Another Connie airborne

Air Classics, Feb 2001

Work is currently underway in the Dominican Republic to resurrect Lockheed Constellation HI-583CT back to flying condition for a ferry flight to Europe. The aircraft has been purchased by the Super Constellation Flyers Association and, up until the time it was parked in the 1990s, it was the last commercially operating Connie. The aircraft was operated by Aerochago, a Dominican airline, and it flew between Santo Domingo, Miami, and Puerto Rico until 1993 when the FAA banned Dominican airlines from the United States due to safety concerns.

HI-583CT was originally built for the US Navy as an R7V-1 and delivered on 28 September 1953. In 1958, the aircraft, along with some other USN Connies, was taken over by the USAF as a C121G. The craft was retired from service in 1978 and stored at Davis-Monthan

AFB until it was acquired by Ascher Ward and Darryl Greenamyer and flown to Van Nuys, California, as N27189. The aircraft and a sister ship were to be operated as airliners by Ward but plans never came to fruition and the aircraft sat parked at his Van Nuys facility for several years. The sister ship was traded to the National Air & Space Museum and flown to Dulles Airport for storage.

In 1990, N27189 was ferried to Mojave Airport by Greenamyer, Pete Regina, and John Slack where it was handed over to new owners Aerochago. When flown to Europe, the aircraft's main base will be Basle, Switzerland, and the craft will be brought up to airliner standards to visit airshows and fly passengers on a non-commercial basis.