salt_air / southbound - Eastern Air Lines / L-049 / North America

[salt_air]

Official Tracking Thread:

Eastern's entry will be leaving later today after all of the last minute checks are complete.

At that time we will be proceeding as planed to San Juan and await further instructions as to routing into Bueno Aires.

All of us here at "Eastern" would like to offer our Best Wishes for a safe, productive, and excitng trip to each entry in this wonderful event.


:ernae:

[salt_air]

After a slight miscalculation in our original plan to destination was caught and corrected, the EAL team finishes it's preflight checks and prepares for taxi to the active at CYUL.

Dorval ground, Eastern Air Lines 541 ready for push-back gate C-8.

Eastern Air lines 541, rodger.

[salt_air]

Eastern Air Lines flight 541 is taking off RWY 24L CYUL to KLGA non-stop.

TOW=81418

Payload=19940

[salt_air]

EAL 541 is down safe at La Guardia

Landing weight= 77880 lbs (whoops)

Fuel used= 3504 lbs

Last minute desision to make a river appraoch to RWY 13, then the vis went somewhere....should have "lost" about 80 lbs of fuel, but got carried away when vis got poor. A suprise tailwind for a lot of the descent.

Educational flight to say the least, plane handles beautifully.

I'll take a break then off to Washington DC.

[MM]

Beautiful Connie, that!

President Rickenbacker will be proud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEAXQiuDIM

[salt_air]

Beautiful Connie, that!

President Rickenbacker will be proud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEAXQiuDIM

What a great collection of vids Mike!

Thank You kindly and I hope others that view this thread will take a few minutes and watch all of these.

I made a playlist with all 8.

I had no idea that Godfrey was such an enthusiast.

[MM]

Yes, a truly marvelous collection of videos. Glad you enjoyed them!

[salt_air]

EAL 541 is taking off RWY 13 at KLGA for departure to KDCA.

There's 10 kt x-wind out of 080 with light rain.

TOW= 79740

Payload= 19940

[salt_air]

"Green" landing at KDCA

[salt_air]

EAL 541 makes a "Green" landing at KDCA.

Landing weight= 77030 lbs

Fuel used= 2688 lbs

Never paid attention before this as to how short the range is on these NDB's around here (38NM).

Had to use RWY 15,,,,very exciting.

Time to change pants and rest up for the trip to Miami.

[Moses03]

Nice job fellow L-049A driver. :ernae:

[salt_air]

Nice job fellow L-049A driver. :ernae:

Thank you Sir!,,,,,are we the only two L-049 drivers out here?

[salt_air]

EAL 541 continues on to KMIA out of KDCA.

Headwinds already,,,hope they change at altitude,,,or not, cause I'm toten a little extra fuel.

(I think?...what?)....:isadizzy:

This will be the third and last of three required flights made in total darkness from start to finish. (CYUL-KLGA-KDCA-KMIA)

TOW= 88046 lbs

Payload= 19940 lbs

Cleared for take off RWY 19,,,,Eastern 541....:running:

[salt_air]

EAL 541 arriving at gate E 7.....

Landing weight= 77337 lbs

Fuel used= 11018 lbs

Accumulated flight time= 5:37

Favorable winds most of the way and partly cloudy skies to allow a visual of the coastline which made it nice. Plane does a little bit better on fuel than I thought,,,,,but we'll keep checking.

I'm glad these required nightime flights are accomplished.

Weather is here....wish you were beautiful.

Another Margarita por favor! :ernae:

[Moses03]

...are we the only two L-049 drivers out here?

Looks that way. The other Connie drivers were seduced by the 1049 models...

[salt_air]

Looks that way. The other Connie drivers were seduced by the 1049 models...

Well then,,, "Hats off to you and I",,,,drinks on me.

Best of luck to ya!

BTW: Full payload and reserves only in the tanks shows up as 7% at the top-o-the screen when you hit the shift + Z a couple of times....;)

Now if I could just get some descent GPH figures for this "wild bird".

Okay break's over ,,,yuz guys get back to work! :running:

[salt_air]

After waiting ALL day for the list of the items we were supposed to collect for the trip to be checked off,,,,we are told to proceed with out the last item we had been waiting ALL that time for,,,,Duct Tape??

I have to ask how could a city the size of Miami be completely out of Duct Tape? With no shipments due before next week, we push on. Strange indeed,,,we will just be forced to buy from street vendors in Havana.

Out of KMIA (finally) EAL flight 541 ready to go RWY 12 to MUHA.....

Eastern 541 cleared for take-off RWY 12 departure to the south approved.

TOW= 79769

Payload= 19940

[salt_air]

Down safe at MUHA

Boy, these daytime flights are cool.

Landing weight= 76971 lbs

Fuel used= 2769 lbs

[MM]

Congrats.

Now to relax. A few snorts at the Tropicana?

[salt_air]

Congrats.

Now to relax. A few snorts at the Tropicana?

Ahh yes,,,,,,,but of course!

TAXI!!!

[jt_dub]

Welcome to Havana Sir!

[salt_air]

Thank you kindly Sir....

Charming place, love to stay for a while, but we really must press on.

[salt_air]

After what turned into a rather lengthy visit to the Tropicana, we set out to sample some of the local cuisine. Turns out the navigator has relatives here and we are very fotunate to have a nice home cooked meal waiting.

Stuffed now with something called "Guinea Hen Fricassee" and some tamales on the side we rinse everything back with a cool Batido de Mango and we're off to the airport.

:jump:

[salt_air]

Eastern Air Lines flight 541 for Kingston, Jamaica now boarding at Gate 4.

Hazy and slight headwind taking off MUHA-MKJP

TOW= 84199

Payload= 19940

[RedGreen]

So my ol' buddy is coming to Kingston. Looks like we picked a good day to take off from flying. Let's meet up at the airport, and I'll show you a good restaurant I found called "The Joy Boat" for dinner tonight. The calypso music is pretty good, and the food ain't half bad either.