DCist: Ask DCist: What Are Those Airplanes in Crystal City?

Mike Licht

Tue, 06 May 2008 18:47:38 -0500

OMG! It's the Air Force of the Bovine-Whimsy Industrial Complex! Run for cover!

mgp

Tue, 06 May 2008 17:56:22 -0500

I saw a blind person walk face first into one of those planes last week. She was much more confused than Amber Lupin.

tigerflight

Tue, 06 May 2008 17:07:17 -0500

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.

Vaughan

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:58:56 -0500

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.

indiecognition

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:46:42 -0500

They're top secret escape pods. To flee the agony of being in Crystal City.

IMGoph

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:00:00 -0500

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...

RJ

Tue, 06 May 2008 13:29:04 -0500

I heard the one outside the Crystal City Restaurant was made out of crisp one dollar bills.

MSto

Tue, 06 May 2008 13:21:32 -0500

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.

monkeyrotica

Tue, 06 May 2008 13:21:11 -0500

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.

TimmyTucker

Tue, 06 May 2008 13:08:39 -0500

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.

monkeyrotica

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:52:24 -0500

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.

Vaughan

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:51:20 -0500

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.

voteprime

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:30:20 -0500

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.

Phil

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:17:15 -0500

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...