One of those mischevous mechanics took out his paint bucket and painted a smile on a USAir 737-300. No big deal, right? Unless the Captain has no idea what the smile is! The Captain of this particular flight started out at Allegheny, and refused to fly the airplane. This is not a joke. (At least as far as we know, are there any of the people who really know out there?) (via Jim Newark)
The flight was cancelled, stranding the passengers, and the plane ferried to Los Angeles to have the 'marking' removed. In the maintenence logs, the smile was noted as "plane defaced." Some have said this was taken at Pittsburgh's old terminal.
What a sad ending, back then.
But, later, the ex-PSA mechanics at the SAN maintenence base decided
to have some fun with the smile.
Piedmont planes weren't immune from the 'black line syndrome' either...
(all Bob Cramsie)
USAir decided that for marketing, one of their Express carriers (States West) would earn the rights to wear the smile. This is the result of the marketing department's attempt...
US Airways had their 'Metrojet' low-fare carrier based out of BWI. Those
mischevous mechanics (at least the old west coast types) decided to have
a little fun with the first Metrojet to roll out of the paint shop in
Tampa, and, well...
You know what? The smile actually looks pretty good on that Metrojet!
(Bob Cramsie)
The Airbus fleet isn't immune, either. Check these out, just sent
to the webmaster from TPA:
The last picture is of a CFM engine hub inside. It was taken out for
a lube job and well... (all Bob Cramsie)
(From justplanenews.com)
(James Rowson, via Jetphotos.net)
Of course, with the PSA Throwback plane, we have a plane that is supposed to have a smile!
