Ready for takeoff

Deirdre Newman

The plane at Lions Park -- which has been off limits for the past two

months for restoration -- is finally back in action.

While the plane has been restored to its former glory, the city is

still planning to add a handicapped-accessible ramp leading up to it.

But they didn’t want to deprive kids of one of the most popular

attractions at the park any longer, said Joe Bogart, senior

maintenance supervisor. So they removed the fence on Wednesday.

“Judging from the activity out there the last couple of days,

they’re enjoying it,” Bogart said.

One of the landmarks at Lions Park, the plane has been planted in

the sand play area since the late 1960s.

Once bright yellow, the plane has been restored to the original

blue and military insignia of an F49F Panther, a type flown by the

Navy during the Korean War, said Bruce Hartley, city maintenance

services manager.

“We went through a Navy Web site and tracked down the exact type

of plane and what it was used for and its assignment and color

markings and everything and tried to duplicate it as best we could,”

Hartley said.

The maintenance division is working on getting a recycled tire

grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board so it can

use recycled rubber for the ramp. Then they will paint some graphics

on it to resemble a runway, Hartley said.

On Friday, kids were scrambling all over the plane -- on its tail,

in the cockpit and on the wings.

“It’s cool,” 10-year-old Ivan Ramirez said about the plane’s new

look.