DC-9 WAS THAT THE SUPER CONSTELLATION?

[EDMO 1078]

FLYING TIGERS - Sure you have heard of that outfit - got us on a chartered Lufthansa Super-Constellation for a Christmas flight home in 1961 from Germany. The plane was going to Texas to bring home German soldiers for the holiday.

There were 8 GIs and 9 crew for a flight over the Polar route from Frankfort to New York.

Best I remember, the flight time was 17 hours, but dont know if that included time zone changes. Those big round, (Rolls Royce, I think) engines just purred all night long.

The crew served us free cognac, or whatever we wanted - Think I passed out about 3 times - laid out seats and stretched out for naps. Fortunately, they woke us up for breakfast and got us sober enough to get on a connecting flight the rest of the way home.

Thank you - CIA and Lufthansa, for a very memorable trip - well, for what I can remember of it!

ED in MO

Edited 2 Nov 2012 by Ed In Missouri

[akflyer 1427]

FLYING TIGERS - Sure you have heard of that outfit - got us on a chartered Lufthansa Super-Constellation for a Christmas flight home in 1961 from Germany. The plane was going to Texas to bring home German soldiers for the holiday.

There were 8 GIs and 9 crew for a flight over the Polar route from Frankfort to New York.

Best I remember, the flight time was 17 hours, but dont know if that included time zone changes.

The crew served us free cognac, or whatever we wanted - Think I passed out about 3 times - laid out seats and stretched out for naps. Fortunately, they woke us up for breakfast and got us sober enough to get on a connecting flight the rest of the way home.

Thank you - CIA and Lufthansa, for a very memorable trip - well, for what I can remember of it!

ED in MO

was that today, in 1961? damn, thats alot of flying for 8 guys, but I am sure it was worth its weight in gold to each of you! Glad you got to come home for the holidays!

[EDMO 1078]

was that today, in 1961? damn, thats alot of flying for 8 guys, but I am sure it was worth its weight in gold to each of you! Glad you got to come home for the holidays!

August, 1961 was when they CLOSED the Berlin wall - and I was there - Scary times for a young GI - was happy to be home for a few days. Unfortunately, I already knew what was coming on the other side of the world, but couldnt talk about Nam because it was classified - Just told the folks "not to worry - the next war is not in Germany!" The next year, 1962, they were looking for chopper pilots to train for Nam!

ED in MO

Edited 2 Nov 2012 by Ed In Missouri

[akflyerbob 41]

Arguably the most graceful and beautiful airliner ever built, the Lockheed Constellation celebrated its 60th birthday in 2003. Conceived by Howard Hughes in the late 1930’s, the Constellation represented the ultimate in airline performance and luxury during the 1950’s with 856 being built for commercial and military customers. Quickly displaced from frontline service by jet airliners in the 1960’s, there are at least fifty-five “survivors†of the mass scrappings of the 1960’s and 70’s, with only C-121C VH-EAG currently airworthy.

And were powered by Curtiss Wright R-3350

When I started working in the Cook inlet in 1969, Western Airlines was still flying two of them

and I was lucky enough to get to ride on them back and forth to Anchorage.

Edited 3 Nov 2012 by akflyerbob

[akflyer 1427]

Arguably the most graceful and beautiful airliner ever built, the Lockheed Constellation celebrated its 60th birthday in 2003. Conceived by Howard Hughes in the late 1930’s, the Constellation represented the ultimate in airline performance and luxury during the 1950’s with 856 being built for commercial and military customers. Quickly displaced from frontline service by jet airliners in the 1960’s, there are at least fifty-five “survivors” of the mass scrappings of the 1960’s and 70’s, with only C-121C VH-EAG currently airworthy.

And were powered by Curtiss Wright R-3350

When I started working in the Cook inlet in 1969, Western Airlines was still flying two of them

and I was lucky enough to get to ride on them back and forth to Anchorage.

Its such a shame that so much of our aviation history is all but lost. To think of the history that has succumed to the scrap yards for pennies on the dollar makes me sick. The few rides I got in a DC-3 have been the highlight of my passenger flights. A hand full of years ago when ERA branched off and had the DC3's flying nostalgia flights around the state I flew into Valdez a few times on it. I would much rather fly around this state in their old fleet of convairs and DC-3s than I would the Dash8's and 737s that I currently fly in.

The connies were beautiful birds, born right on the edge of the jet age. One of the last of her kind.

[tcj 150]

Ed, in answer to your question. The super-constellation was a lockheed L-1049. There was a military version of the constellation labeled Lockheed C-69. Dc-9, thats a Douglass aircraft Jet.