Lockheed Constellation Survivors

N548GF c/n 4363

L1049A N548GF October 16, 1995 L1049A N548GF August 7, 2009 L1049A 53-548 January 18, 1986
Photographed in an unknown location in February 1973 before being transferred to the USAF Reserves (David Menard via Stephen Miller) Stored at DMAFB in June 1981 a few months before being moved to the Pima Air and Space Museum (Gerard Helmer) Displayed at the Pima Air & Space Museum from 1981-94, aircraft is pictured in January 1986 (RM Pettersen)
L1049A N548GF October 16, 1995 L1049A N548GF August 7, 2009 L1049A 53-548 January 18, 1986
Operated on the airshow circuit in the mid-90's, N548GF is shown landing at Camarillo, CA in October 1995 (Graham Robson) Patiently awaiting FAA permission to complete the short ferry flight from Camarillo to Chino on August 7, 2009 (Terry Wall) Ferried to Chino in January 2012, aircraft currently on display at the Yanks Air Museum (Alastair T. Gardiner)
  • Current registration - N548GF
  • Delivered to USAF August 1955 as RC-121D 53-548
  • Redesignated EC-121D September 1963
  • Redesignated EC-121D/T
  • Redesignated EC-121T May 1970
  • To USAF Reserves Homestead AFB March 1976
  • Last Homestead EC-121T to be retired
  • Retired and flown to Davis Monthan AFB for storage October 1978
  • To Pima Air and Space Museum by September 1981
  • Excess to needs of museum and sold to Wayne Jones/Global Aeronautical Foundation December 1994 as N548GF with AEW radar system intact
  • Restored and ferried from Davis Monthan AFB to Tucson International Airport, AZ April 14, 1995
  • Ferried Tucson to Camarillo, CA April 15, 1995
  • Based at Camarillo and flown regularly on west coast airshow circuit in USAF markings 30548 until June 2000 when grounded due to corrosion in outer wing panels
  • Wing tip tanks removed August 2001 and repairs made to corroded areas in accordance with applicable Lockheed manuals. The affected areas were not chemically milled ribs
  • Wayne Jones passed away in June 2002
  • For sale in Trade-A-Plane March 2002 ($595,000) and June 2002
  • Aircraft stored Camarillo, CA in reasonable condition
  • To Yanks Air Museum December 2005
  • Aircraft restored to airworthy condition March thru May 2006 for planned flight to Yank's base in Chino
  • FAA declined to issue a ferry permit citing concerns about the aircraft's airworthiness
  • Yanks completed FAA mandated corrosion repairs in April 2007 but ferry permit was not forthcoming
  • Yanks labored most of the summer of 2009 cleaning up the aircraft and making necessary repairs in preparation of a ferry flight.
  • Preparation of additional paperwork required for the ferry permit began in fall 2009.
  • Yanks spent the last months of 2011 preparing the aircraft for the ferry flight
  • Ferry permit finally issued and aircraft flown to Chino Airport on January 14, 2012 for static display at the Yanks Air Museum
  • Currently on display at the Yanks Air Museum


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