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A flying legend back
in Europe
There she is: the pride of the Super Constallation Flyers
Picture made by Frank Sangers (click for large)
May 8th , 2004 -After
more than 25 years of absence from the European skies, one of
the last 3 airworthy Super Constellations
touched down at
about 11.35 hours local time
on the
Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport.
About
3000 people came to see this Connie. The Camarillo Connie
landed as Breitling Super Constellation.
It was a great moment to see the crew coming out, after the
engines were stopped and this queen of the skies was moved to
her place by a tractor. The smell of burning oil filled the
platform, while the Swiss Band played music.
There are now two flying Connies in Europe: the
Swiss one and the Dutch one, a Constellation L749.
By the way: there was never a Super Constellation registered by
a Swiss airline.
The Swiss foundation
Super Constellation Flyers signed a leasing-purchase contract
with the owner of Camarillo Connie, mr. Benny Younesi, who was
also on board. The Super Constellation Flyers hope they'll find
a sponsor that will make a purchase after five years of leasing
possible. Till then this Connie will fly under US- registration
(N73544), painted in the colours as she is now with 'Super
Constellation Flyers' on both sides.
Cockpit of SCF, May 2004 in Berlin (ILA)
Picture made by Henk Tito (see bottom of this page)
The return flight
of the Super
Connie N73544
from California
took
place from 26
April until 8 May 2004.
The SCFA
'Breitling
Super
Constellation'
started on 26
April 2004 from Camarillo (California, near Los Angeles) and
visited the following airports: Omaha (Nebraska, USA),
Manchester (New Hampshire, USA), Stephenville (New-Foundland,
Canada), Prestwick (Scotland) and Paris Le
Bourget. Swiss
watchmaker Breitling was one of the sponsors of the ferry-flight.
The other "Super Constellation Flyers" Connie, yet registered N105CF has the construction number
4137 ( C-121G/R7V-1) rests in Avra Valley. It will probably be used as
spare and will not fly anymore. Alternative is selling it to an
interested museum.
Flying activities
Super Constellation Flyers flies with the Super Connie to
several fly-shows in Europe. Berlin, Geneva, Paris... So this is
your chance to see, visit, and hear (and probably smell!) the
grande dame. Enjoy!
After another flight ready for touch down in Geneva
Picture made by Kees van Boven (click for large), may 2004
 Visit
the
News-page on the site of Super Constellation Flyers and
follow the activities.
For
more info: visit the homepage of
Super Constellation Flyers.
Coming soon: This Super Connie in SCF-colours. Picture by SCF, 2004
Reinhold Behringer made in the summer of 2003 interesting
video's and a lot of pictures of the Camarillo Connie.
Go
to the site Reinhold Behringer
Go to the Camarillo Connie site
More
pictures of the Swiss Connie
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Short information about the Camarillo Connie
This 'Swiss' Connie is a C-121C, built at Burbank as s/n
54-0156 and is the Lockheed Model 1049-55-96. It came in service
on November 1, 1956 by the Military Air Transport Service (MATS)
and its Lockheed construction number is 4175. It was phased out
of active USAF service in 1962 and was retired in 1972, and then
flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, for storage
and eventual disposal.
Aviation Specialties acquired this Super Connie with the civil
registration N73544 and installed a huge tank in the fuselage
and spray bars were rigged on the wings. Six years it was used
as a budworm-attacker. In 1982 the aeroplane was flown to
Chandler Memorial Airfield, where it should be used for making
tours of the Grand Canyon. Never realised she was flown to Chino
Airport in California, where it was half-painted by a group of
house-painters. In the late 1983 the plane was purchased by
Daryoush 'Benny' Younesi and a partner. The plan was to haul
tuna from the Philippines to Tokyo, together with another Connie.
In 1984 the aircraft was damaged during the landing in Camarillo.
Its condition went steadily downhill, waiting for the scrapman.
In 1991 Benny formed the Constellation Historical Society (CHS)
and braught this Connie, together with many volunteers, back in
the air on June 23, 1994. She was often seen on Airshows in the
USA. In 2003 the Swiss and mr. Younesi signed a leasing-purchase contract
for 5 years. |
