Greenwood Lake’s “Champagne Lady”

or ‘The New Jersey Connie’

 

 

[Photo: John W Rosa] [July 19, 2005, serving as a flight school office, the Lady awaits rescue.]

 

Sadly, in recent years, the outer skin of the rudders has become perforated and they are now deteriorating quickly. The rest of the bird is in very good shape, considering she’s endured more than 25 northeastern winters.

 

[Photo: John W Rosa] [July 22, 2005, a tail view shows time is finally taking its toll.]

 

 

So you want to see more of her?

 

OK, here are links to a bunch of large pictures of her taken in July 2005 by me. They give a good idea of her condition at that time.

 

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205a.jpg Left/Rear 3/4 Shot #1...note the swiss-cheese rudders. :(

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205b.jpg Left/Front 3/4 Shot #1

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205c.jpg Right Stabilzer...with the worst rudder.

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205d.jpg Engines #1 and 2 (note deck notch for #2 prop cone)

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205e.jpg Left/Front 3/4 Shot #2

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205f.jpg Left/Rear 3/4 Shot #2

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205g.jpg Engine #1 and wingtip over tarmac...kinda pretty shot, no?

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205h.jpg Engine #2 from front

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205i.jpg Right/Front 3/4 Shot of forward fuselage

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205j.jpg Under tail, looking forward at left wing

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205k.jpg Left/Rear corner, looking at tail assembly

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-072205l.jpg Right/Front 3/4 Shot

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905a.jpg At forward door, looking at tail

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905b.jpg Right side of forward fuselage at dusk

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905c.jpg Co-pilot's area

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905d.jpg Overhead controls

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905e.jpg Flight Engineer's panel

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905f.jpg Cabin, from rear, facing cockpit (1980-ish shag carpet and vintage, bolt-down chairs among more modern glass cases and computers. The AC blows REALLY cold in there...obviously an external unit pumped into the ducting along the ceiling.

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905g.jpg Cabin, from midpoint of cabin, facing rear.

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905h.jpg Pilot's area

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905i.jpg Engines #4 and #3 (Note the chain restricting #4's prop from turning in the wind (as if that could happen)...better safe than sorry, I guess.

 

HTTP://WWW.JAVELINAMX.COM/TEMP/N9412H-071905j.jpg Cockpit windows, exterior...time to scrape and paint, folks.

 

UPDATE Feb 27, 2006: A local advertising weekly has published an article about this beautiful bird. Unfortunately, the bulk of the article is a mass of confused statements, most of which are not true. It incorrectly states this plane transported troops during Word War II (the war ended nearly a year before this plane was built), participated in the Berlin airlift (other Connies did, but this one did not) and a host of other inaccurate claims. It completely ignored this plane’s only real use: as a passenger airliner for Air France, TWA and several smaller airlines from 1946 through 1969. The article is worthy of a read if only to see what was available on the menu when the plane served for a short time as a grounded restaurant in the very early 1980s. Here’s the article in Adobe PDF format.