the United States," said R. Duke Blackwood, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Library and Foundation. "The Tomcat went on to serve an important role in President Reagan's rebuilding of our defenses and will forever remind us of the importance of a strong military."
The F-14 will be trucked from Point Mugu to the Reagan Library overnight to avoid problems with traffic, starting Saturday, and arriving around 3 a.m. the next day, Giller said. Library officials will have to take out some light posts to bring the plane to a point where it can be carried by crane to the Peace Plaza at the Aug. 22 ceremony.
It will be placed on the surface of the Peace Plaza and possibly mounted on a pedestal there in the future, officials said.
The $31 million, 87,000-square-foot, Air Force One Pavilion is scheduled to open this fall to showcase the Boeing 707 known as "The Spirit of 76" that was moved to the Reagan library in 2003.
The 707 flew 445 missions as Air Force One for Reagan from 1981 to 1989 and was also used by presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and both George H.W. and George W. Bush.
Inside the pavilion, Air Force One sits on a pedestal as if flying out over the open hills of Simi Valley.
A catwalk leads into Air Force One just behind the cockpit, and visitors will be able to look out the cockpit windows, then tour the plane to see it as Reagan did. The pavilion will include exhibits explaining Reagan's role in ending the Cold War.
Motorcycles and a police car from the Reagan era, donated by the Los Angeles Police Historical Society, will be set up inside, representing a presidential motorcade.
The pavilion also will house a Marine One helicopter and presidential limousine.
The pavilion is visible from Tierra Rejada Road between Simi Valley and Moorpark and is built in the same Spanish mission-style architecture as the rest of the Reagan library and museum. At the entrance to the Air Force One Pavilion will be a replica of the White House Rose garden, which should be in bloom for the opening.
-- Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602
eric.leach@dailynews.com
IF YOU GO
The F-14 Tomcat jet will be lifted into place in a program beginning at 10 a.m. Aug. 22. The event is free to the public. Complimentary parking shuttles will run on Presidential Drive throughout the day. The Reagan Library and Museum at 40 Presidential Drive in Simi Valley is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors may visit the library and scenic grounds, including Ronald Reagan's grave for free, but admission for the museum is $7, or $5 for people over 62 and $2 for children 11 to 17. Children 10 and under are free. For further information, call (800) 410-8354 or go to www.reaganlibrary.com.
You and me both, I remember when Clinton had the molds destoryed back in 1996 and leaving the NAVY with the pisspoor Hornet.
Agreed. When were you in?
"Well, what did you all expect? Summer interns cost money!"
I love it. This is going to drive the far left crazy!
Agreed.
Walk softly and have some big bad Tomcats on your leash.
Very good!
Monday, August 22, 2005,10:00 AM- 11:30 AMF-14 Arrival Ceremony at the Reagan Library:
Come join us at the Reagan Library on Monday, August 22nd to personally witness another momentous milestone in the making of the Librarys new Air Force One Pavilion the installation of a F-14 Tomcat at the Librarys Peace Plaza. In an exciting operation, this 44,000 pound aircraft will be craned into place in a ceremony celebrating President Reagans peace through strength initiative. The Tomcat will serve as a dramatic bridge between the Pavilion and the Presidential Learning Center. This event is standing-room only and is free to attend (regular admission applies to visit the Museum). No reservations are required. Complimentary parking shuttles will run on Presidential Drive throughout the day.
Schedule of Events:
10:00 a.m. - F-14 gets craned over 35 foot-high colonnade (open to the public to watch)
11:00 a.m. - Arrival Ceremony Program Begins (includes keynote speaker Rear Admiral Venlet and the final movement of the F-14 to the Peace Plaza)
11:30 a.m. - Ceremony Concludes
Members will be notified in advance with additional event details.
(Programs and events subject to date change. Before you visit, please call to confirm event.)
1993-2000
Any indication of the BuNo? Wouldn't it be great if the aircraft was one of the Tomcats that actually flew the Achille Lauro intercept mission?
Monday, August 22, 2005And in possible RELATED news, from the Los Angeles Times (8/4):
10:00 AM- 11:30 AMF-14 Arrival Ceremony at the Reagan Library
...[President Bush] arrived in Texas on Tuesday evening to start his August vacation. Although he does not plan to return to Washington until early September, he will make several day trips and overnight trips in the coming weeks.Hmmmm....
To further highlight recent legislative victories in Congress, Bush will sign the energy bill Monday at the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico and the highway bill Wednesday in Illinois.
He also plans to visit Southern California in late August.
Monday, August 22, 2005Ventura County PING, please?
10:00 AM- 11:30 AMF-14 Arrival Ceremony at the Reagan Library
Another Reagan Library ROAD TRIP?
Ventura County Ping!
Hehe, a warmongering F-14 in something called the "Peace Plaza" at the Reagan Library...oh, you know THAT is going to make some Cindy Sheehan-loving heads explode! I love it!
}:-)4
I stand corrected Clinton closed the F-14 Shop in Norfolk and which contanted that last two molds for F-14's.
It was actually the Fitters that fired first. They were head to head, and their IR missile was not 'all aspect' and did not track. The ROE says you can shoot when fired at, so the Tomcats of VF-41 (Black Aces) whipped around and caught the Fitters with a couple of Sidewinders.
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