The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

February 19, 2009

Wright Bros. replica plane needs a home

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

PINETOPS — A proud moment for SouthWest Edgecombe High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets was building a life-sized replica of the Wright Brothers plane but now storing the plane is a problem.

The replica stretches 18 feet by 40 feet, and was completed under the leadership of Col. Mike Whitehurst and Chief Master Sgt. Emanuel Williams.

The cadets finished the project just prior to its first appearances in the Pinetops, Bethel and Tarboro Christmas parades in December.

After the Tarboro parade, Whitehurst asked his friend Ed Dennis if he could store the plane at his Ford Dealership in Bethel. The dealership is currently unoccupied, and up for rent. Whitehurst resides in Bethel.

The plane has been there since that time, but Whitehurst fears the plane can't sit there much longer.

The plane is being taken over to an Annual Meeting of Members on March 21 at Edgecombe-Martin County Electric Membership annual meeting. EMC granted the cadets a portion of the money for the $2,000 project.

"It's a real good chance that I won't be able to store it there again," Whitehurst said.

While many in Pitt County have expressed interest in storing the plane, Whitehurst would like to keep it in Edgecombe County.

"We want to use it as a county visual aid. We don't want SouthWest's name on this plane, we want ECPS (Edgecombe County Public Schools) name on it," he said.

The plane can't sit outside for an extended period of time because Whitehurst fears it may deteriorate.

"We can't store it in the school because it's a fire hazard," Whitehurst said.

Another option that they have is taking the plane apart but even that poses problems.

"We could dismantle it but we still have to figure out where to store it," he said.

Whitehurst said that they would like to have the plane in the county to make it more accessible to bring to different school events. He also expressed interest in using it in some way to benefit the Relay for Life.

If anyone has storage space available, contact Whitehurst at 827-5016.

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