I'm pretty sure this was the first Air Force One:
The first Air Force One...
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
- Start date
Like always, a very well done informative post. Thanks.
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
When I first hired into Lockheed in 1965 the company still owned at least one. They used it to fly workers somewhere. Herb "Fish" Salmon our chief test pilot got killed after he retired ferrying one to alaska.
Herman Salmon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I did get a couple rides in one in the late 60`s. There was a outfit I think called "Hawthorne Airlines" or "El Capitan Airline" ?? that had one I rode in. For $10s they would fly you to Hawthorne Nevada, bus you to the El Capitan Casino, feed you and give you a roll of nickles. It left in the early evening and returned in the early morning. 10 bucks week nights and $15s on weekends and holidays. They also had a DC 3 that crashed on Mt Whitney. I was to fly on that one but cancelled out when I got a called for OT. I and a GF would have got killed!
Here is a article on the crash. I commented on it towards the bottom.
Lone Pine, CA Plane Crashes On Mt. Whitney, Feb 1969 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods
Herman Salmon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I did get a couple rides in one in the late 60`s. There was a outfit I think called "Hawthorne Airlines" or "El Capitan Airline" ?? that had one I rode in. For $10s they would fly you to Hawthorne Nevada, bus you to the El Capitan Casino, feed you and give you a roll of nickles. It left in the early evening and returned in the early morning. 10 bucks week nights and $15s on weekends and holidays. They also had a DC 3 that crashed on Mt Whitney. I was to fly on that one but cancelled out when I got a called for OT. I and a GF would have got killed!
Here is a article on the crash. I commented on it towards the bottom.
Lone Pine, CA Plane Crashes On Mt. Whitney, Feb 1969 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods
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Dennis The B
US Veteran
When I was on active duty in the late-60's, early-70's, our drill team was ferried to various air shows and expos. We toured with the Blue Angels in the summer of 1970, and their pre-"Fat Albert" C130, was a C121 Constellation. They'd pick us up at Quonset Point NAS Friday AM, stop at Lakehurst NAS, and pick up the "Chuting Stars" Navy parachute team, and then it was off to wherever we had a gig.
That plane was almost like a jet liner. It was smooth, fast, and comfortable when rigged out for passenger use.
Whenever we got to our destination, we'd have to strap in, and the "Chuting Stars" would jump from the plane. We asked them why once, and they responded that none of them like to land in an airplane.
That plane was almost like a jet liner. It was smooth, fast, and comfortable when rigged out for passenger use.
Whenever we got to our destination, we'd have to strap in, and the "Chuting Stars" would jump from the plane. We asked them why once, and they responded that none of them like to land in an airplane.
I remember my grandparents flying out of Idlewild to Italy aboard a Constellation. Walked them right up to the stairs, 1958 I think. They had sleeper bunks as the flight was 19 hours. Great planes, better times. Joe
italiansport
Member
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
Technically a fixed-wing aircraft doesn't become Air Force One until the President actually is aboard. Until then it has a different call sign.
THE PILGRIM
Member
Connie 48-0613, the Bataan, located at Valle airport, AZ is shown online as 'flyable'.
I emailed The Connie Expert, Ralph Pettersen about the one I saw in 2004.
His best guess that it was N494TW/48-609 known as the MATS Connie. It would have been a VC-121A/L749 with overall natural aluminum finish.
There's an outside chance that I saw the Save-A-Connie L1049H N6937C. This is a Super Constellation painted in TWA colors.
Ft. Craig is located 2-3 miles from the Rio Grande. The Connie appeared to be flying directly up the river so it was a distance away.
I don't remember seeing that much red paint, so I guess I saw the MATS Connie.
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Thanks for posting this video. I enjoyed it and very informative.
My take on old planes
Old planes USED the air to fly and it's nice to see the lift they get at relatively slow speeds and bouncing off the wind.
Jet planes fly IN SPITE of the air and look cool like a spear or an arrow, but they don't really FLY like a prop plane.
Old planes USED the air to fly and it's nice to see the lift they get at relatively slow speeds and bouncing off the wind.
Jet planes fly IN SPITE of the air and look cool like a spear or an arrow, but they don't really FLY like a prop plane.
Thanks for the post. They were beautiful planes. I flew in one from Houston to San Antonio when joining the air Force. It was my first flight. Needless to say I enjoyed it very much.They were top of the line in the 50s.
gdnagle
US Veteran
So these guys bought the plane didn't know what it was. Got ready to scrap it until they found out what it was. Restored it in 1990, flew it to various events commemorating Eisenhower's 100th birthday in 1990, and joined a few airshows in 1991. Tried to sell it or trade with no bites then let it set again. Now it's deteriorated again and these guys are hinting for $200,000 so they can fly it again and probably try selling I again. Capitalism at it's best. Nothing wrong with that I feel but if it's getting so bad why don't they give it to the museum and wright it off for taxes'
New home for early 'Air Force One'? - AOPA
Presidential Lockheed Constellation "Columbine II" Seeks New Owner
So after a near miss is when AF1 got it's designation.
New home for early 'Air Force One'? - AOPA
Presidential Lockheed Constellation "Columbine II" Seeks New Owner
So after a near miss is when AF1 got it's designation.
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jrm53
Member
I always thought the constellations were beautiful in the air, I went through the MAT's connie in Fayetteville Ar a few years ago at a show there, I thought H Huges designed it but he may not have. They sure do look as fast as the Concorde to me. Jeff
THE PILGRIM
Member
Kelly Johnson and some of the usual Lockheed suspects designed the Connie.
Howard Hughes claimed that he had a hand in designing it, but they did Denied it.
It's pretty will documented that Howard Hughes arrived in Las Vegas on the train. Someday I will do a thread and tell you how he left Vegas.
The MATS Connie is probably the one I saw flying here in NM.
THE PILGRIM
Member
I started my real career as a pilot for this outfit. This particular airplane had a very unusual history that was unknown to us at the time. It had seen service with some three letter agencies.
Was a good looking plane! Do you think that the previous activities had anything to do with the airframe failure on 20 Oct 1971?
Were you inboard during that event?
Memphis
Member
The Fam and I were vacationing just last week at Orange Beach Al. We drove 18 miles one day to Pensacola to see the Blue Angels practice. It was awesome. As I was walking out to my front row viewing I walked past several non flyable aircraft on display. There was a beautiful Connie there on display. My wife was impressed that I knew what it was way before we got up to it.
By the way, the on-site Naval museum totally blew me away.
Also, isn't "any" aircraft the POTUS is on an air force one?
V.P. aircraft air force two??
Roger
By the way, the on-site Naval museum totally blew me away.
Also, isn't "any" aircraft the POTUS is on an air force one?
V.P. aircraft air force two??
Roger
That wasn't really an "airframe failure". It was a problem with a sheet metal repair that later failed resulting in some slight damage to the tail which in turn required a precautionary landing.
No I wasn't on board for that little bit of fun.
By the time we got those airplanes the super high octane fuel they required was no longer available so we couldn't use "high Blow" on the superchargers which restricted the airplane to lower altitudes, but probably made the engines last a bit longer. We only used the Connies for a few years and then moved on to bigger and better equipment.
The Connie we got from the three letter people was one of only ten built by the factory with a cargo door which was the appeal for my company, as well as the original operators. The windshields in that airplane were very small and very thick. It was like looking through one of those glass bricks.
No I wasn't on board for that little bit of fun.
By the time we got those airplanes the super high octane fuel they required was no longer available so we couldn't use "high Blow" on the superchargers which restricted the airplane to lower altitudes, but probably made the engines last a bit longer. We only used the Connies for a few years and then moved on to bigger and better equipment.
The Connie we got from the three letter people was one of only ten built by the factory with a cargo door which was the appeal for my company, as well as the original operators. The windshields in that airplane were very small and very thick. It was like looking through one of those glass bricks.
The Naval Aviation Museum is a must see if you are in Pensacola. In fact, we're flying there in a couple of weeks and I've planned an extra day in Pensacola just to spend there.
Babalooie
US Veteran
My first PCS assignment out of tech school was Tachikawa AB in Japan. The FAA had a Super Connie. I don't remember any details.
I worked on Autopilot systems and was told this model aircraft flew in a "Dutch Roll." My trainer said the nose would not go in a straight line, but in a corkscrew-like fashion. Don't know if this is true or not.
I worked on Autopilot systems and was told this model aircraft flew in a "Dutch Roll." My trainer said the nose would not go in a straight line, but in a corkscrew-like fashion. Don't know if this is true or not.
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