Nov 30, 2017  •  Stories  •  12 Comments

They Can Fly! New Life for Seven Old School Buses Update

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In September, 2016 I wrote about seven old school buses headed to a new life serving the children of Haiti. It took awhile, but finally on November, 20th they were loaded onto two Air Force C5 aircraft and flown to Haiti. They were delayed because of an earthquake, hurricanes and political unrest. It was also difficult finding a way to ship them to Haiti. Thanks to Project Denton, an Air Force program that allows organizations and private citizens to ship humanitarian aid on Air Force cargo aircraft, they were able to fly to Haiti. The picture was taken from a Channel 10 News story.

Comments

  1. Jamie Palmer Jamie PalmerStaff
    Nov 30, 2017 at 10:26am

    How cool!!! Thanks for the update, David!

    Like 0
  2. The_Driver
    Nov 30, 2017 at 7:36pm

    HOOAH, Air Force!

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  3. Joogle
    Nov 30, 2017 at 9:04pm

    Why is the word school painted over?

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    • TVC15
      Dec 1, 2017 at 6:39am

      It might mean something rude in French

      Like 0
    • Emmy Jackson
      Dec 1, 2017 at 8:02am

      In some states it’s a requirement for decommissioned school buses.

      Like 0
    • Whippeteer
      Dec 1, 2017 at 8:10am

      Probably a DOT requirement for retired school buses.

      Like 0
    • leiniedude leiniedudeMember
      Dec 1, 2017 at 8:35am

      My buddy owns a tubing business in Wisconsin, he had a short bus he wanted to use to haul clients. The Wis. DOT beat him up bad getting that bus to be registered. He had it painted blue but there was a very small spot of yellow showing, they would not pass it until the paint was touched up. A number of other items to change also. Not sure why they are so picky.

      Like 0
      • Howard A Rube GoldbergMember
        Dec 1, 2017 at 10:01am

        Sounds like Wisconsin. They don’t call it “Badger” for nothing. I’m just wondering if these will turn into housing for 14 families.

        Like 0
      • Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskeyMember
        Dec 2, 2017 at 3:25pm

        leiniedude –
        “Not sure why they are so picky.”

        The simple answer: Because they CAN be picky, and it helps justify their jobs. Chances are the state law says NO paint on a former school bus can be yellow. No means NO, possibly to include the underside of the bus! And government requirements can be pretty stupid at times . . .

        In the 1980s I had a limo service in Maryland. My vintage fleet was made up of 6 antique British limousines, each with hand crafted aluminum body panels over a wooden body frame. In 1990 a new State law said for all limousine “for hire” vehicles, every seat location had to have a seat belt installed, “Securely anchored to the body”. [Antique cars were not exempted.] I tried to tell the inspectors that in an accident, the wooden body sections would break and the passengers would still be in danger.

        Plus, the folding jump seat were also required to have seat belts. That was not physically possible. The inspectors didn’t care, I was told if I didn’t have seat belts in a jump seat, I had to remove the entire seat.

        I had a mechanical engineer friend write a report detailing the danger of doing this, the inspectors said if I wanted to use the cars in limo service I had to do it.

        I refunded customer deposits & closed the company. Even today, EVERY vintage limousine in the State of Maryland being offered for weddings & other uses, is running illegally, because in order to obtain the “for hire” limo permits, they must have seat belts installed!

        These car owners are running their vintage limousines on antique car license plates, and they don’t realize that in offering to provide their car for $, they no longer have any insurance if they are in an accident, because antique car insurance policies do not permit using the vehicle for any use where $ is paid!

        Like 1
  4. David Miraglia
    Dec 2, 2017 at 12:52pm

    DOT is always very strict,even here in New York. Insurance is much higher if you will be carrying passengers. As a camper or a motor-home it is cheaper.

    Like 0
  5. Ronald G Bajorek jr
    Dec 4, 2017 at 8:39am

    awesome. I’ll restrain myself from making a comment about The Clinton Foundation. Thank you Air Force

    Like 0
  6. Sal Paradise
    Aug 8, 2024 at 9:25am

    Give the buses to homeless vets and let them camp for free on those big, beautiful USAF bases

    Like 0

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