Lack Of Funds + Rising Hangar Costs = No Hangar

Heavenly Body, a B-25 bomber well known in California's San Fernando Valley, is facing eviction from Van Nuys Airport... all in the name of progress.

The B-25 has been housed at VNY since 1972, but because her hangar is scheduled to be razed this summer, owner Mike Pupich is forced to find another home for the WWII warbird. But, with hangar costs on the rise, things are looking grim.

"They have no room for us. They're moving us out," said plane owner Mike Pupich. "This is a monumental problem. There's no place to put the bomber. It needs a roof over its head."

Diane Sanchez, Van Nuys Airport spokeswoman said officials are taking steps to temporarily relocate the B-25 as well as other propeller airplane tenants to a tie-down area outside until a future Propeller Park is built -- several years from now, according to the LA Daily News.

The hangar, owned by Mark Sullivan of Skytrails Aviation, has rented Pupich his current hangar at a reduced rate of $850 a month. But that hangar is scheduled to be demolished to make way for more space to accommodate corporate aircraft.

Sullivan said building another hangar for Heavenly Body is out of the question due to cost, but he has done everything he can to find a suitable tie-down area.

"There's a place for Mike's plane on the ground outside," said Sullivan. "In a nutshell, we're here to accommodate these guys; we're not telling them to leave the airport."

"Outside would be an option," Pupich said, "but it would be a slow death of the airplane."

"I wouldn't say that they are being kicked out (of the airport)," Sanchez said. "You can't fault Mr. Sullivan for upgrading his facility."

The problem is space and money. The airport reportedly offered to rent Pupich a hangar for $2,000 a month.

As for surrounding airport options, Pupich says the runway at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima is "too small" for a medium-range bomber. In Camarillo, the plane is subject to salt air corrosion; in Lancaster sun, dust and desert conditions are a concern. The next best option is the Chino airport which has a large collection of war aircraft, but it's 70 miles away.

Pupich said these airports are too far away for the 10 expert Valley volunteer crew members to continue to maintain and fly the plane.

This saga began when Pupich fell in love with the B-25 as a child. He bought the 29,000-pound movie star thirty-five years ago. Yes, movie star. The bomber had a role in the 1970 movie Catch-22.

Her war service includes 38 bombing missions including kills of two Japanese Zeros, two ships, and a steamroller. In 1992, she took off from the flight deck of the USS Ranger in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo.

After bringing her home, Pupich gathered a top-notch crew of dedicated and expert volunteers that have worked to maintain the former crop duster-turned-movie-star-turned-air-show-queen. Pupich demonstrates the bomber at air shows across the nation.

"It's just part of history, part of everything I understand pertaining to aviation," said Harold Knowles, 84, of North Hills, a former Marine pilot. "It would be an irreplaceable loss to the Valley."

"I've become attached to this airplane, like family," said machinist Kiyo Mochizuki, 72, of North Hills, who has volunteered for the past10 years making various aircraft parts. "I would hate to see the airplane leave Van Nuys."

The old warbird has apparently had a similar effect on the community. Nearly 500 petition signatures were gathered last week in two days in support of keeping the bomber where she is.

Pupich would ultimately like to see his plane to become part of a future aviation museum based at Van Nuys Airport.

"This is the airplane Jimmy Doolittle used. It changed the course of history. It's an icon for the San Fernando Valley," said Pupich.

"It would be a crime if it goes, but what are you going to do?"

FMI: www.lawa.org/vny/