First Air Force One

[Norm]

I flew on one like this from Seattle to Detroit when returning from Japan, I was 6 in 1953. Always liked the looks of this aircraft.


THE FIRST AIR FORCE ONE - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/embed/ehwvZXVKmPU?feature=player_detailpage)

[ApexOversteer]

ehwvZXVKmPU

[island14]

That is a neat looking aircraft.. what is it?

(i cant view the video if it says)

[Truck Guy]

That is a neat looking aircraft.. what is it?

Lockheed Constellation :yesnod:

[bizaro]

:seasix::cert:

[island14]

I flew on one like this from Seattle to Detroit when returning from Japan, I was 6 in 1953. Always liked the looks of this aircraft.


THE FIRST AIR FORCE ONE - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/embed/ehwvZXVKmPU?feature=player_detailpage)

Neat Video Norm and thanks for posting it...

I tried to watch it earlier today but it wouldn't load here with my slow internet connection, but tonight it loaded up just fine this time as it late here now, and not many using up the bandwidth at this time of the night.

I am curious, what you were doing in Japan in 1953 at 6 years old, and how long you were there.

Care to share the story?


:cert:

[Norm]

I was an Army Brat, Dad was in Korea then transferred to Camp Crawford in Hokkaido, Japan, where he could bring dependents. When summoned, Mom and I left New York on the USS Darby, troop transport ship, through the Panama Canal to Hawaii, then to Korea, then to Yokohama.

Being six, I do remember quite a bit, and all good memories. What an experience, would have liked to been a tad older though.

Stayed a year, came back on a transport ship (name escapes me) to Seattle, flew to Detroit, where Dad picked up a new 1954 Chevy Belair 9 pax station wagon (my first car) and drove it to MD (home state), stayed there a few weeks on leave, then to Fort Bragg, NC for a year, then Dad retired, back to MD. Went to four elementary schools before I was 8. :D

[Ruffy]

Looks familiar. I think a lot of the aircraft from that period looks similar for those of us without extensive knowledge.

[MrPeabody]

My dad was an aircraft mechanic in the 50s for Capital Airlines at the Washington DC airport. The joke among mechanics was that the Constellation would never be a successful aircraft because pilots can't handle three pieces of tail at the same time.:yesnod:

[The Cripp]

It's an L1049. :)

[mrvette]

I was an Army Brat, Dad was in Korea then transferred to Camp Crawford in Hokkaido, Japan, where he could bring dependents. When summoned, Mom and I left New York on the USS Darby, troop transport ship, through the Panama Canal to Hawaii, then to Korea, then to Yokohama.

Being six, I do remember quite a bit, and all good memories. What an experience, would have liked to been a tad older though.

Stayed a year, came back on a transport ship (name escapes me) to Seattle, flew to Detroit, where Dad picked up a new 1954 Chevy Belair 9 pax station wagon (my first car) and drove it to MD (home state), stayed there a few weeks on leave, then to Fort Bragg, NC for a year, then Dad retired, back to MD. Went to four elementary schools before I was 8. :D

My dad was an aircraft mechanic in the 50s for Capital Airlines at the Washington DC airport. The joke among mechanics was that the Constellation would never be a successful aircraft because pilots can't handle three pieces of tail at the same time.:yesnod:

Where did you guys live in the DC region?? I got older in Monkey Co. Faryland.....Bethesda born, then Potomac, then G'burg, then Bethesda again then Potomac again.....and that's just the houses.....not counting flop shacks, apts. various g/f's homes in Kensington/etc.....:lol:

[Truck Guy]

Here's Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur's Lockheed C-121A Constellation named Bataan.

It's at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Valle, Arizona Here (http://planesoffame.org/index.php?mact=staircraft,cntnt01,default,0&cntnt01what=stplanes&cntnt01alias=VC-121A&cntnt01returnid=128).

A few shots from when we were there...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/TruckGuy74/Travel/IMG_0467_zps8fac0cda.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/TruckGuy74/Travel/IMG_0485_zpse34e9d89.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/TruckGuy74/Travel/IMG_0473_zps7929e2d1.jpg

[MrPeabody]

Where did you guys live in the DC region?? I got older in Monkey Co. Faryland.....Bethesda born, then Potomac, then G'burg, then Bethesda again then Potomac again.....and that's just the houses.....not counting flop shacks, apts. various g/f's homes in Kensington/etc.....:lol:

We lived in Alexandria Virginia in an apartment complex on the Mt Vernon Parkway from '57 to '61. Three story brick apt. buildings. Lots of military people and government employees lived there along with airline people.

My parents were from Essex and Middle River not far from the Glen L. Martin Company. My dad worked there before he went to work for the airlines in '57. We lived on Bird River Road in Middle River then.

[MrPeabody]

I have been inside of a Constellation, but never flew on one. My first commercial flights in the 50s were on DC3s and Vickers Viscounts.

https://www.google.com/search?q=capital+airlines+viscount&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=A-EEVOyAIJKBygS6pYGoCA&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1083&bih=531

[Norm]

We lived in Alexandria Virginia in an apartment complex on the Mt Vernon Parkway from '57 to '61. Three story brick apt. buildings. Lots of military people and government employees lived there along with airline people.

My parents were from Essex and Middle River not far from the Glen L. Martin Company. My dad worked there before he went to work for the airlines in '57. We lived on Bird River Road in Middle River then.

Lived in Graceland Park, Dundalk, Parkville, Bowleys Quarters, Essex, Middle River, all suburbs in Baltimore County, and now the hell out of Maryland.

Mom, Dad, aunts and uncles worked at Martins at one time or another. The whole area has pretty much gone to shit now.

[MrPeabody]

Lived in Graceland Park, Dundalk, Parkville, Bowleys Quarters, Essex, Middle River, all suburbs in Baltimore County, and now the hell out of Maryland.

Mom, Dad, aunts and uncles worked at Martins at one time or another. The whole area has pretty much gone to shit now.

Yeah, I visited there in '02 and it didn't look good. Our old house on Bird River Road had been well kept up, though. We also visited my grandparent's old house on Taylor avenue in Essex where my mom grew up. The current owners were very nice and invited us in and showed us around. They had taken very good care of the place and made some nice improvements and some nice restoration work. I had pictures of they place dating back to the 30s and they got a big kick out of looking at them.

The apartments on Mt Vernon Parkway, which was a working class neighborhood in the 50s was very gentrified and probably could not be afforded by a family like ours was back then.

[The Cripp]

I have been inside of a Constellation, but never flew on one. My first commercial flights in the 50s were on DC3s and Vickers Viscounts.

https://www.google.com/search?q=capital+airlines+viscount&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=A-EEVOyAIJKBygS6pYGoCA&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1083&bih=531

My first ever flight was in a Viscount. :)