Amelia

[Mista Bumpy]

Aloha! This beautiful and well executed bronze plaque is located at the base of Diamond Head, just above the surf beach in one of those traffic turnouts. Please notice that the airplane at the top of the plaque is not just shiny and free of the oxide patina that covers the rest of the plaque, but rubbed to the point of being indistinct! It's impossible to even guess what kind of plane it is. My guess is that this is done for good luck (a very ancient practice all over the world). Surfers as a class are nearly as superstitious as pilots, if it comes to that! Does anyone know for sure?

Mahalo!

[scrivener]

Re: Amelia

Interesting. I was unaware of this plaque and I agree: Its very nicely done. I was skeptical about the touching part of your assessment, but the Star-Bulletin's description of the memorial agrees with you that the area around the plane is "bright and polished by the touch of visitors."

No idea if it's a surfer thing, but it's cool either way. The Star-Bulletin piece also mentions that it's a time capsule that the Pacific Aviation Museum wanted to open on the fiftieth anniversary of the flight (that would have been 1987) but was turned down. Which makes me wonder if they ever plan to pop it open. What's the point of a time capsule if it's never meant to be opened someday?

Thanks for sharing that.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Amelia

It would then be a timeless capsule, and one I'll be finding so I too can touch the plane, the plane!