Super Constellation in Super Constellation

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Super Constellation - 6/29/2013

Originally posted in my main diary June 2 2002, on the fourth anniversary of the Flight described below...

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Super Constellation

Late in the evening of June 2, 1998, I took off from Anchorage at the controls of a 1962 model Lockheed Super Constellation. The Constellation is a transport category aircraft designed with [for its day] phenomenal range and endurance: it will fly all night and cross the US without stopping to refuel. It is powered by four 27-cylinder supercharged Wright radial engines - - as you may have heard me mention, one of the most musical sounds in aviation is that made by one of those old radial engines starting up.

This particular aircraft was outfitted in an all-first-class seating and sleeping configuration, but on the night in question there were no paying passengers aboard. Instead, the flight was conducted under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91 (general/private/non-commercial operations), not Part 135 (commercial air-taxi) or Part 121 (airline operations).

The flight began rather inauspiciously. I had a difficult time starting one engine, and then while on the takeoff run, nearly lost directional control and almost ground-looped the aircraft. Fortunately the co-pilot was able to help me re-establish control and we lifted off into the darkening skies, with the city lights twinkling far below.

As I mentioned, there were no paying passengers aboard; the only other person along for the flight was the co-pilot. She was a Native girl from Nome, 45 years old. Her name was Francine, and she was blessed with a beauty of her own that would unfortunately be overlooked by those focusing only on physical appearance...

We took off over Turnagain Arm and headed down Cook Inlet out to the sea: just the two of us, flying along with those four faithful Wrights thundering mightily in the background. Once clear of land I lit all four afterburners, added supersonic thrust, and set a course for us around the globe. As the flight barrelled on through the night, Francine and I traded off flight duties. Several times during the flight we encountered wet weather and rough air; although it made for a bumpy ride, that old Constellation held straight and true.

After 16 hours inflight and with about 1.5 hours to go before landing, we reduced power, shut the afterburners down, and let the aircraft slide back into subsonic cruise. We shared a late breakfast, then set up for the approach and landing back in Anchorage. We made a beautiful landing, taxied in and shut down, and parted ways downtown in front of the Fourth Avenue Theatre.

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"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there

I've chased the shouting wind along and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious burning blue

I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace,

Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;

And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

John Gillespie Magee Jr

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Liberties of course were taken with Super Constellation: a propeller-driven aircraft is not able to go safely supersonic, the true Constellation required a cockpit crew of three instead of two, and the production of that aircraft ceased in the 1950s. (For an engine start sound file from a DC-3, go here:Engine Start! http://www.net-magic.net/users/gordo55j/Radial_st.wav

[if the link "Engine Start!" doesn't work, here's another way to make it happen: type the link exactly as shown into your browser's address window, then ENTER]) The essay itself describes in metaphor a special event in its author's life.

The irony of High Flight is that John Magee, a Canadian Air Force pilot, was killed in action in WWII the day following the night he wrote the poem. I first became acquainted with the poem when it was presented during a television station's late-night sign-off; it speaks to me still.

(Many thanks to html help for her tutorials on how to make links!)

Edit 11/14/2012: added a video link to "High Flight" above... it would be neat if someone would remake the video with a civilian Super Constellation beginning with

, then brief taxi shot, takeoff, then continue as with the video above. YouTube of course did not yet exist when I initially posted this entry.