The First Air Force 1

[Garf]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ehwvZXVKmPU

[wwwarbird]

 During a trip to VSC in 2007, and having driven all the way from Minnesota, we made a point to visit the Pima museum for an afternoon. I'm really glad I paid the visit, there were some very cool, and extremely rare aircraft there. A few were the only examples ever built. Walking around with that in mind, I was somewhat appalled to see that more hasn't been done by our government to help preserve this great history. More than appalled, I was completely disgusted to see "Columbine" sitting there, buried in bird crap, simply parked and left to rot away.

[Sean McEntee]

During a trip to VSC in 2007, and having driven all the way from Minnesota, we made a point to visit the Pima museum for an afternoon. I'm really glad I paid the visit, there were some very cool, and extremely rare aircraft there. A few were the only examples ever built. Walking around with that in mind, I was somewhat appalled that more wasn't done by our government to help preserve this great history. More than appalled, I was completely disgusted to see "Columbine" sitting there, buried in bird crap, simply parked and left to rot away.

Pima is not gov't funded. Admissions, large gatherings, and donations that are all that "keep the lights on." My grandfather was in the 98th air refueling squadron, and a buddy of his works there, or at least did at the time that I made my first trip to VSC in 1997.  I do believe that some of the employees work there on a volunteer basis. 

Tucson is actually one of the best places for it.  The thin, dry air preserves aircraft better then any other climate, hence why the USAF "boneyard" is literally across the street.

That being said, a bath to remove the aforementioned bird turds would be nice.

[dave siegler]

The air-force museum has one of them.  There were several connies pressed into service as AF1.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=568

This is Columbine III a historical bird in its own rite. 

[Paul Smith]

According to The Aviator movie about Howard Hughes, the original price for a Connie was $500,000, which was pocket change to Howard.  The cleanup cost for one of these must be 20 times that.

The Connie was the last and greatest piston airliner, soon to be replaced by the 707.  I drove past a yard in Miami circa 1972 and saw a bunch of 'em tight-packed. 

[Gene O'Keefe]

Years ago I saw a Connie do touch and goes at the EAA show - belching fire from engines - what a show that was !

[john e. holliday]

I have been fortunate enough to go to the PIMA Air Museum.   The first time it was the wife, my granddaughter Savannah and myself.   I was in better shape then and we walked a lot.  Didn't realize how big the out door exhibits is.  Then there are those that are special, like the one for the B-17 crews.   Last time we rode the tour trolley.   Anybody that makes Tuscon needs to visit the museum.

[Jim Kraft]

During the Eisenhower centennial a few years ago in Abilene Kansas, they brought in one of the Columbine Connie's and flew it in and out of the Abilene airport for about 10 days. When they brought the plane here they stopped in Salina Ks. to refuel and add oil. Some of us guys flew to saline to check it out and were given a tour of the inside which was not finished yet. This particular Connie had been used to cabage parts off of to keep a fleet of Connie's flying in Canada for spraying crops. When the owner found out through the Smithsonian paper that he had the Columbine he started restoration on it to get it to the centennial celebration. It was great to see it flying in and out at night with the fire belching from those huge radials. One of the engines did not have a collector on the exhaust and only had stub pipes which really lit the thing up.

It was very cool for me as when my Dad was a salesmanager for a company in KC he use to fly them all the time and we always went to the airport to watch him take off.

There is a Connie that is setting on the tarmac at Saline Ks. that has been there for years. It flew out once a few years ago but had to return because of engine problems is what I have been told.

[Phillip Kenney]

Years ago while working for DoD one of my jobs was to go around to the different sites and train on a computer program. I had done several sessions at Tucson but all were fly in Monday morning and out Friday night. One time with a little creative scheduling I was "forced " to spend the weekend there and finish the training the next week. Naturally I was at Pima on Sat when they opened and if I remember correctly I think I was still there when they were locking up at night. Great site. Unfortunately I was never able to creatively arrange the schedule to tour the boneyard but drove by it quite a few times.

[Douglas Ames]

According to The Aviator movie about Howard Hughes, the original price for a Connie was $500,000, which was pocket change to Howard.  The cleanup cost for one of these must be 20 times that.

The Connie was the last and greatest piston airliner, soon to be replaced by the 707.  I drove past a yard in Miami circa 1972 and saw a bunch of 'em tight-packed. 

There was one still there as a fire trainer when I left MIA in 1990. Also there was an early Connie parked on the ramp at Ft. Lauderdale Intl. sitting derelict.

[Sean McEntee]

Was driving home home from Nabraska and a visit with the inlaws when we saw a Connie parked on the ramp in Selina, KS. Almost ran off the road when I first saw it as I was coming over the hill-- not something one would expect rolling through Kansas.

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-salina_connie.htm

[Jim Kraft]

It is still there as of last week  when my wife and I drove by Sean.