Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation / EC-121

Wilma J. Dickey, e-mail, 01.12.2010 18:09 My birth name was Connstance Caldwell. My biological father was Herbert Caldwell, who during the 1950s and 60s was president of Lockheed California. He is deceased, but the family legend is that he named the Constellation "Connie" after me. I wish I knew for sure! reply

Dan Manhart, e-mail, 28.11.2010 02:28 From 1970 through 1972 I flew 2000+ hours in EC-121K /Ms, WC-121Ns and C-121Js while attached to VW-1 and VQ-1 on Guam. My NATOPS manual says the maximum takeoff weight was 145,000 lbs. The zero fuel weight (with tip tanks on) was 100,000 lbs. Maximum speed for the EC-121 was 295 knots (339 MPH). The correct name for the EC-121 is "Warning Star" not Constellation. reply

Roger Van Parys, e-mail, 26.11.2010 18:37 I went to war in the C121 R.. The Air Force had run out of C 130s for our type of mission. We flew missions over N and S Vietnam with the 553rd Recon Wing. 12 to 15 hr missions and many on three engines.. The old girl could go for hours and the greatest feeling was when they cut the engines and your world quit vibrating...Just don't slip in the oil dripping from the engines... reply

wayne mcrae, e-mail, 06.11.2010 02:15 From NAVY SEABEE reserves as CA to AA after boot camp. Then to CONNIES at AEWTULANT,to weekend warrior on p2vs at weymouth,chasing (fishing trawlers)and subs. On a weekend duty at Brunswick, I parked a black AEWTULANT CONNIE, she had my old commander aboard. from then TWA in 1965 again with CONNIES,and 727s,707s then a stint as Air Guard TSG.on 707s.Retired from military with 28 years Best part time job in the world and best times of my life.Retired TWA with 34 Years reply

John C. Dyer, e-mail, 05.11.2010 22:09 I was a navigator (later included OIC 18 man radar crew) at 960th Wing, Otis AFB from 1955-57 with about 2000 hours on RC-121-B thru H's, later became EC-121. AEW&C missions were about 18 hrs: 3 en route, 12 on station and 3 back with 2 full crews. Often got severe weather that made us fly our 100 mile legs back and forth through sme storm for hours. I recall sitting in mess area waching oranges bounce off galley onto floor and all the way back to radar crew. Had a trip to McClennan AFB at 180 knots that took 18 hours fighting headwinds, had to refuel en route. Later went for IRAN at Riverside, CA and returned with replacement A /C. Sometime in the next two decades two A /C from Otis were involved in fatal crashes with 50 flyers killed. Otis wing relocated to Tinker AFB, OK sometime around 1990(+ /-). reply

Dale Cook (Cookie), e-mail, 31.10.2010 23:21 Was in Vw13 July59 to Sept62.In VW11 summer of 61 when VW13 moved to the Rock.Had over 2000+ as a scope dope and ECM. Worke in Para-loft when not flying. What a great time as an AIRDALE. You grow up in a hurry on some barrier flights.Flew into NAS Pax in a blinding snow storm in 60 reply

Bill Carter, CWO3/CTI1(NAC) (R, e-mail, 25.10.2010 19:37 As a spook stationed at NAS Key West I flew with Commanders Dave Laney, Tom Hampton and several other skippers and crews from VQ-2 from 1 /1972-7 /1977. I liked the old, slow sweaty "Connie". We always made it home, albeit sometimes on 3 engines and once on 2; but they still always made it back! I still have fond memories of them and the guys I flew with! reply

Allan Hope, e-mail, 25.10.2010 03:45 I was a radar tech stationed at McClellan AFB from Jul 57 to May 64. I was on flying status for three years 58-61 and like many of us on fjying status, logged nearly 3000 hrs in the ole birds. Two thousand of which are confirmed with pin and paper. I now wear the pin on my "conny hat" which I got at the Wright Pat Air Museum. I also had many hours in triple nickle. Somewhere along the line the FCC did not like us using "triple nickle" as a callsign while using civil radio frequencies and we were to refere to the bird as AirForce 555. I don't remember how long that lasted. I did not know Jim Boetcher. At the time he was at McClellan I was an ET in the radar simulator and we seldom saw the guys from the squadron. Jim, were you a Ham in those years? If so, we probably met at the MARS warehouse or at a meeting. In those days I was WA6JXW and very active on RTTY. Today I am WB2BDI. Your last name sure sounds familiar the more I run it over in my head. The picture of the 1649 at the top of this page looks like the "SAC" "Save A Connie". That plane has an interesting history. reply

Norman Parker, e-mail, 15.10.2010 18:59 Was crewmember on EC121K in VW-3 1959-60, AEWBARRONPAC 1960-62, and VW-11 1962 until decommissioning in 1963. Served as an ACW. Will never forget the crosswind landings in Keflavik. ACW rating was combined with the AC rating in 1964. I retired in 1984 after 26 yrs of service. Loved it. reply

Earl Conro, e-mail, 15.10.2010 00:51 I was an AMH in VW-11 from 57 to 60, a Flight Engineer in VW-13 in 63 to 65, then a Flight Engineer again in OASU Project Jenny. Had a total of almost 3,000 hours flight time and loved every minute of it. Definately the best duty I had in my 24 years of naval Service!! reply

Art Kleinhesselink, e-mail, 15.09.2010 00:46 Did two tours in Argentia. 58 /59 and 63 /64. Flew radar tech and changed a few magnatrons in the air while fllying the barriers between the "rock" and Azores and out of Iceland. Put a few in the bone yard from Arg and flew a couple of the same birds when I got transferred to VW1 on Guam when they took them back out of mothballs. Made many deployments to Nam with that old bird and flew into many Typhoons. It was a tough old bird. That APS-20 radar was great for its time. reply

Art Kleinhesselink, e-mail, 15.09.2010 00:46 Did two tours in Argentia. 58 /59 and 63 /64. Flew radar tech and changed a few magnatrons in the air while fllying the barriers between the "rock" and Azores and out of Iceland. Put a few in the bone yard from Arg and flew a couple of the same birds when I got transferred to VW1 on Guam when they took them back out of mothballs. Made many deployments to Nam with that old bird and flew into many Typhoons. It was a tough old bird. That APS-20 radar was great for its time. reply

Dave McLaughlin AT2, e-mail, 05.07.2010 21:06 I was crewman in VW-13 based in Pax River, MD, 1958-1959. We deployed to Argentia to fly our 12 hour flights for a few weeks then back to Pax. Was attached to VW-11 based in Argentia 1960-1961...loved Argentia and the locals...nice people...and great fishing. reply

Fred Handy, e-mail, 07.08.2010 15:02 Aircraft electrician VW-13 1963-64. Connie's, an electricians nightmare but you grew to love that airplane. A few headaches along the way; prop switches, governors, autopilot, oil tank heater blanket, generators, inverters, tail position light (corroded from piss-tube). A few thrills; fueling in Kefaivik during the winter and getting blown off the wing, my first engine run at night when the big bird comes up on the step and all I saw was props coming at me against the flash of the anti-collision light, dumped the honey bucket on a trawler, liberty in Reykjavik. Great shipmates, great squadron. reply

Lcdr. Don Shultz, USN, e-mail, 15.08.2010 20:28 AEWBARRONPAC from 1961 1964. Eighteen days on Midway [flights 15 to 17.2hrs. long] then home [Barbers Pt.] to family [this each month], C121J model was nice plane, handled well & comfortable. EC121K model was comfortable, good in lousy weather, but handled like a tub of xxx. Would like to contact members of crew 52 of that time frame. reply

pat fitz, e-mail, 20.08.2010 00:08 i WAS WITH VR1 OUT OF PATUXENT RIVER,AND WAS ROOKIE AIR CREW IN 1953 THEN TRANSFERED TO AIR CREW ON R5 AND R6,BUT I ABSOLUTLY LOVE SUPER CONNIE,,ALTHOUGH WE DID HAVE ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH THE PRATT&WHITNEY R3350 W /POWER RECOVERY,,,SEEMED TO HAVE PROBS WITH THE VANES IN THE PRT reply

Clint Poss, e-mail, 21.05.2010 10:46 I flew a C-121J BuNo 131659 assigned to NAS Agana Guam and sadly escorted it to the boneyard around August 1974. Loved it because it took me to Japan, Singapore, the Phillipines and a number of WestPac islands. Never had an engine fail but always seemed to find a "grounding" gripe while in the Phillipines. Most interesting was operating from coral runways. Braking action on the coral gravel was marginal and reversing the props below a certain speed would pull the coral into the prop tips. reply