BLACKSVILLE – The former U.S. Air Force plane – and landmark just off W. Va. 7 – which greets visitors to Blacksville and welcomes residents home is getting a makeover.
The first physical steps in its restoration were taken on Wednesday when former delegate Joe Statler power washed it.
“Well, I will tell you that we’re de-icing the plane here in 100 degree weather, but we’re just cleaning the crud off it and getting ready to re-do and re-paint is is what our plans are,” Statler said.
Statler said he’s been meaning to help restore the plane for almost a decade when he saw a Facebook post by Robin Ammons expressing an interest in restoring the plane and dedicating it to the 2020 class of Clay-Battelle High School.
Ammons was headed to Westover, where she babysits, and thought the plane looked rough while passing it. Her great-niece is a member of the class of 2020 and Ammons said she thought it would be nice to dedicate the plane to the 2020 class, which had its senior year heavily disrupted by COVID-19.
So, Ammons started reaching out to the people who helped paint the plane in 1993.
“This is a community effort,” Statler said.
Ammons reached out to the West Virginia University ROTC program which is helping research the plane’s history.
The plane was purchased as salvage for $50 by Carley McCoy in the ’60s. McCoy then set the plane up on his property, Statler said. McCoy’s grandson now owns it.
In addition to a fresh set of paint, a plaque honoring McCoy and improvements to the scoreboard from the old CB football field are planned for the landmark.
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