So who wants to fly on a Super Constellation?

[Whatusername]

Breitling has one that does round trips. The bad news is that you need to join their club ($120) then fly out to Europe to book a trip. Information can be found here:

http://www.breitling.com/en/airtime/super-constellation

For those that hate their money and want Breitling take it here's the flight schedule with rates:

http://www.superconstellation.org/images/2015FlugProgrE/2015FlugprogrammE.pdf

 

[A Life Aloft]

The Connie is such a beautiful, iconic airplane and one of my favorites.

A group from Dynamic Aviation wants to restore the Columbine (sitting out at AVW) that was the first Air Force One that shuttled Eisenhower around.They have a team of mechanics and engineers working to get it flight ready for a trip to Virginia where she will be fully restored.

@MikeD have you seen any recent progress?? I haven't found/seen much since mid July.

 

[Whatusername]

God I hope that flies again!

Speaking of which didn't Elvis have one?

 

[Lawman]

Manila has a whole pile of beautiful old golden age airliners parked in their little scrap heap across from the main terminal.... Took this picture of a Connie pining for her better days.

Her and the DC-3s looked like sad broken old dogs longing for the days when they could do more than sit and rot.

 

[Adler]

The Connie is such a beautiful, iconic airplane and one of my favorites.

A group from Dynamic Aviation wants to restore the Columbine (sitting out at AVW) that was the first Air Force One that shuttled Eisenhower around.They have a team of mechanics and engineers working to get it flight ready for a trip to Virginia where she will be fully restored.

@MikeD have you seen any recent progress?? I haven't found/seen much since mid July.

I wonder how hard it is to add flight engineer reciprocating.

 

[Polar742]

I think Lufthansa had one running around. Sometimes subbed for A32x. I guess it was all glass + RVSM

Edit: I was incorrect. However the project is underway:http://www.lufthansa-technik.com/super-star-news

 

[Roger Roger]

I think Lufthansa had one running around. Sometimes subbed for A32x. I guess it was all glass + RVSM

Edit: I was incorrect. However the project is underway:http://www.lufthansa-technik.com/super-star-news

Dude that is the most awesomely impractical thing ever and I love it. WTG Lufthansa!

 

[A Life Aloft]

Manila has a whole pile of beautiful old golden age airliners parked in their little scrap heap across from the main terminal.... Took this picture of a Connie pining for her better days.

Her and the DC-3s looked like sad broken old dogs longing for the days when they could do more than sit and rot.

She was saved! The Qantas Founders Museum bought her. They have been dismantling and preparing her to be taken by ship back to Australia. I've been following the progress ever since they announced their plans to bid on her.

http://qfom.com.au/media-release-stage-three-of-the-super-constellation-project-almost-complete/

There was an auction last fall for the Connie above, several DC-3s, 9s, a Grumman America AA-IA Yankee and a couple of other misc. aircraft. I know one of the DC-3s was sold but I have no idea of the fate of the rest of the planes.

 

[Plata]

Manila has a whole pile of beautiful old golden age airliners parked in their little scrap heap across from the main terminal.... Took this picture of a Connie pining for her better days.

Her and the DC-3s looked like sad broken old dogs longing for the days when they could do more than sit and rot.

A friend's father lost a Connie in Manila in a dispute over fuel bills. I wonder if that's the same plane. Did you see any markings or registration numbers?

 

[A Life Aloft]

A friend's father lost a Connie in Manila over a dispute over fuel bills. I wonder if that's the same plane. Did you see any markings or registration numbers?

The aircraft, which has been grounded in Manila for 25 years, had been used by World Fish and Agriculture Inc to transport fish cargo and had been previously operated by the United States Air Force. N4247K

• Final registration - N4247K
• Delivered to US Navy December 1953 as R7V-1 BuN 131643
• Redesignated C-121J October 1962
• Named “Ole Blue from Point Mugu” while in service there
• Retired and stored at Davis Monthan AFB by October 1973
• Offered for sale February 1981
• To William "Winky" Crawford trading as Northern Peninsula Fisheries May 1981 as N4247K
• Restored for ferry flight and flown to Arlington, WA June 1981
• To World Fish and Agriculture, Inc October 1987 (company owned by Crawford)
• Restoration completed November 1987 and ferried to Palau Island in the Pacific the second week of November
• Flew tuna from Palau Island to Nagoya, Japan for three months, beginning November 24, 1987
• Impounded at Manila Airport, Philippines by June 1988
• Stored in deteriorating condition at Manila Airport
• Qantas Founders Museum obtained aircraft at September 12, 2014 auction at Manila Airport
• Disassembly of aircraft began early March 2015

 

[Plata]

The aircraft, which has been grounded in Manila for 25 years, had been used by World Fish and Agriculture Inc to transport fish cargo and had been previously operated by the United States Air Force. N4247K

• Final registration - N4247K
• Delivered to US Navy December 1953 as R7V-1 BuN 131643
• Redesignated C-121J October 1962
• Named “Ole Blue from Point Mugu” while in service there
• Retired and stored at Davis Monthan AFB by October 1973
• Offered for sale February 1981
• To William "Winky" Crawford trading as Northern Peninsula Fisheries May 1981 as N4247K
• Restored for ferry flight and flown to Arlington, WA June 1981
• To World Fish and Agriculture, Inc October 1987 (company owned by Crawford)
• Restoration completed November 1987 and ferried to Palau Island in the Pacific the second week of November
• Flew tuna from Palau Island to Nagoya, Japan for three months, beginning November 24, 1987
• Impounded at Manila Airport, Philippines by June 1988
• Stored in deteriorating condition at Manila Airport
• Qantas Founders Museum obtained aircraft at September 12, 2014 auction at Manila Airport
• Disassembly of aircraft began early March 2015

Yeah, that's the one. Winky was a friend's brother; he died some time back. The Crawfords are a very interesting and accomplished family.

 

[Itchy]

I think Lufthansa had one running around. Sometimes subbed for A32x. I guess it was all glass + RVSM

Edit: I was incorrect. However the project is underway:http://www.lufthansa-technik.com/super-star-news

Got a complete tour of that one a couple years ago when it was down to the bare nubbins. No wing skins, most of the fuselage skinned, etc. It was quite an exceptional thing to see. Maybe 40 folks running around all over it working full time, it is costing huge $$.

 

[ahw01]

flight engineer turbojet or turboprop would just do me!

 

[z987k]

Got a complete tour of that one a couple years ago when it was down to the bare nubbins. No wing skins, most of the fuselage skinned, etc. It was quite an exceptional thing to see. Maybe 40 folks running around all over it working full time, it is costing huge $$.

Ya... but when that thing is flying I'll make sure all of my European flights are with luftansa on the A32x airframe. What an amazing idea!!!!!!!!!

I wonder how hard it is to add flight engineer reciprocating.

Pretty easy. Come be a whipping post at evarts.

 

[MikeD]

The MATS Connie used to fly around here a lot, until it was sold to Korean Air Lines and ferried from AZ to South Korea.

That Connie was finishing work to make airworthy, last I saw it at AVQ.

 

[A Life Aloft]

That Connie was finishing work to make airworthy, last I saw it at AVQ.

I saw two different videos on You Tube of them testing her engines and that's the last I knew/saw. Obviously locating any needed parts can't be an easy task.

 

[Area 5150]

Such a beautiful aircraft. So, the FE desk.......his own set of throttles??? Mixture throttles or what? Saw the TWA Connie 10-15 years ago at KSHV when she was on her tour. Didn't go in, but I watched her take off.

 

[A Life Aloft]

Such a beautiful aircraft. So, the FE desk.......his own set of throttles??? Mixture throttles or what? Saw the TWA Connie 10-15 years ago at KSHV when she was on her tour. Didn't go in, but I watched her take off.

The FE controlled the engines (mixture, RPM, cowl flaps, starters, superchargers), the propellers and managed the fuel tanks (tank selection, pumps and cross feed valves to the engines, monitored the oil pressure, fuel pressure and amount, motor power, temperature, etc.) So what you see are the mixture, superchargers, fuel tank selectors, RPM controls. Many of the FE's were also pilots and a lot Captains who retired (forced by age limits) came back as FE's on the Connie and on other aircraft over time at the carriers. This was pretty common. We had a number of them at UAL do this. You saw this at EAL, Pan Am, TWA, DAL, etc.

 

[Area 5150]

The FE controlled the engines (mixture, RPM, cowl flaps, starters, superchargers), the propellers and managed the fuel tanks (tank selection, pumps and cross feed valves to the engines). So what you see are the mixture, superchargers, fuel tank selectors, RPM controls. Many of the FE's were also pilots and a lot Captains who retired (forced by age limits) came back as FE's on the Connie and on other aircraft over time at the carriers. This was pretty common. We had a number of them at UAL do this.

Thanks for the reply. Needless to say, the FE had a rather large plate of work related responsibility on the Connie.

I just love this era of Aviation.

 

[A Life Aloft]

Thanks for the reply. Needless to say, the FE had a rather large plate of work related responsibility on the Connie.

I just love this era of Aviation.

Oh man, the FE on the Connies had their hands full for sure. FE's who were not pilots were most often also mechanics (they even had their own tool bag) and were expected to troubleshoot and effect small repairs on certain flights. I've always said that the bringing of pilots up through the ranks as FEs (like I was) was the best possible training and experience as you really learned/understood all the systems and controls of the aircraft. There was no Regional purgatory in my day.