Lockheed Constellation - Walkaround & Interior Tour
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- Опубликовано: 21 май 2019
- We posted a question on our community page a little while back asking our subscribers what plane they'd like to see a Kermie Cam on, and their first choice was the Lockheed Constellation. Well, our subscribers spoke, and we listened . . . and here it is! The Connie Kermie Cam Tour! Hope you all enjoy the walk-around and walk-through, along with the commentary that is full of fun and interesting tidbits. If we get some good views and feed-back on this one, we'll go on to the subscriber's second choice, and do a B-29 Kermie Cam. Thank you all for your support!
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Kermit Weeks 
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Back in 03 or 04 when I lived in Kissimmee, I was at Fantasy of Flight all the time. I was eating lunch at the cafe inside, and this guy came up to me and my girlfriend and asked how we liked the place. We ended up talking for about 5 minutes and it was Kermit. We talked about the Connie, as it was my favorite. I walked around and made my way to the Connie, and he was in the hangar as I was out there. Kermit was nice enough to spend even more time with us just talking about it. It was fantastic, and Kermit was a truly gracious host. Not many owners of a place like that would not only remember my name, but call out to me and spend time shooting the breeze about this plane. I'm glad to see he still has it, and hopefully soon she will be back over near the main display area again.
"YO Tuna, nice to see ya again! Still no crusts?" Dat's our Kermit!
It’s a sin for a Connie to just sit on the ground forever. Such a magnificent bird.
Of course this bird is beyond being made airworthy again,it’s gutted. What a shame.
fw1421, multi millionaires are so cheap & disgusting. Makes me want to assault one of them.
@@davidvance6367
?
@@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X the stripped the airplane. took something that could have potentially been repaired for flight and making it almost impossible to make it fly again. I agree. assholes.
no money. Neither in the US nor in Europe. After the virus crisis the situation might be even more hopeless
In August of 66' I flew on a 'Connie" from Anchorage to Fairbanks and what a hoot! They had an engine that did not pass a mag test so they changed it while we sat in the plane. I'll never forget that trip.
Connies were well known to be the best 3 engine aircrat ever lol
This should be the next plane savers plane.
By far, the most beautiful multi engine aircraft ever built.
I agree ! 100 % Save it Kermie
The flight controls were as intuitive as any ever made. (Computer control not at all necessary0.
Not really for me its the 747-8
George Gooding
Concorde, Concorde, Concorde!
For me it's the De Havilland Comet 4
I just fostered a dog from the pound for the bull terrier club about a month ago they thought they could place him in a couple of weeks. We figured we’d spruce him up a little. So, after teeth cleaning, nail trimming, heart worm testing, surgery to remove a growth from his leg, needle biopsy to the lymphatic system, pathology report, ultrasound, and four trips to Dallas for radiation therapy plus drugs I’m in for about six grand. They no longer want to place him . . . too many health issues. They said I could take him back to the pound. I think I’ll name him Connie.
Mr. Weeks,
Small correction to your story. The Connie made its first stop in Palm Beach in 1989. I worked as a ramp agent and was a student pilot at the time that aircraft made the emergency landing at PBI on two engines. It sat on the Jet Aviation ramp for well over a year. Being an aspiring airline pilot and big Connie enthusiast, I would often walk around the airplane. I was working at PBI the day it departed for Maine. I had no idea she did not make it. Fast forward to 1996 and I found myself hired as Ops Manager for the FBO now know as Star Port in SFB. Much to my surprise, there was the beloved Connie I had seen take flight years before. Mr. Roundy came by one day and I was tasked to take him to see his beautiful machine that was parked in the back 40 of SFB. I got an exclusive tour of her!! Life is crazy. I moved to manage an FBO in North Carolina in 1998 and 3 years later found myself back at SFB training for my first flying job. That job ultimately led to reaching my dream. I happened to be at SFB by sheer chance the day the Connie was flown to your location. It was almost like divine intervention that I happen to find myself there that day on a training flight for my new job as a pilot. I watched the most gracious airliner to ever fly takeoff one more time! It was like she was cheering me on! I finally made it to a big airline. I am now an Airbus Captain. Thank you for saving an airplane that played a part of my flying career.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
I remember the Connies so well when I was very young. It was DC-3's, DC-6's and the Connies! Nothing sounds like that aircraft when it takes off. Brings tears to my old eyes and bittersweet memories to my old brain. Thank you sir, for the closer look at this old beauty.
We lived in Chicago under an approach corridor to Ohare. I remember laying on my back in the grass and watching the airliners passing overhead a time or two a week. The Connies were both beautiful and unforgettable.
My dad was a pilot with United, so I rode in a lot of DC-6es and 7s, and even a Stratocruiser once, but never the beautiful Connie. What a gal!
The Wrench Reviews , another would bring tears to your eyes,,is an AVRO LANCASTER BOMBER , THATS LIKE 4 P51s,,a most pleasing ,,haunting sound,,my youngest maternal uncle was TAIL GUNNER ZIN ONE,,we were British subjects in JAMAICA BWI, he made it back,,having been shot down once,,and had some METSL in his Rt leg, Cheers from NJ
@@flybyairplane3528 you are indeed right! My father was called up for service right around the end of WWII and was supposed to train as a tail gunner in the Lancs. The war ended and he was not deployed. Before he was called up, he was working at MacDonald Bros. installing thrust bolt mountings for engines on the Anson Aircraft. Indeed he worked on many incredible aircraft such as the Fairchild 71 and deHavilland Dragon Rapide.
Lucky you!
i rode on one of these from chicago to tampa with my parents in the mid '50s i was 8 or 9 and dad managed to get us invited into the cockpit where the captain took me in his lap and let me 'fly' her for a few magic moments. he even gave me some outdated ifr charts and taught me about tacan navigation. thanks so much for inspiring great memories of simpler, friendlier times and bluer skies!!
You're genuinely one of the luckiest people there is, and I hope you know it. There's probably never going to be a chance like that for anyone anymore
@@retrosad i am grateful every day to have lived at the time and with the privileges i have enjoyed. flying jets for the air force was the culmination of the story you read the first chapter of, but there are many others. thank you for you lovely comment. rest assured, i do know it. i am among the luckiest people ever to walk this planet. sadly, i fear your conclusion is also accurate.
@@billmcgahey1926 I'm really happy to hear that it got you interested in the airforce, stories like these fill me with joy, and I really hope you had a great time in the airforce. It really seems that people who grew up in the 50s and 60s had a really fun time, from all the stories I hear, and I feel like I missed out. The only aircraft from this age that I flew on was an an24 in the early 2000s, between kiev and crimea (I think), when I was a kid. Not too great memories of that, but it's sad to see comfort and luxury be replaced by easy cash and even the modern luxury flights don't look as glamorous anymore
Worlds most BEAUTIFUL passenger Aircraft ever!!! ❤
I really hope one day Kermit...
In cooperation with Lockheed Corporation perhaps...
I've said that for years (the most beautiful airplane part).
No,the comet was the most elegant and beautiful passenger airplane.
Thank you for the tour of the most beautiful piston airliner ever made.
Luckily down here in Australia there is an L1049/ ex C-121 that still flies and its just magnificent to watch.
The Beautiful "Connie"!
The Armchair Aviator yep I’m a shareholder when she was being restored in the desert.
@@AustNRail Wow, I saw her a few years ago at the AirShow and had the privilege - which is what it is to me - of walking through. It was a Vietnam Medivac plane in last service, is that right? Thanks for putting the money up.
I flew in the HARS Connie (Shellharbour, Australia) in May 2020. I can die happy.
In 1960 the Air Force declared me an aircraft radio repairman and sent me to Itazuke Air Base, Japan. I suspect it was for lack of fuel, but we made stops at Hawaii, Midway, Wake, and Guam. In the next 7 years, subsequent to that flight , I flew on many aircraft while traveling space available on leave. While at the time I was a little apprehensive, the Connie will remain my favorite flight.
I flew in a Connie from Nashville Tn in 64 to Washington DC to get seen at Walter Reed. The flight attendant gave me a pair of wings. Wish I still had them it was also my first time flying. Very memorable experience.
Back when I was a kid, not quite 100 year ago, I would've ridden my bike 10 miles or more to see somethin' just like this... still remember crawlin' thru a B-25, B-36, Dehavilland Comet & more... just to give some idea what the situation was like (not to mention I kinda remember drinkin' beer right out of the bottle not long after that). 50 gallon drums of oil... once I graduated to "FBO lineman" I remember servicing an old DC-6 & how the boss loved working the calculator for that charge. This thing either needs an guard or a welcome sign. Thanks for sharing, (airport bum)... look out the window there's probably a couple bicycles sitting against the fence out there right now.
I was lucky to be able to work on the Navy version of the Connie. It had top and bottom radomes. Even with those appendages, it was one of the most beautiful planes ever built. Enjoyed the show.
Gorgeous plane design!
FUN FACT: "On April 26, during the return trip, the aircraft stopped at Wright Field in Dayton to pick up a very special passenger: Orville Wright. More than 40 years after his historic first flight, Wright even sat at the controls of the airplane during his final 50-minute flight over Dayton, albeit for just a few brief moments.
"I guess I ran the whole plane for a minute but I let the machine take care of itself," Wright said of the experience. "I always said airplanes would fly themselves if you left them alone."
Wright also pointed out that the Constellation’s 123-foot wingspan was longer than the distance of his first flight, which had traveled just 120 feet."
I worked on the last one in the Navy while in VAQ-33. Many years before as a Navy dependent, we flew from Hawaii to Taiwan on an Air Force C-121. I was able to go up front and watch the flight crew for a while. Great memories.
Worked an flew on the Connies in '70-'71 with the USAF @ McClellan AFB. I was the only one on the crew that could comfortably access and reset the mousetrap! Great birds!!
Thank goodness you recovered the parts from those dumpsters.
You have to wonder what kind of asshole had such little regard for old parts from such a classic plane. Simply unbelievable.
@@teddammit5179 probably some accountant who's sole aviation knowledge is obsessively collecting air miles from various credit cards
@@teddammit5179 What kind of a-hole? #Carston#Spohr, he killed the project.
When I was 6 years old I flew to Germany from Toronto in a constellation. Early 1960s Air Canada and I think it had the wing tip tanks if I recall. I remember being disappointed it wasn’t a jetliner at the time. Now it’s cool to think about crossing the Atlantic in the last years of the propeller era.
My dad was FE for KLM n flew the Connie n Super Connie.... is 94 now with happy memories of the plane
Long story short, 2009ish I'm riding a road bicycle with brothers in Auburn Me. and we turn a corner and there they sit on the end of the run way. Look abandoned so we walk over, Maurice's wife came out and talked to four glassy eyed guys with thousands of dollars in bicycles laying on the ground and tells us she will "have her husband give us a tour" after an hour sitting inside this iconic plane we thanked them both and rode away. I remember the goose bumps I got that day and still do. The story of the swimming pool inside their house is also funny but another day for that one.
It is a shame she will not fly again. But I certainly understand why. At lease it will become a nice display. Thanks for saving her and for show us around.
Kermy is like a big kid snooping around in the Coney..hell of a deal for this baby
This was one of the sadder tours... I am a great fan of the Connie and it pains me to see it in this state... I completely understand that it can't be airworthy again, but still... What got me most was how the Lufthansa guys ripped parts off that plane just for them to end up in the dumpster! That really is no way to handle rare vintage airplane parts! Hope it gets the place it deserves in Act III, but I think, you have a plan!
I was asking myself "would there be another 'Connie' which would be better suited for restoration?
The team that took airworthy parts and misused them should have returned everything - it is so frustrating to watch what they did (or did not).
Jonas Holzem this is the 50’s. Good things don’t last forever. They come to an end...
@@rtcp2020 Wow, you're late to the party... No, of course things don't last forever, but ripping functioning parts of an airplane to then throw them away still is not a good procedure and will make it even harder to get one of these in the air again, because the parts are now missing.
llego volando de alemania y ahora en el estado que se encuentra ... semi destruido...... quizas mejor estuvo en alemania que en los eeuu...... su copiloto en esa ocasion ( kermit ) suspira de emoción al verlo en ese estado // lo entiendo casi no puede creerlo.. ojala sea reconstruido con cooperacion ´de Lockeed Corp.
Those Lufthansa guys needed their asses kicked.
A B-29 tour might be good as well.
60 years ago (before the 707 changed the world) there would have been airport ramps all over the world with Connies sitting on them. Can you imagine the sound of all those R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone running up - awesome! Lovely aeroplane - good job Kermit - keep up the good work. I'm just in the process of working up a new airshow business here in the UK - you never know I might even get a Connie to the show!?
Darrell Hunt , when people bitch about airplane ‘noise’, I usually say you don’t know noise,,UNTIL YOU HEARD A CONNIE CRANKED UP FOR TAKE OFF , BTW,,I must have possibly,,been 9,,or 10, living in what was JAMAICA BWI, DELTA flew Connie’s, but the livery then was DELTA, C&S, one day neat the terminal,,the NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, my god what a sight,., the C&S, were for CHICAGO & SOUTHERN RAILROAD. CHEERS From NJ
Darrell Hunt , yeah,,You mentioned the B707, I was FO, on a B720 , British license, but a few years a medical killed my aviation livelihood,. Cheers from NJ
Thanks for the tour,,I only flew on one from MIA- NY, on NATIONAL AIR LINES, THAT DAY ALL Lockheed L188ELECTRAS. Were GROUNDED, we had an 8hr wait in MIA. as had to fly this DOWN, to pick up pax waiting . This was my first day in the USA, I gave $$ for the ‘SAVE. A CONNIE’ in Kansas City ,,was in TWA livery,,& a SUPER G, cheers from NJ
I met Frank Lang about 20 years ago on Nellis. He and a crew flew a Connie in there on a tour. He told me I could pay a fee and grab a hop to California. I had to turn it down due to time constraints, i regret that as Frank is no longer around and i dont think that Connie is flying anymore. I love the Connie! When i was 12 or so, my dad and a buddy named Ken Fish we're trying to prep a TWA Connie, N7315C "The Star of Tagus", for rail transport from Anchorage to Palmer, AK. I was helping them with little stuff (goofing off), but I really connected with it. The money wasnt there, it continued to sit next to the runway in the woods. It fell into disrepair and was eventually broken up. Sad ending to a beautiful airplane. For the record, you got the crew stations right, the back spot was the RO. Thats where the BRC and ARC rigs would tie in, you can find those and the telegraph key on eBay and ham radio swap meets fairly easily. Across from the FE was the Nav station...I recognized the chart holders and little desk extension. I wish I had a Midas finger with an on/off switch, I would give you whatever you needed to get this one airworthy again. But either way, Thank you for the walk through. Great video and Thanks for all you do to preserve these historical aircraft!
In October 1956 as a child of 6 years old, I flew with my late mother and older sister on a B.O.A.C Lockheed Constellation, called "Basildon". Our route was from London Heathrow to what was then Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia with stops at Rome, Cairo (The last civilian plane to land at the time of "The Suez Crisis") Khartoum and Nairobi. I still have fond memories of the flight and the unforgettable "Connie"..!!
Arguably the most beautiful airplane that was ever made.
Hieronymus Bosch agree so much. Of course it’s wonderful profile made it difficult to produce, but it was so worth the effort when they made these. We didn’t have them in New Zealand, although TWA may have had periodic flights to NZ. Wish I’d flown on one.
One of the most beautiful planes ever built!!
SHE'S STILL GOT BEAUTIFUL LINES THANKS. 🇺🇸✌👍👍🔧💻🇺🇸
I'm a Portuguese citizen born in ancient Portuguese colony of Angola, and I flew in a Connie, 1st time I went on Holliday to Portugal at the age of 1 1/2 year old. So obviously (and saddly) I don't remember the trip. The memory I have (descriptive anyway), came from my mom's description of the voyage.
Great tour. What a shame about Lufthansa backing out of the Restauration of that one Connie. And as you’ve said after they spend an incredible amount of money. What a shame...
Thank you for the tour. It was a bitter sweet experience.
Thanks for this, a beautiful iconic prop-liner of the 40’s and 50’s and my favourite. Jets just don’t have the same character. We had one at YYZ for years - never got to look in it but always loved the lines.
I remember seeing that Connie at Sanford 20 years ago but did not know it was the same one. One of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.
Lovely old plane
In Australia, we have an old USAF/US Navy flying Connie, painted in QANTAS colours .
It is still flying and very popular in all our airshows.
Kermit, your positivity is simply infectious... "Dust that off and it will be just fine". Had me laughing...thanks and thank you for the tour. I have a friend who flew Connies for Pan Am many years ago. He, to this day, says it was his favorite airplane to fly.
I spent many a day hanging out with Maurice Roundy at Sanford airport helping out with the restoration. During the week it was usually just him and I and I received a lot of advice from him. Interesting man with a great life-story. I wasn't a mechanic so I was relegated to more labor-intensive work but he did let me take the #2 engine oil pump off and also sit in the cockpit and move the rudders and control yoke while they did some checks on the flying surfaces.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Sir for telling us more about the Connie. I'm 62 and remember them flying out of Douglas Airport aka Charlotte International Airport back in the early 60's. It was thrilling to see and hear those airplanes so long ago.
Back in 1962-1963, I worked the night shift with two friends and every so often we'd grab the Eastern Airlines shuttle out of Logan to New York (Newark) for the weekend. We'd get to the airport and fly down and back on a Connie. What I liked best was that the early-evening flights were lightly patronized. I would stretch out on the wall-to-wall lounge at the very back of the plane with a blanket and pillow from the stewardess, and sleep the hour's flight down to the city. this video brought that forgotten memory back into sharp focus. (Nothing like the murmur of four piston engines to lull you to sleep!)
I grew up working at the Rialto airport at West PAC Aviation and always heard stories about you. I am a huge classic airplane buff from birth and you are my Idol.
A Kermie Cam of the B-26 would be neat.
HMSFord ...my Dad flew 50 missions in B-26 over Italy (Po River bridges and Monte Cassino) and Munich at 18-19 years old. His wingman was shot down by ME 262 piloted by General Gallant.
Kermit invited him to tour the static B-26 when Dad was in Orlando to be honored as originator of the JetRanger.
Dad is 95 and gives talks along with other WWII vets here in Dallas-Ft Worth area. Thanks Kermit!
My father flew the NASA Connie's. I used to play pilot in one when I was little at Bendix, located at Friendship Airport ( Now BWI ) in Maryland. Beautiful airplane. Hope she gets some TLC someday.
My brother used to live on Auburn Lake in Maine, not far from where one of these Constellations resides, or at least, resided, on the west side of Auburn. I would always enjoy viewing the Connie parked on the tarmac whenever I drove up to visit. My route would often take me past it.
The Connie in Auburn was always well polished compared to this one. It was bare metal, no paint. The size of the thing was most impressive. Thanks for the tour.
such a gorgeous plane, thank you for saving the history and sharing it with us. It would be incredible to see it airworthy!
My dad was a flight engineer on Super Connie's - EC-121-WV2 "Willie Victor" as he called them. He was on Midway Island from 61-65 flying AEW from Midway to Adak and back. I loved hearing all of his stories about taking off from Midway at 110% Maximum Gross Overload and would fly at METO Power until they'd burned enough fuel to cut power back to max endurance. He told me about a time when they junked an airplane when they took a Gooney Bird hit to the Copilot's window on takeoff past the "point of no return" (going too fast to stop the airplane) and it knocked out the copilot. He said the pilot got it stopped out in the coral reef but the engines and gear were shot (Midway is an Atoll with 5000' runway with the Pacific Ocean at the end of it). My pop has been gone for 9 years this month and I miss those stories. This brought back a lot of memories :')
My father's family immigrated to the US from Ireland in the early '60s. They flew in an Aer Lingus Super Constellation. My dad's biggest memory of the flight was the loud, incessant droning of the engines for hour after hour.
Can imagine how challenging that would be on a long haul flight. We love the idea of flying in these classic aircraft, but it begs the question; would we be prepared to exp it for many hours on long distance flts. Back in the day, there was no other option, and compared to other prop liners, the Connie was considered ahead of its time in many areas.
Awwww. That poor Connie! Love to see her back up and running. Big soft spot for them.
wish lockheed would take interest in this beauty...such great lines and history...
This needs to be restored!!!!
Great to hear the history Kermie - Connies have always been a huge iconic favorite of mine.
Thanks a lot for this super tour. :)
I was a passenger in one of these in 1954 at age 4 then later in 1974 on return flight PR to Santo Domingo to get US visa. The Dominicana Connie made a mass of smoke on starting and had a particularly oily parking spot on the tarmac, everything in it had been painted by hand except the soft furnishings. I remember as a child in Sydney in the 50s that occasionally your attention was drawn to the echoing roaring sound of four big engines flying way overhead either a Sunderland, Connie or Douglas, things were way quieter then with sirens used only occasionally unlike today with constant helicopters, airliners and emergency services screaming about. Thanks for the memories Kermit.
This guy is great. So down to earth.
They were called turbo compound engines, very rare these days to see something like that! I worked on some of Maurice’s planes in the 80’s. I remember the Connie’s at the Lewiston airport, sad they couldn’t keep all of them flying
Jettpro 66 I had no idea that Connie’s had ‘turbo compound engines’, I thought that the DC7 was the first ones, but sadly they fell victim to the JET AGE , so shortly after they were out., cheers from NJ
A Connie was parked at Toronto's Pearson International Airport for years. It had one of the engines sitting on the ground rotting next to a main gear leg. I understand it was saved and now lives in Seattle. It's great that some of these icons are being preserved.
I had the privilege of really getting to look around a Connie that's in a hangar at the old downtown airport in Kansas City. I think the last time this one flew was back in '95. An old timer there said he took many flights on a Connie back in the 50's as a young man and he vividly remembered looking out the window at the prop engines at night time and seeing the red hot exhaust and flame coming out. My Dad remembers seeing these constantly flying overhead when he was a kid during the 50's with their distinct triple rudders that helped ensure smooth flights as these were exclusively built for passenger service. This is probably one of the sexiest looking planes ever built and there's an organization called 'Save A Connie' that helps preserve these gorgeous planes.
I recall in 2003 I took my family to see the Connie that was in the hanger on south end of the downtown airport in Kansas City Missouri, it had been painted at the TWA overhaul base just north of town to the TWA colors. At the time was the only flying Connie. Beautiful plane
Wow
I haven't see one of these send my teen years.
As a teen, my folks were in the oil business and the family lived in South America.
While I attended high school in the states.
Which allowed my the opportunity to travel a couple times a year to visit the folks.
And a couple of times before the jets arrived we found ourselves on a Delta's version of a Constellation!
Those were the days!
One of the most beautiful aircraft ever made. I'm so pleased that you are going to make the effort to preserve it and have plans to make it accessible to people in the future. Whatever you decide to do with her, I wish you luck and can't wait to see what you come up with. On a side note, it still amazes me that people designing an aircraft, can come up with something that fits the function, yet they turn out so sleek and beautiful. The Connie, Spitfire, Mustang, Concorde, Boeing 727, DC10, Boeing B17 - all have very different purposes, but all looked awesome! I guess I love aircraft too much!
@KermitWeeks This plane is worth saving.. Many memories 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for the tour! I love seeing her as the gate guard at Fantasy of Flight, great to see her up close. We know you and your team will work your magic and polish her up!
After the last ferry flight, Frank Lang, the Captain, told me about the hydraulic leak that prevented flap extension. They were getting ready to divert to Lakeland but were able to add hydraulic fluid in the cockpit and quickly lower the flaps. If the fluid had leaked out too quickly that airplane might have been in Lakeland till today. I asked Frank Lang why they didn't just use the hand crank on the flaps. He sheepishly, grinned and said "We didn't have one".
Frank Lang was my Uncle. My family and I flew with him for many years on the Mats Connie.
Love learning the history behind your planes and am amazed at your vast knowledge of the aircraft you graciously tour us through. Keep up the fantastic work.
In 1950 I flew an Eastern Airlines Constellation From Midway Airport to Miami International Airport . Flight took 7 + hours.
One more side story... Several years ago I was in a ground school at EJM in KLUK. We had a number of FAA gentlemen attending the ground school. For some reason we started chatting about Connies. One elderly man in his early 80's piped up and stated, oh yes.... I loved flying that airplane. You could hear a pin drop. He flew them for an airline and had over 8000 hours in them. Aviation history is so awesome.
This is just so awesome! I need to plan a trip to Florida to visit this amazing place! I really just want to grab some cleaning supplies and make that Connie shine!!
Thank you for this video. I just stumbled on it. In 1962, my family flew from Travis AFB, CA. to Clark Field AFB, Philippines on a C-121. Passenger seats were set in backwards, I remember, I was 12 years old. That plane has always been magical to me. We flew back 2 years later on a 707. Thx for all the memories. Your passion touches lives.
So glad to hear that you have future plans for it Kermit. Love it!
That in my mind is one of the best looking aircraft there is!
Very cool! They were such a unique looking airplane. No mistaking it for anything else! Thanks for turning it into something that people can enjoy.
Can't wait for the B-29 Kermie Cam, love the background details and history, Thank You
My grandfather was a flight engineer on this type of aircraft. I had an opportunity to see the one at the museum of flight in Seattle and the one based in Kansas City. A very elegant aircraft.
One of my earliest flights was to be a few weeks (I think) on a Pan Am Connie. We were in the galley, which was forward. My purser said "come on!" and dove into an empty seat. I didn't make it. Updraft slammed me down. tore ligament in ankle, etc. Deadheaded back to Miami in engineer's seat. My poor Grandmother saw me coming home on crutches; she thought the 'plane had crashed. She had told me when I took the job that if God had meant me to fly, there'd be wings on my back.
I am lucky to have flown on Constellations a lot when I was a kid. Thanks , Mr Weeks.
That fine lady is in the best of hands and I know something great is in store for her and for us!
Thanks for the tour and the history Kermit!
Love you man, thanks for listening to us regular folk! :)
Thank you for preserving, yet again.. and again, another piece of aviation history.
Love your presentation style of straight talk, no bs and filled with history and experience approach!
Great tour! Love the Connie! My favorite piston airliner of all time. Nothing as beautiful or graceful in the sky (or on the ground). I was flying out of San Juan P.R. back in the late 70's and we sometimes saw a few operated by a Santa Domingo based cargo operator that would fly into San Juan. I remember one time around dusk, being #2 for departure behind a Connie. Watching it takeoff at dusk, with the fire coming out of those exhaust stacks along with the thunderous roar of those powerful radials as it went right by my window is something I will always remember. Nothing like it. Sad to see these glorious aircraft are so few and far between now. Glad you saved this one, even though it won't fly any longer. Thanks for that!
Thanks for doing this, Kermit!
The Constellation is the definition of aeronautic design elegance. Such a beautiful bird!
So lucky that Carlos found the PRTs in the dumpster before the trash man did.
Neat old plane, definitly has a lot of potential. May she escape the surly bonds of gravity and soar the skies again, one fine day !!
Flew on Connie coming back from Brazil in 54,have never forgotten that plane!
I lived in Gander, Newfoundland in the late 50's. Just before the jets took over. The trans-Atlantic flights would stop in Gander for fuel. Lots of DC-7s and Super Connies. The Connie was the best looking.
I could hear them do the run ups and mag checks. Took awhile for each plane.
Kermit. What a great expose! After driving past this for years I love hearing the history!!!! Can’t wait to see what you do with it!!!!
If you are making a restaurant out of this Connie, you might want to look at the KC-97 restaurant in Colorado Springs. It is attached to a building, so the cooking is done outside the airplane. The cockpit is relatively complete and open to the public. It is a nice use of an otherwise grounded flying machine.
In the 1990s, I had dinner in a Connie (maybe a Super Connie?) that was attached , at the time, to a hotel near Pearson (Toronto International) Airport. Wonderful experience. Was grealy saddened when that installation went away.
Thanks for the walk around! I was 4 years old when I flew in the constellation. My father was a flight engineer and we went from Los Angeles to San Francisco. We deadheaded in the cargo bay, no heat just cargo blankets. He worked for Flying Tigers. It might be worth your time to take a look at that design if you are not sure wat your paint is going to be. You are doing a great service keeping all these aircraft alive
Fascinating and heart breaking at the same time.
Brings back lots of memories. I flew as a crewman on Navy EC-121M's. Had about 1,000 hours in the air when I transitioned to crewing EA-3B Whales. Loved the old Connies!
Such a wonderful plane. Thanks for any video on this beautiful airframe.
This old girl is definitely a candidate for Mikey and plane savers next rescue project.!!
To scavenge parts to put another in the air is painful but to lose both is irresponsible. Kermit should get the other back and make one airworthy bird. Love your content.
Connies are so beautiful. I have a few jumps out of them with my crazy friends back in the '90s in California. Great days. Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for the tour Mr Weeks. I hope your plans for the old girl come to fruition. I wish I'd been born early enough to see these beautiful aircraft in their heyday. Regards from the UK.
That was the first airplane I flew on. Father was in the Army and got orders for the Canal Zone (Panama). We drove from Ft. Huachuca Arizona to one of the Carolina's (don't remember which one. Dropped the car off to be shipped to the Canal Zone. Went to a military base (again can't remember) to catch the plane. This was in the late '50s, I was 8 or 9. I remember that I have really excited about the tale with the three rudders. Got on and what a letdown. We sat in what would pass for lawn chairs. I do remember that and they all faced toward the tail. Don't remember much of the flight as I slept most of it.
I think it was hauling cargo to CZ as I don't remember that many people on the flight. My seat was a little forward of the rear door on the right side of the plane.
Oh and no food on board unless you bought it. They told us this so Mom brought stuff for snack and sandwiches Did have water.
I like your bar & grill idea. My first commercial airline trip was on a Connie! That was when it was still a pleasure to fly commercial.
Yes, I spent the majority of my career having to fly in N.A., S.A. E.U, and Far East. For the last 12 years before retirement it was up to 300 days a year and the P.I.T.A of travel is what made me finally retire. Even flying first class was a pain after 911 because of airport hassles and head-wedged TSA people.
Cindy, cool about you still flying. Good for you. The least expensive 100LL here is $6.00 / gal. I built a KR2S in 1992-1994. Built as a single place with a military controls and instrument configuration for the cockpit. Powered with a Subaru EJ22 engine with a Ross planetary gear PSRU turning a Warp Drive 3-blade Carbon Fiber ground adjustable prop. Stressed for 6- & 8 + and the fuel burn is 5 gph at 175 knots. Rate of climb 2100 fpm at full power with the prop pitch ground set for cruise but all that does is scare everyone else in the pattern. I spoofed the O2 sensor on the engine for the break-in so I could use 100LL to get everything sealed then switched to 91-93 octane MOGAS and put the sensor back in to a panel gauge in parallel with the throttle body so I could set up either manual of auto-lean during cruise. I can get a tent and some camping gear in the baggage behind the seat. But, it is definitely not a back country airplane. I took on a partner before I moved to UT. Now I am trying to get him to buy me out so I can buy a Rans S-7 here.
Somewhere I saw a Constellation compete in an Air Race. They had it all stripped out to lose weight. You are almost there.