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A Look Into The

Paparazzi Window

30-31 Oct 05

A Man With Just A Plain Plane Passion?

Many people purchase old rail-road cars, especially cabooses, that become additions in backyards, side yards, or front yards .  But how many purchase a Boeing 727 aircraft fuselage for that same purpose? This may be a first...

And the man who thinks, the purchase of his retired United 727 fuselage, may be that first; a self proclaimed "obvious airliner and aviation geek", is Rick Broome. "If this doesn't put you in that category, I don't know what would", I confirm to him as we speak in front of his house, and fuselage on Saturday morning.

I watch as one of Broome's neighbors walks onto her front lawn to take a peek, then turns and disappears into the house... without saying a word.  It's not everyday you get to see a sight as this, especially in the Broadmoor neighborhood where Broome lives.

Next to stop is a runner, out for a jog with his dog.  He and Broome talk for a bit, before that curious runner and his companion once again pick up their pace.  I notice just about everyone passing in a vehicle is taking a second, sometimes a third look in the plane's direction.  They may not have seen the news report last night, as I had, and the visual surprise doesn't register as real for a second or two.

One other person who made it a point to stop, probably because his job is to do such things when presented with unusual circumstances such as this, was one of Colorado Springs Finest.

I joking ask if he's here to tell Rick, "You'll have to move this thing, it's double parked".  The CSPD officer and Rick discuss, besides the plane, the fact that Rick was also once in the CSPD himself, back when now Chief Valez was still on the beat.

"I was a Colorado Springs Police Department Reserve Officer and Team Leader. My partner was Lou Valez who is now the Chief of Police", said Rick.

So then, why not a police cruiser sitting in the backyard? Probably because Broome's greatest passion is, and has been, aircraft.  A United aircraft mechanic was the trade that captured Broome's attention for many years.

Rick adds;

"My childhood dream was to become an airline pilot. To enhance my qualifications I obtained my coveted FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanic's ratings when I was only 21 years old. When United Airlines hired me in 1968 I was the youngest flight line mechanic in their entire system.
I worked as a mechanic for United at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for three years while attending college at Northrop Institute of Technology. United accepted my job application as a flight officer candidate in 1969. I deferred the opportunity to become a pilot, however, because I wanted to complete my courses in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering."

And after that, he focused that attention on another form of aircraft enthusiasm, painting them on canvas.

Rick adds;

"I had started selling my paintings of aircraft as a teenager to help pay for my flying lessons. My aviation art sales continued to supplement my income as a mechanic for United because my paintings were displayed and for sale in the flight crew lounge at LAX. I was scheduled to attend the March 1971 flight officer candidate class in Denver so I took a leave of absence from my job as a mechanic in Los Angeles and we moved back to our native Colorado. The class was canceled and United ended up furloughing over 500 pilots.

At that time I had over fifty commissions for airliner paintings from United pilots on hand and figured that I could make a living as an aviation artist while waiting for the company to resume flight officer training. New commissions rolled in from my art show in the crew lounge at LAX and the company asked if I could also open one man aviation art gallery's in their crew lounges in both Chicago and San Francisco. I did and in no time at all my aviation art career took off like a rocket!

When United finally recalled all the furloughed pilots my career as an aviation artist was well established. The rest as they say is history because I didn't choose this career. It chose me!"

Rick Broome's paintings, some which can be seen on his website www.rickbroome.com , depict aircraft of all types.  His love for aircraft doesn't end there.  As we talked I learned of his extraordinary knowledge of aircraft history and dedication to the old United Airlines regime.

Such knowledge has been tapped. Broome has been interviewed by news organizations before, including our own local KKTV 11 News.  Broome also shared with me the fact that he was once a reporter for KOAA.

Broome knows aircraft, that was apparent, especially when he took me into the cockpit of his.  Most everything was still intact up front.  There were a few items that were in need of replacement, but from what I could tell, I was looking at a cockpit as it had probably looked after it's last fight, minus some dust, and a few boards that now replaced the windows.  Windows that cost $90,000 a set, Broome told me.

On Monday, a crane will be used to lift the fuselage, over the house and into the backyard.  Crews from Century Commercial Builders Corporation are busily preparing it for that move.  Once there, they will affix it to the beams and foundation that are already in place. It's final destination?  It will become part of Rick Broome's house, right next to his art studio. 

I'm sure adding extra inspiration, to an already inspiring artistic passion...