TWA exposed marquee without make-up.
28 AIRPORT VOICE, MAY 2019
'YOU'RE GONNA LIKE US'
JFK TWA Flight Center says hello to “Connie”
Last flight for iconic plane that becomes hotel lounge
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The TWA Flight Center
welcomed the Lockheed
Constellation H8083H
for its last flight. The Starliner
L-1649A “Connie” was
carefully cradled into place
with her wings and tail as a
lounge and event venue for
the TWA Flight Center and
Hotal at JFK Airport.
The Connie had flown
into JFK during the 1960’s
when the Eric Saarinen designed
TWA Arrivals Terminal
was in full fashion with
the traveling elite taking
flight overseas in pampered
comfort. Over the years new
and faster aircraft, and competition,
eventually phased
out this iconic plane. A series
of buy and sells left this
Connie deteriorating until
Lufthansa stepped in and
helped arrange a new use; as
a lounge at the new TWA Hotel
and a much anticipated
event venue and stop overfor
a-drink for transiting
travelers.
The Connie had been seen
being moved along Interstate
87, them a pop-up in Manhattan
all the while being
housed under a large outdoor
hangar at JFK until it
moved from there to its
final arrival destination on
the “tarmac” at the TWA
Flight Center adjacent to the
JetBlue terminal.
The actual logistics of
the reconstruction of the
aircraft was carefully handled
by Worldwide Aircraft.
Owner Marty has been seen
at the airport many times
preparing for the move of
the wings recently, the fuselage
on March 9, and the
engines and tail to follow
shortly. All of this is part of
a documentary being filmed.
Catching many arriving
passengers by surprise,
the huge Bay Crane and a
dozen experienced movers
strapped 4 belts across the
15,000 lb. aircraft body. Then
it was slowly lifted to the
amazement of many onlookers
with cell phones raised
high recording every minute
of Connie’s last flight.
The TWA logo was clearly
seen against the backdrop
of the new hotel wings and
the JFK Air Traffic Control
Tower as it was placed majestically
on its awaiting wings.
The TWA Hotel opens
May 15 with the Connie in
place but interior remodeling
will keep it from officially
opening s the full
TWA Flight Center late summer
or early fall 2019.
One side of the wing span of the TWA Connie is swung into place under the watchful eyes of two PAPD officers.
Wheels Up, as they say when the plane takes off and tires off the
ground.
These guys Nose what they are doing. They are the crew from Strategic
office Services who will renovate the interior of Connie with that
vintage feel. Photos by Jeff Yapalater
Stephanie Byrne, Patricia Stevens, Valerie Roffe, Erik Palmer, Managing
Director The TWA Hotel, Anita Ridpath, Margaret Albert, Marie
Saunders, Margalit Kohanim MCR Project Manager , Katie Norvell,
Beth Holcombe and Lynne Rayfiel of the Silver Wings TWA in front of
the TWA Hotel under construction at JFK Airport. These women were
named TWA Hostesses while other airlines had Stewardesses. In the
early 1970's the women of TWA were finally able to become Pursers on
the overseas flights on the then new 747 Jumbo Jet.