May 6, 2008
Ask DCist: What Are Those Airplanes in Crystal City?
Reader Amber Lupin writes in:
I love DCist. You guys know more about D.C. than I could possibly fathom and for that reason, I come to you. Every day I drive up and then down Route 1 in Virginia from about Old Town to the Memorial Bridge. A few weeks ago, multiple airplanes and jets appeared on the side of the road. They are in varying styles, ranging from old-school designs (near the entrance towards 395 in Crystal City) to jet planes with solar-powered engine trails (by the Harris Teeter). I know that these have been in the works for some time because the solar power for the jet engine tails has been there for at least a year – I always wondered what it was. Only now my confusion has grown considerably!
Please, if you know, tell me what the deal is with the airplanes on Route 1 in “Arlandria.”
Thanks for your question, Amber, and for the love! The airplane statues you saw (pictured above) were commissioned and placed last month by the Crystal City Business Improvement District as part of a campaign to encourage people to visit Crystal City and keep the city's historical connection to flight in the minds of locals. Much like the pandas placed around Washington or the Terrapins placed around D.C. and College Park in 2005, the BID worked with individual Crystal City businesses to sponsor artists to decorate 50 different "Crystal Flight" airplane statues (25 fighter jets and 25 vintage planes) and is now displaying them through the summer. Crystal City links itself to the theme of flight thanks to its proximity to Washington National Airport and the local presence of the United States Air Force, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. They even have a blog documenting the creation and unveiling of all the planes.
Photo courtesy the Crystal City Business Improvement District
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I live in Crystal City, and I actually think they're not much of an eyesore. But I'm just waiting for somebody to try to steal one...
I noticed one of these at the exit to National off of Route 1 just south of 23rd and I thought it was something that had been there forever and I'd just always missed it. It's kind of a bland brown color and is the same shape as the two planes to the far left in the photo above. But really, I thought it was pretty cute and was happy to see it.
Hmmm...since Safeway seems to eschew the "improved customer service" route for competing with Harris Teeter, maybe it should look into borrowing some of these. These remind me of assorted spaceships, horses, etc. outside of my hometown grocery store that I used to beg my mom to let me ride.
If Safeway could put a motor and some shocks in a few of these babies and slap them outside their stores, I'd forget all about poor treatment and shrinking selection.
Cows and pandas are one thing, but airplanes? That's a little too warmonger-ey for me, and I'm the monkey that advocated on these very threads for the annexation of the Sudetenland.
People have already started prying pennies off the one plane that is covered with the little copper Lincolns. I think it's by S. Eads St. and 21st or so.
The Teeter in Pentagon Row has a Harry the Happy Dragon or Whatthef***everhisnameis ride dealie inside their store. The one time I saw it with a kid riding, it was the LOUDEST, MOST IRRITATING thing I've heard this side of a Tuff Stuff Chainsaw. It sounded like a busted coffee grinder being noisily ground up by an even bigger coffee grinder, with some demonic circus hurdygurdy music playing through a busted speaker. The mom had to cover her ears and everyone waiting at checkout was wincing in pain.
The kid riding was having the time of her life.
yeah i drove by the Pennies Plane last night, it's at the BB&T on the corner of Eads and 23rd. some drunk girl started picking at it and then dropped down to roll around in the grass. Cinco de Mayo, i tell ya...
but yeah, they're everywhere, and some are not pretty.
I heard the one outside the Crystal City Restaurant was made out of crisp one dollar bills.
there are few of the pigs left that they put out around the city to remind kids to save their money (or something like that), and the one at G-P middle school at 10th and U is always depressing, because someone tore its ears off...
They're top secret escape pods. To flee the agony of being in Crystal City.
Ok. Good point. Bad idea, considering that Safeway administration would involve letting them devolve into the rustiest, most chainsawiest noise abominations ever. Leading to anger, riots, throwing of groceries, and Jim Graham to shut down all grocery store rides within the metro area. For all time.
I made a panda....and a terrapin....and a plane.
I love making those sculptures. I know they're not high art, but when do you, as an artist, ever have the chance to reach such a huge audience. I also love seeing people interact with my work. The downside is when people let their kids hang on them like junglegym equipment...it's hard to not grow attached to something you spent the better part of three months working on.
I saw a blind person walk face first into one of those planes last week. She was much more confused than Amber Lupin.
OMG! It's the Air Force of the Bovine-Whimsy Industrial Complex! Run for cover!