Take me out to the ballpark. . . : Where is Lady Bird Johnson when we need her? . . .

Some of you, at least those considerably younger than Randy and I, are thinking, “Who the heck is Lady Bird?” Lady Bird, wife of LBJ (who the heck is HE?), took as her First Lady mission the beautification of highways, primarily by the removal or banning of billboards. Well, driving from Tampa to Macon (Short aside: Did you know there used to be a minor professional hockey team named the Macon Whoopees? They played for an incredibly long time: 2001 – 2002. ) there was a two-mile stretch (merely the most egregious of many similar stretches) of 39 double billboards. That’s one every 135 feet, almost two in the length of a football field. ‘Nuff said.

We had a nice time in Tampa but in order to add to our growing list of baseball parks, we drove the Jeep to Miami for a Marlins game. But while we were there, we HAD to go see Atlantic Models (www.atlantic-models.com). Randy is an airline pilot, nevermind that he’s retired. If you mention the words ‘airplane,’ ‘airport,’ ‘airplane museum,’ ‘model airplanes,’ pretty much anything with the word ‘airplane’ or any variant thereof in it, he wants to go. When Ken "Pops" Popelas told us we HAD to go to the Airplane Store in Miami, well, we HAD to go. Not so much for the models in the store (mostly made in China, but very nice) but for the custom models made in the back in several workshops. They take great pride in doing EVERYTHING themselves, in house. They made the airplane bodies, they paint them, they print the decals, they do it all. And they aren’t just your ordinary models. If you want a United paint from 1981 on a DC-8-62, they will make it from scratch. If you want a PanAm Clipper from 1937, they’ll make it from scratch. It will have the correct engines, it will have the correct paint, and it will be absolutely authentic, right down to the correct landing gear for that particular model of airplane.

They have only two machines in the workshop: a drill press (for making the hole for the stand) and a fine saw (for removing the detritus from the model after it comes out of the mold). Everything else is done by hand. OK, OK, they have their own printer for the decals, I suppose that counts as a machine? But they design their own decals. Their models are in the board rooms of airlines all over the world. They even have made a 43-foot model for a Brazilian company. Of course they had to cut the nose and tail off because, even though there are 45-foot shipping containers, Brazil doesn’t accept any larger than a 40-foot container. But nobody knew that until they had already made the 43-foot model. So, they chopped off the nose and tail and sent those separately.

The owner and President (she and her husband drew straws to figure who would be President).

That's a full size cockpit in the background.

This is the 43-foot model to be sent to Brazil.

Some models hanging to dry.

Had to have pics of United planes, especially in the old livery.

They originally made a half-size nose to hang on a very large wall somewhere. Lots of people wanted one, but said it couldn't fit on their wall or their wives wouldn't let them. So they made a quarter size model,. Still too big. So they finally made these.

This was signed by Fred Smith, founder of FedEx.

More models drying.

One of the approximately ten full-time workers. These are the skilled workers who sand the models to make them ready for paint and decals.

Our guide was the general manager of Atlantic Models, here he's showing us one of the molds.

Another worker getting the model ready for paint and decal.

Adding engines

Almost ready for finishing touches.

Taped up for paint details.

Adding decals. All custom made in this shop.

Another decal worker.

This was a concept airplane that was never build because there was no place for it to land. It is true to scale with the 747 on top of it.

These are model bodies they may never be able to use.

Beautiful Southwest paint!

Talking flying with the general manager. He knows more about airplanes than anybody I or Randy has ever met!

Randy ordering his models.

All in all, a FANTASTIC tour. Thanks, Pops, for suggesting this to us! Randy has ordered two models: a United DC-6 from the 1960s and a T-29 from his US Air Force career.

Oh, yes. We also went to a baseball game. Cubby Bear met a friend, a police officer, Officer Marin. We met another couple doing all 30 games this summer. They, however, are flying from city to city. Or area to area. They were driving the next day to Tampa and then flying on to their next game. They also are staying with friends and family at many of the cities. We, of course, think we’ll have more fun driving! We did introduce them to the Baseball Pass-Port. The Pass-Port is our best souvenir, along with the pins we are buying at each stadium!

On to Atlanta and the Braves’ fans and their tomhawk chop! So sensitive.