Constellation remains a hidden landmark at Greenwood Lake Airport

Every day people pass a large, graceful aircraft attached to the Greenwood Lake Airport offices on their way to take flying lessons, skydiving lessons or to visit the diner located on premises.

Few people realize the airliner is one of the rarest surviving airliners in the world. The plane once carried passengers across the Atlantic before making one final, daring landing in West Milford.

The Lockheed L-049 Constellation (nicknamed Connie) was built in 1946 and delivered to Air France as its first L-049 Constellation. The L-049’s design was revolutionary because it had pressurized cabins, and was fast and it was luxurious. The design was considered the most beautiful airliner ever built because of its elegant styling and engineering. Its shape was compared to a dolphin’s, and its signature feature was the famous triple tail designed to stabilize flight. The wings were long and graceful, and the nose was streamlined. For many passengers, it stood for the beginning of the “Golden Age of Air Travel.”

“Connie,” as she was nicknamed, flew for Air France on its Paris-New York run for under four years. In 1950, Air France sold Connie to Trans World Airlines (TWA) and then was resold and flown for many other airlines. In her 30-year flying career, Connie had one serious incident when in 1947 her landing gear collapsed at LaGuardia airport. She was quickly repaired and put back in service.

By the mid-1970s, the plane had been retired. In 1976, Greenwood Lake airport owner Frank Lembo bought Connie for $45,000 with the idea of turning it into a restaurant and lounge. Connie made her last flight in 1977 on the way to the airport. Pilot Ralph Bruce took on the challenge of landing the four-engine plane on a short runway and taxiing it unassisted up to its final location next to the airport offices. Although an L-049 Constellation could operate from a runway of roughly 2,500 feet under favorable conditions, commercial airlines normally use 5,000-to-7,000-foot runways. The Greenwood Lake Airport’s approximately 2,700-foot runway left little margin, making Connie’s final landing an exceptional feat.

The restaurant opened in 1981 but lasted only a brief time because it did not attract enough business. Afterward, the plane served as storage, a pilot shop, and today offices for the flight school.

According to airport history, someone tried to start the engines years after the plane had been parked. Three engines refused to cooperate, but engine number two started and ran surprisingly well before being shut down.

What makes Connie so remarkable is that she is one of the few surviving Lockheed L-049 Constellations and the only surviving Air France Constellation. For nearly 50 years, Connie has watched generations of pilots take to the skies from the Greenwood Lake Airport.

Although her flying days ended with a remarkable landing, her story and presence continue to inspire aviation enthusiast.