The Lockheed Constellation at Liverpool


Ace Freighters Constellation G-ALAL on its most memorable visit, 2nd July 1966.

The Lockheed Constellation was produced in a variety of versions by Lockheed at their Burbank, California facility between 1943 and 1958.

Without a doubt one of the most iconic and destinctive airliners ever built with its gracefully curved dolphin shaped fuselage, triple fins and four powerful piston engines. The 'Connie' helped usher in pressurised, comforable and affordable air travel for the wealthier passengers in the Fifties and the for the adventurous general public in the Sixties.

Produced in two main models (although there were lots of detail versions). The L-049 (C-69 in USAAF military terms) and L-749 carried 46-60 passengers depending on class layout were the initial versions. An 18ft fuselage stretch produced the L-1049 Super Constellation to carry 71-95 passengers in a multi-class layout, or 109 in economy throughout, which was the most successful version. A complete redesign refined the L-1049 and produced the L-1649 Starliner, although relatively few were built as competition from the new jet-liners in the late 'Fifties made piston-engined airliners obsolete.

We need to go back over 60 years to relate the first visit of a 'Connie' to Liverpool Airport.

1948

The first visit to Liverpool by an L-749A Constellation was on a Grand National Day charter, presumably from Dublin, operated by Aerlinte Eireann (the trans- Atlantic divison of Aer Lingus). EI-ADE operated the flight on 20th March 1948. At a time when the Dakota was the largest aircraft to be seen at Liverpool and schedules typically operated by Dragon Rapides, the excitement and civic pride generated by a Constellation at Liverpool could be compared to the arrival of the Caravelle, Boeing 747 and Concorde in later decades. The 1948 Grand National Day charters also brought two other brand new types, the Bristol 170 Freighter and the Vickers Viking to Speke.

1958

Such was the slow pace of change in aviation during the 'Fifties that it would be ten years before a Constellation graced the tarmac at Speke again.

On Friday 28th November a Capitol Airlines Lockheed L-749A on a US military charter inbound to RAF Burtonwood via Shannon, diverted to Liverpool due to fog at its intended destination. The aircraft N4902C which had not long before been acquired from BOAC, by sheer coincidence is now known to be the former EI-ADE! The fog over England persisted, so the following day another Capitol Constellation diverted from Burtonwood into Liverpool. N4901C arrived from Dublin (possibly having initially diverted there the day before). Both aircraft loaded with US military personal or dependents left Liverpool for a fuel stop at Shannon en route back home .

1961

Starways, Liverpool's own airline with Dakotas and Skymasters operated a number of scheduled and inclusive tour charter flights. Presumably as a result of a shortage of Skymaster aircraft, during September they leased-in a Constellation as a substitute for one return flight. On 29th September L-049 OE-IFA of Aero Transport (but operated in the UK by associate company Falcon Airways) arrived on a positioning flight from Gatwick to operate a Lourdes flight outbound to Tarbes. The following day it returned from Lourdes and positioned back to Gatwick. Reference to British Independent Airlines book reveals that the two Constellation operators were owned by Marion Kozubski, a character who was being closely watched by the Airworthiness authorities for cutting corners, indeed Falcon Airways had already been grounded by the British at the time of this visit by Aero Transport!


Constellation G-ARXE visited in 1962, 63 and 64 while serving with Euravia and latterly Skyways (seen here)

1962

On 1st January 1961 contol of Liverpool Airport passed back from the Ministry of Aviation to Liverpool Corporation. The new management set about building civic pride (through a series of Air Displays) and bringing new operators and service to the Airport. One of their successes was in bringing fledgling charter carrier Euravia to Liverpool. For the 1962 summer season Euravia operated a series of Inclusive Tour charters for Universal Sky Tours to Valencia in Spain. Euravia operated their Constellations in a one class 83 seat configuration. Although not the first, the airline very much pioneered mass access low cost holidays to the Mediterranean for British tourists.

G-ARXE operated the inaugural flight on Sunday morning 20th May, and subsequently also operated on 3rd June, 1st July, 12th August and 9th September. G-ARVP was used on 17th June, 115th July, 29th July, 28th August and the final rotation on 23rd September. Their third aircraft G-AHEN did not appear at Liverpool during the season.

Another 1962 Constellation visit was an L-749A G-ANUP owned by Skyways of London on 14th July which arrived from Heathrow and departed to Gutersloh - a major British military base in West Germany, so was presumably on a trooping flight.

1963

The success of the 1962 season encouraged a longer season of flights, but still at a fortnightly frequency to Valencia for 1963. Euravia had expanded greatly during winter 1962/1963 by taking-over Skyways, so expanding their fleet to eight Constellations. The enlarged operation used the Euravia name, with the Skyways aircraft adopting the Euravia scheme, although to confuse, initially one Euravia aircraft apeared in Skyways scheme!

G-ARXE, now in full Skyways colours, started the season on 12th May. On 25th May both G-ARVP and G-ARXE appeared, so there was either an aircraft swop or a technical problem. Which aircraft operated when has partly been lost, however we do know that G-AHEL was first used into Speke on 21st July, G-AMUP on 4th August and G-AHEN on 1st September. During the season five of the eight aircraft in the Euravia fleet called at Liverpool.


Euravia Constellation G-ANUR at Liverpool in 1964

1964

The Euravia/Universal Sky Tours programme expanding greatly to serve Valencia, Palma and Perpignan. The record is confusing as to weekly, fortnightly or ten/eleven day freqencies. First operation of the year brought G-ARVP in from Luton on 13th April to operate the inaugural Palma flight. All eight of the Euravia fleet visited, the first use of each aircraft during the year into Liverpool has been recorded: G-ARXE 25th April, G-AHEN 4th May, G-ANUR 25th May, G-AHEL 21st June, G-ALAK 27th June, G-ALAL 27th June and G-AMUP 11th October.

The last flight of the season, and therefore the last apperance of Euravia at Liverpool used G-AHEN on 20th October, which arrived via Luton, then departed back there having dropped off the final passengers.

One appearance of a Constellation at Liverpool which was not part of the Liverpool programme featured G-ALAK which diverted into Liverpool due to weather at Manchester on 25th June while inbound from Rimini.

During winter 1964/1965 Euravia started to acquire a fleet of former BOAC Britannia 102 aircraft. Euravia became Britannia Airways and at around the same time Universal Sky Tours became Thomsons. As an aside to this account of Constellation visits, during the winter 1964/1965 the tour operator, airline and Liverpool Airport were in detail discussions as to a base for their expanding operation. As Liverpool could not offer hangarage (No.1 hangar was already promised to British Eagle), Luton became the maintenance and operational base for Britannia Airways - how differently our Airport story might have been had Britannia established their base here!! Indeed both airline and tour operator transferred across to Manchester for the 1965 season on the breakdown of talks with Liverpool.

No Constellations operated into Liverpool Airport during 1965.


The World Cup brought in few charters, but they did include the first visit of the "Super G" variant. Air France's F-BHBI is seen here

1966

Although the significance was not realised at the time, July 1966 marked both the final appearance by a L-749 Constellation and the first by a L-1049 Super Constellation.

Several of the former Euravia aircraft were now operated by Gatwick and Coventry based ACE Freighters. 1966 was a year of industrial disputes, including a succession of dock and ferry strikes. As a result freight normally taken by ferry across the Irish Sea to Dublin, Douglas and Belfast needed to be carried by air. The Airport and the Constellations of ACE Freighters were well placed to keep an Irish Sea lifeline open.

Between 14th and 20th June G-ALAL, which was fitted with a large cargo door operated a number of flights to & from Dublin with mail and freight. For the record the aircraft operated: 14/6 f Dublin with Mail, night stopped.
15/6 t&f and to Dublin
16/6 from Dusseldorf, t&f, t&f and to Dublin
17/6 f&t, f&t, f&t Dublin
18/6 f&t, f&t Dublin
20/6 f&t Dublin

This was followed between 28th June and 8th July with some 21 flights between Liverpool and Belast. These flights again mostly utilised the freight door equipped G-ALAL, however on 28th June two flights on behalf of Gallaghers transporting cigarettes used G-ALAK. It was on an arrival from Belfast on 2nd July that G-ALAL's cargo shifted. While there was forward motion airflow kept the nose down, however as soon as the aircraft stopped on the main apron, the tail gently settled on the ground, leaving the nose wheel high off the ground. The cargo was adjusted, the nose settled down, the aircraft unloaded, inspected and departed the next morning for Gatwick, only to appear back from Belfast later in the day.

For the record activity day by day:
28/6 G-ALAK f&t Aldergrove, then from Aldergrove and to Coventry. Also G-ALAL from Coventry to night stop.
29/6 t&f, t&f and to Belfast Aldergrove
30/6 f&t, f&t, f&t and from Aldergrove to night stop. Busiest day at Liverpool for Connie movements with 4 landings & 3 departures.
1/7 t&f, t&f and t&f Aldergrove to night stop
2/7 t&f and t&f Aldergrove, tip-up incident, night stopped
3/7 to Gatwick, then reappeared f&t and from Aldergrove, night stopped
4/7 to Gatwick
5/7 from Moscow/Sheremetievo, then night stopped
6/7 t&f, t&f and to Aldergrove
7/7 f&t, f&t, f&t Aldergrove
8/7 f&t, f&t and from Aldergrove, onwards to Gatwick

In May 1966 the new, much longer, runway at Liverpool had been opened. As a result types that were restricted by their performance could now use Liverpool routinely. One of the first new types to appear was the L-1049G Super Constellation. In July 1966 England were hosts for the World Cup. A number of games were hosted by the City of Liverpool at Goodison. While the number of aircraft bringing in teams and supporters was disappointing, the aviation stars were three visits by Air Fance Super Constellations. All operated from & to Paris/Orly, with F-BHBI used twice on 12th July and 19th July and F-BHMI on 15th July.

At the end of the month, on 23rd July ACE's G-ALAL called again, inbound from Dublin, then onward to Gatwick. Despite all this extra business during the summer strikes, ACE went into liquidation in September and was the very last British operator of the Constellation. Without ACE there were no further visits of the L-749, or indeed of any Constellation for several years.

1970

During 1970 there was a record number of freight flights on behalf of Fords. So many flights that a great number had to be contracted to non-British airlines. One European operator to benefit was French freight airline Catair, the reason of revelance here is that Catair operated Super Constellations. Some 13 flights with inbound freight from Saarbrucken operated, F-BRNH on 11th March, 9th April, 6th May, 6th & 7th July, 10th ,16th & 17th September, 2nd, 5th and 7th October, with F-BGNG on 25th March and twice on 21st July. Majority of outbounds routed back to Saarbrucken or to either Paris Orly or Paris Le Bourget.

Although not recognised as such at the time, the visit by Catair's F-BRNH on 7th October can now be recorded as the last ever visit by a Constellation to Liverpool Airport.

1998

Worldwide the Constellation and Super Constellation became rare anywhere through the 'Seventies and by the 'Nineties the few remaining airworthy aircraft were operated by preservation groups. It is one of these aircraft that became the last sighting of a Constellation in Liverpool airspace - although included in this story it does not really count as the aircraft did not land. N494TW a C-121A (L-749A) in USAF MATS military colours as 8609 (its own military serial) performed a single low go-around/flypast along the length of 09 at Liverpool while en route from the USA via Prestwick to the RAFA Air Display at Woodford in early June.

Future

With 3 Constellations in/destined for Europe in flying condition 2009, a L-749 KLM marks Netherlands, L-1049 in Switzerland and an L-1649 with Lufthansa in Germany , a future visit by a Connie to Liverpool is not impossible, although probably unlikely. Time will tell............

My thanks to Phil Butler and George Jones for their help and also to MSAE 'Flypast' magazines which have recorded Liverpool Airport visiting aircraft movements continuously since the late 'Fifties.

Having now completed posting an authoritive account of Constellation movements at Liverpool, there follows an index of the aircraft and operators involved:-

Constellation/Super Constellation aircraft to land at Liverpool:
EI-ADE
F-BGNG, F-BHBI, F-BHMI, F-BRNH
G-AHEL, G-AHEN, G-ALAK, G-ALAL, G-AMUP, G-ANUP, G-ANUR, G-ARVP & G-ARXE
N4901C, N4902C
OE-IFA

Of these EI-ADE and N4902C are the same airframe, so 17 registrations on 16 different airframes.

Operated by:
ACE Freighters, Aerlinte Eireann, Aero Transport, Air France, Catair, Capitol Airlines, Euravia, Skyways of London

While Constellation movements through Liverpool were limited, watching the aircraft left a great impression on those around at the time. The Constellation was an iconic aircraft and one that played a big part in making air travel and foreign holidays available to all, while in the process establishing two giants of the travel trade, Britannia Airways and Thomson Holidays.

Many thanks to Brian Jones for the research & compilation of this report and to Bob O'Brien, Phil Dale & Ian Keast for the photographs. More can be found in the Classic photos section