eerste vlucht connie aviodrome N749NL

[Key]

@ rmoo: Well, that could be very good news. Updates are more than welcome here.
For backgrounds etc, the other topic is still the place.

Erik

[Key]

OK, here is info from a reliable source with KLM, that I will not further disclose.

The ban on flying has everything to do with reliability (in retrospect: what else...). The risks of 'just flying' this aircraft are deemed too high and solutions will be sought to manage those risks. How that will be done remains unclear, but a form similar to the Dakota operation seems likely (the latter is my interpretation).

Questions that remain:
- How long will it take to meet the liability-related demands, if it is feasable?
- Why was this decision taken now, on the brink of the first flight after so much hard work? Did nobody see this coming?
- And still: why on earth has nobody from the board come out yet to simply explain matters?

We wait in anticipation...

Erik

[topgun1984]

OK, here is info from a reliable source with KLM

Well to take you on your interpetation of doing it similar to the dakota operation. Is that on the same bases to book seats on the airplane? because from my info that could never happen because this aircraft was never intended for commerical flight. It was a cargo plane, so no seat locks and such...

If i did misunderstand you im sorry ...

The reliability fact of a constellation is actualy that it was a very safe plane to fly (they don't call it "the best airplane with three engines" for nothing , but anyway...

I totaly agree with you about why the Board didn't come out with the news in the first place, If you look for instance at XH558. You see how it's suppose to be done. Be open and fair to the people that give money to make it fly and if it doesn't cut it say it... This aircraft is even MORE complex then our Constellation with even a higher error ratio... And it still flies!!!! (Although it's is clearly not a money issue this is just stated as an example of being open and honest to your supporters).

But if someone of the board reads this just think about this. Aircraft are supposed to be flown!!!, not to be standing still

[Key]

Don't know about plans to fly with pax. I was more thinking in the lines of operating as an airline, with an AOC that is. That is the way the DDA planes continued flying, so it would make sense if this is what they want with the Connie now.

Erik

[aviodromefriend]

Don't know about plans to fly with pax.

That has never been seen as an option. That's because it was to fly with an experimental CofA from the FAA.

(Ah, might someone have got upset over that word "experimental" )

@topgun: This is a 749. The 3 engine saying is about the 1049 Super Constellation. This one is said to be quite reliable about the engines.

[Stratofreighter]

Uit een Connie-update die zojuist is verschenen:

Op internet staan enkele geruchten dat de Connie niet zou gaan vliegen, maar, zoals
u zich kunt voorstellen, vergt het vliegen met de Constellation de nodige
voorbereidingen en dienen we met alle betrokkenen goede afspraken te maken. In dat
proces zitten we nu.

Kennelijk zijn dat nu vooral ook betrokkenen BINNEN de organisatie"...

[aviodromefriend]

What kind of update?

The last update about the Connie I can find at aviodrome.nl is from December 15.

[Stratofreighter]

What kind of update?

It is the kind of update you'll get by email if you paid one hundred Euros or more during last year's "VIP project"...
It was sent out this Friday afternoon.

EDIT:see also http://scramble.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?p=328941#p328941" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stratofreighter]

Well-known "Propliner fanatic" Ralph Pettersen posted an update on this website. It makes for some interesting reading...

See http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-connie_news.htm#MAY22" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . Before blasting off angry mails towards the spokesperson: it certainly wasn't AvioDOme veteran Peter's decision himself!
So carefully word you response...

[aviodromefriend]

See http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-connie_news.htm#MAY22" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .

To be honest: I don't see much news here about this decision, else from what can be read at scramble and airliners.net. Maybe his source just has read these topics?

[Stratofreighter]

See http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-connie_news.htm#MAY22" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .

To be honest: I don't see much news here about this decision, else from what can be read at scramble and airliners.net. Maybe his source just has read these topics?

Not so... Ralph has contacts you and I do not have...

[Key]

The news on Ralph's site is this:

the decision to not fly the Connie was made by the HAH board of directors alone and that KLM was in no way involved.

And just above it:

This has the full support of the major stakeholders/sponsors including Schiphol Airport and KLM.

This means KLM did not tell HAH to pull the plug on the Connie, although they could have.
Someone though should tell the HAH board to explain why they have acted like they did (and apologise for that, as Ralph rightfully points out) and the only body able to do that seems to be the board of KLM.

Erik

[Stratofreighter]

A video of N749NL swiftly rolling past an elevated terrace at Lelystad Airport during the 19 may 2009 evening taxi trials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPLXT_8A2XM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stratofreighter]

More news from http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?id=30866" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; as per last Thursday:

De Lockheed L-749 Constellation, zal dit jaar in tegenstelling tot eerdere plannen mogelijk niet meer vliegen. Volgens woordvoerder Peter van de Noort van het luchtvaart-themapark zijn op dit moment de financiële risico’s te groot om met het viermotorige verkeersvliegtuig de lucht in te gaan.

Van de Noort sluit niet uit dat als er een geldschieter wordt gevonden het vliegtuig alsnog weer gaat vliegen. Zolang dat niet het geval is blijft de 'Connie' aan de grond.

Om het toestel vliegwaardig te houden worden regelmatig de motoren gestart en taxiruns uitgevoerd op Lelystad Airport.

Short translation: The financial risks of operating Constellation N749NL in this current economic "credit crunch" climate have now been deemed too great, unless a major new sponsor which garantees funding can be found.

Options to maybe fly her next year are currently being explored.

N749NL will continue to make taxi-runs, so of course the engines will be kept in working order as well...
Constellation-donateurs have not yet been informed but I expect this will happen in the very short term.

[Key]

There is no mention of any relation to the 'credit crunch', and I don't think there is such a relation. This is all about the possible financial consequences if ever something would go wrong (read: an accident would occur). It has to be, because operating the Connie itself has long been catered for in terms of money, as explained before.

While that is a very valid reason itself, it still is unacceptable how this was played. Either some very smart people have been very much asleep until the last moment, or the timing of the veto was deliberate. The latter option is even less pleasing than the former.

Erik