History of the MATS Connie

The MATS Connie actually started life as C/N 2574. When the aircraft was sold to the United States Air Force, she was changed on the production line to be a Model 749-79-36. This designation was for a special transport version of the new 749. The preliminary specification was presented to the USAF January 15, 1948. Aircraft number 2601, Air Force tail number 48-609, was delivered to the USAF 31 December, 1948. 
Many of the details of 2601's military life are still unknown. We do know that she supported the Berlin Airlift while based at Westover AFB in Mass. She ended her military career in VIP service based at Andrews AFB, in Washington, D.C. The USAF retired 2601/609 and stored her in Tucson in 1968. She accumulated approx. 16,000 hours of flying time during her Air Force career. 
Mel Christler of Christler Flying Service purchased 2601, May 5, 1970. She was registered N9464, October 10, 1970 and modified for use as a spray plane. From approximately 1976 to 1984 she sprayed the forests of Canada for Bud worm pests. 
On April 18, 1979, Beaver Air Service purchased 2601 and re-registered her as a Canadian aircraft, C-CXKO. She was then purchased by ConifAir Aviation. During all of these ownership changes she continued to spray approximately 50 hours each spring. Finally in 1984 she ended her spray career. John Travolta, the movie star, purchased 2601 in September of 1984 with the idea of restoring her. Due to a change in plans, Mr. Travolta sold the aircraft in 1987 to software entrepreneur Vern Raburn. 
Restoration work started on 2601 in August of 1991. The first flights were in October of 1991. During those flights, several problems occurred that caused the owner to ground the aircraft for extensive mechanical and airframe work. She took to the air again in June, 1992. Since then, she has flown more and more each year, developing a full schedule of air shows and tour stops each year.
In 1997, the MATS Connie was moved from Experimental Category to Standard Category enabling the organization to offer rides to members of the Connie Flying Club for the first time. 

History of Constellation Aircraft

The Connie's unique 123-foot wing span, four radial engines, triple-tail design and graceful dolphin-shaped fuselage make it arguably the most beautiful air transport ever built. 
The Connie was designed by Lockheed in the early 1940s to the specifications of Howard Hughes for commercial use by his TransWorld Airlines. Built in 1948, the MATS Connie is one of just a handful of Constellations still flying.
In its day, the Connie reigned as Queen of the Skies because it was the first plane that flew coast-to-coast non-stop and was pressurized. The Connie set new records for size and speed. In April 1944, a C-69 Constellation made world headlines when Howard Hughes and Jack Frye of TWA blew away the transcontinental commercial record, piloting the largest land transport plane ever built from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 7 hours 3 minutes. 
All the major airlines flew Connies, including TWA, Pan Am, Air France, Eastern, Lufthansa, Capital, Western. The MATS Connie was originally part of the U.S. Air Force Military Air Transport Service (MATS). It participated in the Berlin Airlift in 1949, delivering food and supplies to civilians when Berlin was blockaded by cold-war Russia. 
856 Connies were built, encompassing four model variations, between 1943 and 1958. They were used extensively by both the military and civilian airlines until the early 1960s.