Palm Springs Air Museum sues co-founder's widow

"The Palm Springs Air Museum filed a lawsuit in Riverside Superior Court on Tuesday against Jo Rose Pond, the widow of museum co-founder and benefactor Robert Pond.

Air museum representatives allege that Pond is denying the museum access to the flight logs, manuals, tools and parts necessary to maintain the fleet of World War II planes that her late husband has on display at the museum.

The museum, which has an option to purchase the planes, has been paying $250,000 annually toward the $10 million purchase price of the 14 aircraft, said Fred Noble, chairman of the Palm Springs Air Museum board of directors.

The tools, which include special jacks, some of which are no longer manufactured, are needed to keep the aircraft in flying shape, Noble said.

The items are kept in a locked hangar near the Palm Springs Air Museum. The hangar belongs to the Pond trust.

The museum has been "locked out" and no longer has access to these items, Noble said.

Jo Rose Pond said today that's not true.

"Anytime they need tools, they make a request and they get them immediately," Pond said.

Pond also said the tools could be bought at "any hardware store."

Some of the jacks weigh 1,000 pounds, Noble said.

"It isn't just a tool box," he said.