Answer: For anyone who was in the Telford area in the 1960s- 1980s you may remember the orange and white jet at the park on corner of School Lane and East Summit Avenue. (This was also where the Telford Borough Authority water tower was located at one time, but that is another story.) This is the information on that jet as my sources filled in the missing details.
At one time there was a "Souderton-Telford-Franconia Recreation Council" composed of area community members. This Council raised funds at local sporting events concession food sales to provide play equipment to parks in these three communities. An unknown member of this committee had a contact at the Willow Grove Naval Station and had the Korean War vintage Panther Jet delivered to the Telford East Summit Avenue Park. ( I was told a machine like that used on aircraft carriers was used to get the jet from Willow Grove to Telford. We are not sure just what route was taken, but it did come down School Lane past the Souderton Area Joint Junior- Senior High School enroute to its new home.)
When it was first delivered, children were able to climb all over the jet and sit in the cockpit as well. Later, due to safety considerations the cockpit was sealed preventing entry. After about 20 years, the jet had repeatedly become a target for vandals and was believed to have become a hazard to children. It was finally sold to a private collector in the 1980s who disassembled it and removed it from the park.
At one time there was a "Souderton-Telford-Franconia Recreation Council" composed of area community members. This Council raised funds at local sporting events concession food sales to provide play equipment to parks in these three communities. An unknown member of this committee had a contact at the Willow Grove Naval Station and had the Korean War vintage Panther Jet delivered to the Telford East Summit Avenue Park. ( I was told a machine like that used on aircraft carriers was used to get the jet from Willow Grove to Telford. We are not sure just what route was taken, but it did come down School Lane past the Souderton Area Joint Junior- Senior High School enroute to its new home.)
When it was first delivered, children were able to climb all over the jet and sit in the cockpit as well. Later, due to safety considerations the cockpit was sealed preventing entry. After about 20 years, the jet had repeatedly become a target for vandals and was believed to have become a hazard to children. It was finally sold to a private collector in the 1980s who disassembled it and removed it from the park.
