Love Affair with Connie

TeenDoc

TeenDoc

Pre-takeoff checklist
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TeenDoc
For those of you who like Connies and/or aviation history, here's a link that a friend of mine posted in the Cessna Pilots Society forum. http://www.conniesurvivors.com/

I love Connies. They bring back good memories of my childhood when my dad used to take us to the observation deck of the San Juan International Airport (SJU) to see the planes come and go. I don't know why the Connies always grabbed my attention.

My first trip in an airplane, over 40 years ago, was in this Connie flown by Aerovias Quisqueyana from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. What a trip!

It is pictured here at the departure end of runway 08 of the now known as Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (TJSJ) in San Juan, previously known as Aeropuerto Internacional de San Juan (SJU). The photo is from the website referenced above.
 
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It's the sexy curves! The Super G is the best looking. The 1649 Starliner was an aesthetic step backward, IMHO.

Other than the airshows, my only Connie experience was in Miami in the early '90s when I was taking a licensing test. I stayed at a hotel on Le Jeune across from MIA. It was next to that Baker aviation school with the Boeing 720, A-4 Skyhawk, and other planes in the parking lot. While relaxing in the pool, the mighty sound of four radial engines caught my attention, and I looked up and watched a Constellation roar overhead.
 
"In order to expedite development, the first Constellation, c/n 1961, was purchased from Howard Hughes in May 1950 for $100,000....."

anyone know what that $100k would be worth in today's money?
I thought I saw a connie at the Charlotte airport once, but I'm not sure. it looked pretty close to a connie.
 
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Up until a few years ago you could see this:
http://www.airlinehistorymuseum.com/connie3.htm

flying around Kansas City. There was an engine fire (I think) and repairs and fundraising have kept it grounded since. I hope to see it flying again some day.

I was driving to work one day and saw it fly overhead. I had to pull over so I could watch it.
 
Hi Harley,

I've seen the three Connies owned by Maurice Roundy, the two at LEW and the one at Fantasy of Flight. From what I read, I understand he ran out of funds to complete the restoration of one of the two at LEW and was involved in a court battle to regain posession of the one at Kermit Weeks' FOF in Florida where it was on loan for 5 years.
 
Shoot, I thought this was about beach blanket movies.......:rofl:

Frankie and Connie..................
 
TeenDoc said:
COLOR=#800080]http://www.conniesurvivors.com/[/COLOR][/URL] .
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I wonder why the list they give does not include the ones the navy and the PIMA museum has
 

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wsuffa said:
I knew a Connie once... :yes:
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Want to read something funny...

Right now, I'm in a clinic at a NYC hospital precepting residents. I had to go into a room with a resident and left my computer unattended on this thread with Keith's and your message on the screen. When I came back to my room the head nurse of this clinic, Ms. Connie Ballen, was waiting for me. I had to do some explaining to convince her that this was not about her.
:hairraise:
 
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Never had the chance to ride in one, but they are beautiful airplanes. Just as much a work of art as of engineering.
 
I smoked my first (and fortunately one of my last) cigarettes in a lav on a Connie when I was a wee lad. They gave them away in little packs on your meal tray.

Fond memories of this beautiful aircraft.
 

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Gil, I'm sure you've checked out the Connie at Greenwood Lake. What a neat bit of airport decor!
 
deafsound said:
"In order to expedite development, the first Constellation, c/n 1961, was purchased from Howard Hughes in May 1950 for $100,000....."

anyone know what that $100k would be worth in today's money?
I thought I saw a connie at the Charlotte airport once, but I'm not sure. it looked pretty close to a connie.
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"What cost $100,000 in 1950 would cost $817,295.45 in 2006." :hairraise:

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
 
TeenDoc said:
Want to read something funny...

Right now, I'm in a clinic at a NYC hospital precepting residents. I had to go into a room with a resident and left my computer unattended on this thread with Keith's and your message on the screen. When I came back to my room the head nurse of this clinic, Ms. Connie Ballen, was waiting for me. I had to do some explaining to convince her that this was not about her.
:hairraise:
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Always glad to help... :D

Ghery said:
Never had the chance to ride in one, but they are beautiful airplanes. Just as much a work of art as of engineering.
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I rode on 'em as a kid. DCA-Idylwild/JFK-PVD. Rattly, creaky, belching smoke when they started, but really a fun ride.
 
TeenDoc said:
Hi Harley,

I've seen the three Connies owned by Maurice Roundy, the two at LEW and the one at Fantasy of Flight. From what I read, I understand he ran out of funds to complete the restoration of one of the two at LEW and was involved in a court battle to regain posession of the one at Kermit Weeks' FOF in Florida where it was on loan for 5 years.
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Well, I believe these are about to change locations... and continents! :(

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1018-full.html#196799 Last story...
 
Yeah; too bad. Maurice had genuine intentions to get them flying. But . . . . there were problems along the way.

HR
 

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Here's the one at Fantasy of Flight and Sue and I with Kermit Weeks, the owner of FOF. I took this picture in June this year.
 

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I met Maurice and his lovely wife a couple of weeks ago. He was hoping someone would buy his Connies that wanted to do something good with them. Here's to Lufthansa for coming through, though if you ask me, they got quite a good bargain.
 

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Lawreston said:
Yeah; too bad. Maurice had genuine intentions to get them flying. But . . . . there were problems along the way.

HR
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Maurice was hoping that who ever bought the Connies might leave them there and let him continue to be their caretaker. Wonder if the group that bought them will do the work there at Auburn. Maybe let him help.

By the way, an interesting side, his wife Jane is a rated Constellation pilot; first woman ever.

And another interesting item we all need to remember is that Maurice flew that Constellation down to Polk City, Fl about 6 years ago.
 
When we got rid of the connies from Pt.Mugu I ferried one to the Naval museum. When we landed and secured the aircraft and walked down the boarding ladder, I noticed a stream of oil as large as your thumb running off the inboard lower corner of the starboard flap that already had a 5' puddle on the ground.

I looked at the other pilot and he looked at me and said "I ain't cleaning that mess up", I told him not to worry it didn't belong to us anymore and we walked .

That was my last ride in a connie, Roger Trent took the last one to DM AFB.
 
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I trust, Teendoc, that you have paid your respects to the one parked at Greenwood Lake Airport?
 
silver-eagle said:
I met Maurice and his lovely wife a couple of weeks ago. He was hoping someone would buy his Connies that wanted to do something good with them. Here's to Lufthansa for coming through, though if you ask me, they got quite a good bargain.
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Did you get a tour of the unique house? If I had sold my Scottsdale, AZ house in a shorter waiting period I'd have given strong considerations to buying Maurice's house(which was on the market at that time).

HR
 
Lawreston said:
Did you get a tour of the unique house? If I had sold my Scottsdale, AZ house in a shorter waiting period I'd have given strong considerations to buying Maurice's house(which was on the market at that time).

HR
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I was looking for a tour of the Connies. Given what I know now, I might have enjoyed a look inside the house too. I just hope the sale gives Maurice and Jane enough to save their house from a forced sale. The land has direct access to the airport. It would be quite a prize for any pilot.
 
silver-eagle said:
I was looking for a tour of the Connies. Given what I know now, I might have enjoyed a look inside the house too. I just hope the sale gives Maurice and Jane enough to save their house from a forced sale. The land has direct access to the airport. It would be quite a prize for any pilot.
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At one time when I was -- potentially -- interested in the house it was on the market for 375k, at which time there was a $6000.00 tax lien on the property.
It is a unique house, much more attractive on the inside than the outside.

And yes, "The land has direct access to the airport," but that in itself is a potential boondoggle for pilots. Part of Maurice's beef with the city of Auburn is that the city refuses to allow him to taxi his Piper/Cessna(I've forgotten which) from his land across city land to get to runway 22 which is only several hundred feet from his personal property. That's been an ongoing controversy which may or may not still be in effect.

Here is the Lewiston Sun Journal's take on the Lufthansa deal. It has a bit more information in the article than the national press releases.

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/243999-3/LewistonAuburn/German_company_has_plan_to_save_Connies/

HR
 
I love the connies.

Never got to ride in one, but the lines are fantastic.

~ Christopher
 
Yes, the Connie is a beautiful bird. At the museum we run "Flying with Arthur Godfrey" (and we sell copies, if you're interested... I think they're about $15/each and you'll be supporting a good cause!), which features him flying a Connie. The best part is after he takes off, when he tells the copilot to take it, and he sits back and lights up a cigarette. Then, another good part is later on when he has the FE feather three of the engines and they're still up there cruising on one engine. That's a great bird!
 
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