Yes, that is a plane outside city hall

It’s not a bird, but it is a plane – or at least a part of a plane sitting inside a tent at Philadelphia City Hall. [audio: 100301TMPLANE.mp3]

The fuselage of a small single-engine aircraft sits inside a clear tent on the Northwest corner of City Hall.  Attorney Arthur Wolk is conducting a civil case inside the building, and is trying to have the jury take a peek at the plane as part of his argument in the case.  He says the plane illustrates a defect in the pilot’s seat that is crucial to his case.

Wolk: It’s important to demonstrate to the jury just how much the airplane pitches up when the seat slips.

The tent has actually been configured into a mini-courtroom – to be used if and when the judge decides to take the jury outside.