The 2025 edition of the Propliner Annual will be published in late April 2025. As its title implies, Propliner Magazine is totally dedicated to Propliner aircraft and is a must-have for any aviation enthusiast and especially Propliner enthusiasts. Orders for this bumper 176-page publication can be placed at www.propliner.co.uk
FAA Kicks the Can Down the Road on AHM's Part 16 Complaint for the NINTH TIME - January 24, 2026
The Airline History (AHM) recently announced on its website that the FAA, for the ninth time, has issued an extension the museum's Part 16 Complaint, with the decision date being pushed back to February 18, 2026. What can I say other than to repeat that this is absolutely amazing and has got to be extremely frustrating for all parties involved including the museum, John Travolta's folks and Signature Flight Service.
Dutch Super Constellation Cockpit - December 22, 2025
I recently received a report and photos from Tom Beudeker about a Super Constellation cockpit section located at a small airport in Texel, the Netherlands. "I was looking at the interactive map on your website and discovered that something was missing in the Netherlands: The small aviation museum on the airport of the island of Texel has a beautiful mockup of a Super Constellation cockpit.
I reported this to you in December 2009. At that time, the project was still underway, but somehow pictures of the completed cockpit never reached you. Well, here they are after 16 years! The view through the cockpit windows is a picture of the island of Texel. It looks like the Connie is inbound on high final for the grass runway of Texel International Airport!"
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"I hope this story is something for your website. After all, the old instrument panels and the F/E seat are "survivors," isn't it? (For the occasion I have put my former F/E Uniform jacket)"
"For years, the museum had a spare engine from our Neptune, which we received from the Navy. It is not a Connie engine, but it is an 18-cylinder Wright Cyclone. The plan was to put it on a stand, we installed a fuel tank, oil tank, and controls, and run it for the museum's visitors. It worked. After 40 years, this Wright Cyclone came back to life! The first time, the engine only ran on the primer and there was far too much oil in it, but that improved later. Check it out on YouTube." Many thanks to Tom for his report and photos.
FAA Kicks the Can Down the Road on AHM's Part 16 Complaint for the SIXTH TIME - November 5, 2025
The Airline History (AHM) recently announced on its website that the FAA, for the sixth time, has issued an extension on the museum's Part 16 Complaint, with the decision date being pushed back to November 21, 2025. This is absolutely amazing and has got to be extremely frustrating for all parties involved including the museum, John Travolta's folks and Signature Flight Service. In light of the current Federal Government shutdown, on decision on November 21st is probably highly unlikely.
After sitting in place in a field at Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight for many years, L1649A N974R is being moved to a new location to make room for a new hangar. Kermit Weeks posted a message on Facebook yesterday regarding the move. "Today, we moved the Connie out of the way to prepare the construction site for the necessary space to begin building the new hangar. While the main tires were OK, the nosewheels were corroded and rotten. I will post more pictures of the operation at a later date, along with a video."
Lufthansa Starliner News Update - September 2, 2025
Reassembly of Lufthansa Starliner N7316C/"D-ALAN" continues in Frankfurt, Germany with the arrival of the wings on August 26, 2025. The Simple Flying website recently published an update regarding the continuing reassembly of the aircraft, which is scheduled to go on display at the new Lufthansa Group Conference & Visitor Center in the spring of 2026.
FAA Kicks the Can Down the Road on AHM's Part 16 Complaint for the FIFTH TIME - August 22, 2025
The Airline History (AHM) recently announced on its website that the FAA, for the fifth time, has issued an extension on the museum's Part 16 Complaint, with the decision date being pushed back to October 7, 2025. This is absolutely amazing and has got to be extremely frustrating for all parties involved including the museum, John Travolta's folks and Signature Flight Service. Let's hope the Fed's FINALLY get their collective heads out of their butts and make a decision on this matter.
L1049H HI-542CT continues to rot in place at Puerto Rico's Rafael Hernandez International Airport. The former AMSA Super Connie was struck by an out-of-control DC-4 on February 2, 1992 and for the past 30+ years has been stored at various locations around the airport before winding up in its current location near the Lufthansa Technik hangar. Istvan Veg photographed the aircraft in July 2025, where it's now being enveloped by vegetation.
Lufthansa Starliner Enroute to Frankfurt - August 13, 2025 - Updated August 15, 2025
Marc Lehmann caught up with the Lufthansa Starliner on the A4 today and forwarded the following report and photos..."Today I was able to take a few photos of Lufthansa Starliner N7316C/"D-ALAN" while it was parked at a motorway rest area along the A3 near Medenbach, which is about 20 kilometers from Frankfurt Airport. It looked really stunning under the clear blue sky. The Starliner is planned to arrive at Frankfurt Airport around midnight. There was no sign of the wings, undercarriage and engines, so I expect they will follow soon." Many thanks to Marc for his report and photos. UPDATE - Marc forwarded a photo of the fuselage taken on August 14th in its new home at Frankfurt Airport, where the aircraft will be reassembled for display.
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Lufthansa Starliner Paint Preview - August 8, 2025
Lufthansa showcased the newly painted fuselage/empennage of L1649A N7316C/"D-ALAN" at Munster/Osnabruck today. Dirk Grothe sent me a report and photos from the event. The aircraft look stunning in period Lufthansa colors and I'm looking forward to Spring 2026 when reassembly is scheduled to be completed. Dirk's report..."Today Lufthansa Technik presented the Lockheed L-1649A (former TWA N7316C c/n 1018) Super Star in full livery at Munster/Osnabruck Airport (FMO). After complete assembly and rollout in January, the 68-year-old Super Star was dismantled and transported by heavy-duty low-loader from Hamburg to Munster. The paint work was undertaken by Altitude Paint Services (APS), with the Hamburg-based manufacturer Mankiewicz providing around 500 liters of special paint free of charge. A particular challenge was the painting of the legendary parabolas, a central element of Lufthansa's design at the time. The paint job was completed within three weeks using historical documents from the company archives and precise paint planning from the Graphics Solutions department at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg."
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French Museum Completes Construction of State-of-the-Art Hangar - August 5, 2025
On August 2, 2025 I reported that Musee de l'Air's L749 F-ZVMV had been noted in a hangar at Le Bourget Airport. I was curious about the hangar and sent an email to the museum, which was almost immediately answered by Yu Zhang from the Director of Communication Office. "Thank you for getting in touch. The Constellation F-ZVMV is indeed in a new storage for several months now. The museum is happy to have opened a new permanent indoor storage facility in 2024 to host a number a large-format aircraft including the Constellation. This hangar is open to visit once a year during European Heritage Days in September, which will be the case this coming 20 and 21 September as well. You will find the presentation of the hangar on the pages 26-29 of our Annual Report and on page 27 you will find your jewel!" Using Google-Translate, I translated pages 26-29 of the Annual Report, which provided additional information about the new hangar. The 32,292sf (3,000sm) hangar was completed on March 30, 2024 and was built specifically to house larger aircraft in the museum's collection, including the Constellation, a Douglas A-26, a Heinkel 162 and a number of other vulnerable aircraft. The hangar's temperature and humidity levels are carefully controlled to maintain a temperature of 20C (68F) with a humidity level of between 50% and 55%. The hangar was designed with the following goals: protecting rare collector's items; being as environmentally friendly as possible; and being durable and easy to use.
The hangar is not large enough to accommodate all of the museum's aircraft currently stored outdoors with the report explaining..."The Department of Management, Restoration, Preventive Conservation and Collections Maintenance has drawn up an initial list of the vehicles and objects to be protected as a priority. Indeed, despite the building's large surface area, not all collections can be housed there, and a selection process is necessary. This is based on a combination of several criteria: the historical interest of the pieces, their uniqueness, and their state of preservation. "The list is not fixed," warns Agnes Mirambet-Paris. "It will evolve over the years, with future acquisitions and development projects. Some aircraft will remain at the RGF for preservation purposes or to make them available to researchers, curators, restorers and historians. Others will only be placed there temporarily. Several large-scale aircraft and objects (engines, models) will await the completion of construction of the hall dedicated to civil, commercial, light, and sports aviation." The hangar is a great asset for the museum and great news for the Connie. Hopefully her restoration can now be completed and she will remain in the hangar on display.
Constellation Noted in Hangar at Le Bourget Airport - August 2, 2025
I recently received what I believe are current photos of Musee de l'Air's L749 F-ZVMV in a hangar at Le Bourget Airport. Although there were also a number of smaller aircraft in the hangar, at this time it's not clear whether this is a display or restoration hangar. The Connie looks pretty much as she did in the October 19, 2022 report on this website...bare metal finish with outer wing panels and outboard vertical stabilizers missing. Bottom line, it's all good news...she's indoors and out of the weather with the possibility of restoration! I'm not at liberty to publish the photos but hopefully additional photos will surface in the near future.
"Bataan" Arrives at AirVenture Sporting Stunning New Interior - July 28, 2025
After completion of a total interior restoration by Aerometal International, LLC of Aurora, Oregon, VC-121A "Bataan" departed on a nonstop flight for Madison, Wisconsin on Friday July 18, 2025. After spending two days in Madison prepping for display at EAA AirVenture 2025, she departed Madison on the 20th and, to the delight of the pre-show Sunday crowd, made her grand entrance landing on Oshkosh's Wittman Regional Airport's runway 36 shortly after 3:15pm. I photographed the Connie at Madison's Dane County Airport on Saturday afternoon while she was receiving some TLC by the crew. Nigel Hitchman captured her approach and landing at Oshkosh the next day.
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KC Super Connie Makes an Appearance - July 5, 2025
L1049H Super Constellation N6937C made a brief outdoor appearance last week when hangar doors were opened and the aircraft saw daylight for the first time since January. The aircraft was moved out of the hangar so the massive doors could receive some much needed attention. It was a brief appearance and, by the end of the week, the iconic aircraft was back in the hangar. Archie Dinwiddie was in the right place at the right time and photographed the old girl in glorious sunlight. With Signature Aviation, The Airline History Museum and the City of Kansas tied up in legal battles, it's anyone's guess when things will return to some semblance of normality at the hangar.
"Bataan" Interior Nearing Completion - June 28, 2025
Much progress has been made on the interior of Rod Lewis' VC-121A 48-613/N422NA "Bataan" and it appears that the effort is nearing completion. The Aerometal International website showcases the work done on the aircraft going back to April 2024. It appears that the aircraft will be getting a VIP interior not representative of when it served General McArthur. This is a disappointment but since I'm not paying the bills, I've got to defer to Mr. Lewis. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit for restoring the aircraft to an airworthy condition to be enjoyed by the general public...many of which probably would have never heard about General McArthur otherwise.
Fantasy of Flight Starliner Update - June 23, 2025
With other projects more pressing, Fantasy of Flight's Starliner N974R has been tied down in a grass field at the facility and pretty much ignored for the past 10+ years. Plans are in the works to build a "Museum Lite" hangar and ramp in the location and Kermit Weeks reports in a recent Facebook video that the aircraft will be moved to the concrete ramp by the main museum hangar. The only problem is that the nosewheel tires are shot and one of the wheels is totally corroded. The airplane looks really rough and I suspect that by sitting in the grass field for so long, corrosion has taken its toll and its future is not looking good. There are only four surviving L1649A Starliners and, hopefully Kermit proves me wrong and gives the old girl some much needed TLC before it's too late.
FAA Kicks the Can Down the Road on AHM's Part 16 Complaint for the Fourth Time - June 21, 2025
The Airline History (AHM) recently announced on its website that the FAA, for the fourth time, has issued an extension on the museum's Part 16 Complaint, with the new decision date being August 8, 2025. This has got to be extremely frustrating for all parties involved including the museum, John Travolta's folks and Signature Flight Service. Let's hope the Fed's get their collective heads out of their butts and make a decision on this matter.
Super Connie Waiting for a New Owner - May 11, 2025
Peter Brill recently posted a friend's photos on Facebook of Super Constellation HB-RSC. The aircraft sold to German investment group July 1, 2019 with the goal of restoring airworthiness of aircraft and, after disassembly in August/September 2019, it was moved by road to Eschbach-Bremgarten in southwestern Germany on November 27, 2019. The original plan was for Meirer Motors to spearhead the project but somewhere along the line the effort was abandoned and the aircraft was first advertised for sale in April 2023. Peter's post "Some new photos of HB-RSC c/n 4175 in its dismantled state at Meiermotors. Professionally dismantled and stored under cover, this project is for sale." Many thanks to Peter for posting the report and photos.
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FAA Kicks the Can Down the Road on AHM's Part 16 Complaint - April 16, 2025
The Airline History (AHM) recently announced on its website that the FAA has once again issued an extension on the museum's Part 16 Complaint with the new decision date being June 9, 2025.
In related news, on December 4, 2024 I reported that an organization calling themselves the "Kansas City Aeronautical Museum" were pursuing establishing a museum in Hangar 9 with many of the AHM exhibits. I recently heard that the organization has abandoned its quest due to the ongoing Part 16 complaint, which could possibly take years to wind its way through the FAA bureaucracy and the courts.
Three Super Constellation Fuselage Sections Offered for Sale - March 25, 2025
Three former military Super Constellation fuselage sections have been offered for sale today on the Barnstormers.com website.
AHM Announces a Second Notice of Extension by the FAA re the Museum's Part 16 Complaint Against the Kansas City Aviation Department - February 11, 2025
As reported on November 21, 2024, the Airline History Museum filed a Part 16 complaint against the Kansas City Aviation Department. The complaint was filed on September 4, 2024, with a decision due from the FAA on December 10, 2024. This was extended to February 7, 2025 and the Airline History Museum recently announced on its website that it has been extended again to April 8, 2025.
Lufthansa Technik Issues Statement re Starliner Rollout - January 18, 2025
Lufthansa Technik issued the following statement re the rollout on LinkedIn
A Milestone in Aviation History
Today marks a significant milestone as we together with Lufthansa Group proudly unveiled the meticulously reassembled Lockheed L-1649A Super Star at our Hamburg headquarters. For the first time in decades, this iconic long-haul aircraft rolled out of the hangar on its own landing gear and onto our apron - a moment of aviation nostalgia igniting widespread excitement.
An interdisciplinary team of around 15 mechanics, spanning multiple generations, worked tirelessly over the past year to bring this aircraft back to beauty. Their expertise and dedication made the precise reassembly of large components - like the fuselage, wings, and the iconic triple tail unit - a reality. In October 2023, these components arrived in Hamburg, along with 292 wooden crates of smaller parts.
One standout feature of this non-airworthy reassembly is the cockpit, restored as faithfully as possible to its original 1950s condition. The lighting and controls are fully functional, and cable pulls make the rudders and flaps movable - a tribute to the exceptional engineering of its time.
In 1957, the Lockheed Super Star flew the connection to New York non-stop across the Atlantic. The aircraft was therefore a technical masterpiece of its time. With its four piston engines, it closed the chapter of classic propeller-driven aircraft on the North Atlantic routes. These flights, which lasted up to 17 hours, took off from Hamburg, where the maintenance base was also located. The roll-out therefore took place at a location of equal importance to Lufthansa and Lufthansa Technik.
Reassembled Starliner Emerges From Hangar - January 17, 2025 - Updated January 20, 2025
L1649A N7316C (D-ALAN) was rolled out of a Lufthansa Technik hangar at Hamburg Airport today after reassembly by Lufthansa Technik staff and retirees. It was moved to Hamburg in October 2023 and on April 12, 2024 Lufthansa announced that the aircraft and Ju52 D-AQUI would be placed on display in Frankfurt at a dedicated visitor and conference center. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2026, just in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the airline. Dirk Grothe captured some great photos today of the aircraft emerging from the hangar and forwarded the following report and photos.
A milestone in aviation history is being shown to the public for the first time: Lufthansa Technik has completed the extensive assembly of a Lockheed L-1649A. The fully restored long-haul aircraft was pulled out of the hangar on its own undercarriage for the first time and thus experienced its roll-out in Hamburg - a moment that not only thrilled aviation enthusiasts.
Former N7316C (c/n 1018, delivered 1957 to TWA and last flight on 09.11.1983) has been under restauration by Lufthansa since 2008 in Auburn (Maine, USA) to restore it in an airworthy condition for future flights until the project was stopped in 2018 after 10 years and 150 Million Euro costs and the aircraft was shipped to Bremen/Germany in 2019. It was transferred to Paderborn in February 2021 and to LH-Technik Hamburg in October 2023.
The aircraft was purchased by Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin Stiftung in 2007 together with N8083H (c/n 1038 former TWA) and N974R (c/n 1040 former LH D-ALAN).
Following the roll-out, the aircraft will be dismantled into larger segments again in the coming weeks, before being transported by heavy transport to Munster/Osnabruck Airport in July. There, it will be painted in Lufthansa's original design from the so-called parabolic phase. After painting, the Lockheed Super Star is scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt in October. Just in time for Lufthansa's 100th anniversary, from spring 2026 it will be the main attraction of the Lufthansa Group's new conference and visitor center beside the Lufthansa Aviation Center at Frankfurt Airport, together with the legendary Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI. Thanks to a glass facade, the exhibits will also be clearly visible from outside.
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Kansas City Super Connie Engine Runs - January 12, 2025
As reported on November 1, 2024, Super Connie N6937C was acquired by John Travolta's production company Constellation Productions Inc. in September 2024. After some TLC by mechanics, the aircraft emerged from Hangar 9 at Kansas City Downtown Airport yesterday for some engine testing. All four engines successfully ran and the aircraft taxied around the ramp before heading back to the hangar. Archie Dinwiddie photographed the aircraft and recorded some videos, which he posted on the Lockheed Constellation Facebook page. Many thanks to Archie for sharing his photos and videos.
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----Created 31 January 2004------Updated 24 January 2026----