by George
J.
I was lucky
enough to work for Lockheed Martin for over 37 years. I started my career on
the L-1011 TriStar as a wash rack attendant working in the paint shop. During
the program’s early days, from time to time we were required to lay up various
new airline logos and markings on one of the aircraft on the final assembly
line in Building 601. We worked with engineering to ensure the placement was
aesthetically pleasing.
When we performed
this task, we would look at the placement from the first mezzanine on the north
side of the building. On any given day, we might lay up the logos on different
aircraft. The aircraft used depended on which one the manufacturing department would
allow access to. One day, someone noticed we kept changing aircraft and asked
why. Being the practical jokers we were, we told them the mezzanine was
designed to look like various air terminals around the world. We told him if we
moved further to the east it looked like one airport or a little to the west it
looked like another.
This rumor
seemed to spread fast across the plant, and people actually believing our made-up
story. This was just one of many practical jokes we played on the unsuspecting
workers.
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| I started my career in the L-1011 paint shop. |
