Connies in Europe.
 

Flew into Geneva 2 Sundays ago...spotted the Bretling DC-3 parked up just as we touched down...got me wondering if the connie is stored there,

Never seen one...I live in hope...

Made a special journey once to the science Museum at Wroughton...thinking the place was open to the public to see the connie stored there...so sad its just locked away.

Breitling Super Connie gets around Europe and was flying at Duxford this last weekend - you can join the club and may be able to fly in it.

There is a 749 Connie in Holland (Lelystad?) which is potentially airworthy, plus Lufthansa are restoring a 1649 Starliner in Maine to operate passenger flight in due course.

Various others preserved in in France and Germany.

The Breitling Super Constellation is at Farnborough and will fly in the display. On it's way from Duxford to Farnborough it did low passes over White Waltham and Blackbushe, much to the delight of everyone who saw it.

Oh dear so near yet so far for me....nice that many will be able to see and enjoy...

Is the air-show still shown on TV...

Never been a fan of air-shows...just to busy...I hate crowds.

Always wanted to see a Connie fly - near on 40 years ago I heard the sound of radials droning over very early one morning and lazily stayed a-bed thinking it was probably something like a Noratlas or DC-3 - my ears weren't so nearly keenly attuned in those days! My mate across the road saw it, an EC-121 on its way to Germany...

Finally caught up with the MATS Connie at Biggin Hill in 199whatever...

EC121. Saw one fly into Nellis for the show in 1997:):)

Connie at Duxford.



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Is it landing on the grass...or a low pass...lovely machine.

One more..

http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps68d0feea.jpg

Looks like it is on the grass but it did use the hard runway. Previous was take-off, this one landing. (Wind changed).

http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5f1f572d.jpg

It was pretty much a 90deg cross wind on Satruday and they needed to taxi it in and out from the ramp via the eastern taxiway - I was in the Friends of TFC enclosure at the western end and there wasn't much room for the B-17 to squeeze between the enclosures and the Classic Wings Rapides, let alone the Connie's span!

Based out of Basel-Mulhouse, but it gets around a bit and we see it quite often at Kloten and especially Dübendorf. (Summer schedule here.)

And, of course, we've also got JU-AIR here at Dübi with their Ju-52s :ok:


http://www.airforcecenter.ch/fileadm...en/B993019.jpg

Had the pleasure of flying on the Breitling Super Connie in 1997 from Van Nuys to its then base at Camarillo in California. Best 16 minutes ever! ;)

Joined the association and flew a fantastic 1 hour GVA round trip, passing abeam Mont Blanc on a beautiful day. Thinking it was only about 4 years ago I checked my records and was totally stunned to discover this was no less 8 years ago this month :eek:

Am I really getting old that fast?!!

Oh that must of been fantastic...and quite a coincidence..I was near the top of Mt Blanc 2 weeks ago up on the Aiguille Du Midi at just under 13000ft,

Later that day I was looking at the undercarriage leg/wheel of an Air India Connie that crashed into Mt Blanc in 1the 50s..it was on its way to Geneva..its located outside at cafe near the Bossons glacier just outside Chamonix.

Nick.

Flew from Heathrow to Bahrein in an Air Ceylon connie during early September 1957. The route was Heathrow,Zurich(for dinner), Cairo(for breakfast) and Bahrein. We may have stopped at Rome as well but I'm not sure.. I think it was crewed by KLM.. I think the runway at Cairo was sand and the runway lights were oil..Not sure about Bahrein, could have been sand too..It was going on to Karachi after that but I'm not sure if ut stopped anywhere else before Colombo.
A very exciting journey for a 17 year old..

What a journey...be great if it was possible today.

Enjoyed the delights of an Air France Starliner from Paris (Orly) to Nairobi. 12 hrs Paris to Fort Lamy (?) then on the Nairobi, flight continued to Tananarive. Think it was the noisiest a/c I flew in, ears were still "ringing" 24 hrs later.

Planemike

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttima...e59/ae59-5.jpg


Started at Amsterdam flying the "wrong" way to London and then onward. KLM provided the aircraft as well.

WHBM The timetable is very interesting, the times are about right we were leaving London as it got dark and arrived at Bahrein in the afternoon. I notice Zurich wasn't mentioned but i am pretty sure that we went there, it sticks in my mind because it was my first experience of a pink gin!! The fare was interesting, my wages were £8 and 1 shilling per month at the time!! i had a first class ticket but first was full and i was told that i was only on standby and had to sit in the back...