Post by Rampvan on Aug 26, 2008 18:34:32 GMT
Kept in very good condition at Universal Studios is Jimmy Buffett's Grumman Albatross, now the setting of a Caribbean themed bar, I don't know the story behind this but up until a couple of years ago this seaplane was a regular flyer
Anyway, from Wiki
Hemisphere Dancer is the name of singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett's personal seaplane. A Grumman Albatross flying boat, serial number 137928 and civil registration number N928J, the aircraft is central to the action in Buffett's best-selling book A Pirate Looks at 50. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of an Albatross, due to the restoration and continual maintenance completed by Buffett.
This is the plane Buffett was flying during the incident recounted in the song "Jamaica Mistaica" on the album Banana Wind. While in Jamaica on January 16, 1996, Buffett's plane was shot at by Jamaican police. The "Hemisphere Dancer" had been carrying Buffett, U2's Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell, but they were not onboard at the time. Police suspected it was smuggling drugs. No one was hurt, although there were a few bullet holes in the plane
After making a number of other trips around the Caribbean with it, Buffett set off on a tour of the Caribbean, Central, and South America, in celebration of his 50th birthday. Accompanying him were his wife, son, youngest daughter, and some hired pilots to lighten the workload. Despite numerous efforts at obtaining the requisite clearances and permissions, the Hemisphere Dancer was only allowed to make a water landing once during the month-long odyssey. This action is chronicled in Buffett's autobiographical travelogue A Pirate Looks at 50, which was an immediate #1 best seller on the New York Times best seller list.
Since publication of A Pirate Looks at 50, the Hemisphere Dancer has become an icon of Parrothead culture, being featured on clothing, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant menus, and as the namesake of drinks and garnishes at Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise Restaurants. It has made numerous visits to general aviation fly-in's such as the Experimental Aircraft Association Sun 'n Fun and AirVenture Oshkosh exhibitions.
In 2003, Jimmy retired the aircraft from active flying service. Currently, it resides at Buffett's Margaritaville in Orlando, Florida.
Anyway, from Wiki
Hemisphere Dancer is the name of singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett's personal seaplane. A Grumman Albatross flying boat, serial number 137928 and civil registration number N928J, the aircraft is central to the action in Buffett's best-selling book A Pirate Looks at 50. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of an Albatross, due to the restoration and continual maintenance completed by Buffett.
This is the plane Buffett was flying during the incident recounted in the song "Jamaica Mistaica" on the album Banana Wind. While in Jamaica on January 16, 1996, Buffett's plane was shot at by Jamaican police. The "Hemisphere Dancer" had been carrying Buffett, U2's Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell, but they were not onboard at the time. Police suspected it was smuggling drugs. No one was hurt, although there were a few bullet holes in the plane
After making a number of other trips around the Caribbean with it, Buffett set off on a tour of the Caribbean, Central, and South America, in celebration of his 50th birthday. Accompanying him were his wife, son, youngest daughter, and some hired pilots to lighten the workload. Despite numerous efforts at obtaining the requisite clearances and permissions, the Hemisphere Dancer was only allowed to make a water landing once during the month-long odyssey. This action is chronicled in Buffett's autobiographical travelogue A Pirate Looks at 50, which was an immediate #1 best seller on the New York Times best seller list.
Since publication of A Pirate Looks at 50, the Hemisphere Dancer has become an icon of Parrothead culture, being featured on clothing, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant menus, and as the namesake of drinks and garnishes at Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise Restaurants. It has made numerous visits to general aviation fly-in's such as the Experimental Aircraft Association Sun 'n Fun and AirVenture Oshkosh exhibitions.
In 2003, Jimmy retired the aircraft from active flying service. Currently, it resides at Buffett's Margaritaville in Orlando, Florida.