Arts & Entertainment

Parked Air Force Plane Gets Ready for Nose Job

Front half of a fighter plane waits to be delivered to a private collector tomorrow as a prop for an art show after-party.

East Hampton pedestrians witnessed an unusual sight in town Wednesday, as one half of an Air Force plane found itself parked just down the road from the Presbyterian Church on Main Street. No, it didn't crash (at least, not in East Hampton), but instead was strapped to a truck that had driven it from Tucson, AZ for delivery to gallery owner Eric Firestone in East Hampton.

Eric Firestone Gallery has designated the 5,000-pound aircraft skeleton for use in its "Nose Job" show, opening July 15. The show will feature old air crafts from the West Coast that have been converted into works of art, either decorated or reimagined.

According to the gallery's press release, this show is an homage to pilots in the two World Wars who would paint images and mottos on airplanes. Curator Carlo McCormick spearheaded the project with Firestone, hunting through various boneyards on the West Coast for the perfect canvases.

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This particular craft will be on hand for the gallery's private after-party at a private residence on Main Street in East Hampton, according to Village Administrator Larry Cantwell. Though the gallery plans to use the craft as a prop for the party, the cockpit may eventually be decorated, according to gallery attendant Laura Microulis. The plane currently rests on the lawn of Eric Firestone's home, Microulis said.

Trucker Terry Parker drove first from his home in Chicago, then to Tucson, on a mission to bring the piece to East Hampton. He picked up the cargo late last week from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, where Eric Firestone keeps a gallery in town.

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The truck arrived early Wednesday morning, stayed parked in town all day, and dropped the aircraft off to Firestone on Thursday.

Various dates and codes along the body indicates the aircraft had minor alterations in July 1976, December 1977, May 1979, and August 1980. The wear and tear of the metal suggests it had been subjected to some use, but the pilot seat and controls are in tact, as is the nose of the plane.

The show will run from July 15 until August 21 at the located at 4 Newtown Lane in East Hampton.


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