Weathervane is a Verb

"We are offering a B727-200 aircraft for reuse as a home.  It is our intention to deliver and set the airplane up on a column and bearing arrangement so it weathervanes."  (more here) (via)

Comments

[Ben Zimmer]

There's a cite (though not yet a full entry) for weathervaning on Double Tongued.

[Jangari]

Meh, it makes sense. Otherwise one might be forced to say so that it faces the direction of oncoming wind and that's just clunky.
I would certainly have never had a use for a verb 'weathervane', but this person obviously does, so good on them.

In the radio interview he says "it rotates 360 degrees" but then says "or you can let it weathervane", so clearly, to weathervane is not simply to rotate, but to rotate under the force of the wind.

[Doug Sundseth]

This isn't a new coinage; I've heard pilots use it for decades. It seems to be in common use in wind farms, construction, and boating as well, based on cursory searches. (Note that "weathervaning" gets over 10K GHits; "weathervaned" gets about 700.)

[The Tensor]

OK, maybe I shot myself in the foot by putting it in the title, but my main point wasn't really usage of weathervane. My point was: "HOLY COW THEY WANT TO BUILD GIANT SPINNING JETLINER HOUSES!"

[Jangari]

I'd prefer to live in a big, old, psychadelically-painted school-bus from the 50s, like in The electric kool-aid acid test.

[Doug Sundseth]

"My point was: 'HOLY COW THEY WANT TO BUILD GIANT SPINNING JETLINER HOUSES!'"

And a fine point it is, too. 8-)

You have to wonder whether the local HOA will have something to say ... perhaps if you paint it in earth tones? But there must definitely be no pickup trucks parked out front.

[Claire]

Nah, it'll be all right if the pot plants out the front are matching terracotta and the cupboard handles are brass.