AUBURN, Maine (AP) — A vintage commercial airplane is undertaking a long, slow journey from Maine to New York where it will be turned into a cocktail lounge.
The long trip ahead of the Lockheed Constellation, known as the “Connie,” kicked off Monday at a send-off event Auburn-Lewiston Airport in Maine. The plane departed this morning and is making its way over the next several days to JFK in New York on a tow truck.
Once in New York, the L-1649A Starliner will serve as the cocktail lounge outside TWA Hotel, a hotel that promises to bring back “the magic of the Jet Age.”
A spokeswoman for TWA Hotel says the plane, built in 1956 and in service starting 1958, does not fly anymore.
Hundreds of Constellations were produced by Lockheed in the 1940s and 1950s. But only 44 Starliners were built.
