FROM FLAGSHIP TO ASTROJET - Classic Color Scheme from the DC-3 to the Jet Age
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 чер 2021
- An in-depth look at the most consistent color scheme ever seen on airliners from the 1930s through the 1970s, using rare photos from the Craig Kodera and Jon Proctor collections.
Want exciting never-before-seen aviation images emailed to you twice a month? Then sign-up for our VIP Newsletter! You'll also be the first to know when new and exclusive paid premium content becomes available: www.celebratingaviation.com/vip
My Uncle was an AA Captain. We used to meet him in the cockpit after a flight at Newark or LaGuardia onboard the empty airplane. He flew the DC-7, the 707, 727 and the DC-10. His favorite airplane though was the 707. He retired in 1980 with 33,000 hours, having started flying with the Army Air Corp as a B-17 pilot.
He taught me how to fly, a great guy and one hell of a pilot.
Thanks for this video.
Fabulous story, thanks!
Had 2 brothers were pilots, got started flying in South America, thats a training ground in itself.
Great memories for me.
Dad was an AA pilot and when I was maybe 5 years old took us to see the newly delivered orange stripe AA 727s lined up at LaGuardia.
mine, too!
Wonderful video. Stunning photos capturing the best views of American's classic airliners. I was transported back in time to the best times of my youth. I will return to this video any time I need a lift to my day.
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
@Chuck Yeager Many thanks!
Great photo’s. You covered a lot of history/information in a short amount of time! Thanks!
Mike, I discovered your wonderful videographies only a couple of week ago but really enjoy them. I grew up in Dallas in the 1950s and early '60s, and my dad and I spent a lot of time at Love Field, looking at not only all the passenger planes you describe but also quite a collection of vintage WWII aircraft as well. One topic I hope you'll explore is the story of the Lockheed Electra. I remember seeing the Braniff ones at Love Field and thought they were beautiful. Thanks again for your great work!
Am 71 now and was born and raised in the LA area of the "valley". I loved airplanes as a kid and my dad would take me to the old Los Angeles Municipal Airport and the new LAX in the early 60s to watch planes come and go. We would go to the different airlines to watch arrivals and departures. I loved seeing the DC-3s and the Convair from TWA and United come and go. I remember the Bonanza Airlines F-27. I loved the high wings. The DC-6, DC-7 and Constellation were my favorite 4 engine planes. When PSA came out with the Electra, my dad bought us round trip tickets to San Diego and back to LA. We had lunch or more of a snack in San Diego and came back in the afternoon. I could tell the difference in power and take off from the DC-6 we would fly on United to San Francisco. The first jet I flew on was a DC-8 in 1960 to SFO with my Dad to visit my aunt. 60 years later, I have flown in most Boeing equipment and all Douglas equipment except the DC-4. Thanks to the dishonesty of Boeing and former CEO Muilenburg regarding the 737MAX cover-up and lies and omissions, I will not fly on the newest Boeing equipment due to the possibility of something being overlooked by mistake or in trying to save a buck. Your channel is very informative and you are obviously a plane lover like I am.... especially the older and earlier models. Hope there can be one about the Curtiss Condor sometime.
Wonderful comment and stories, thanks!
Another typically great 👍program from you.
Many thanks!
Best one yet, my favorite so far! Thanks for doing these, Mike.
Appreciate the comment, thank you!
Super, Mike! A great tribute to a long standing and stunning livery. Looking forward to the Atlantis Models rerelease of the old Revell 707 Astrojet and Convair 990 coming this summer!
You and me both Adam.
This was a lot of fun to watch Mike. Great photos and informative presentation. I absolutely love every one of the aircraft shown, but really have a soft spot for the 707 and Electra. Flew on both several times and was always impressed by their looks and performance. The AA 707 Astrojet scheme was outstanding. Thank you for your effort in making this enjoyable video.
Appreciate your help in making this video possible - those black-and-white photos were all from the collection!
Thanks Mike, your presentations bring back the memories.
Walking to the stairs in sleet in NY...Walking off in sun in Fl.
Was MARVELOUS.
Condolences to Johns family.
Best to you Scott Whitmire
Thanks Scott, and best to Lynn.
Your photos are not found on any other channel, another superb programme. I loved learning all about the interior layout of the 707. You are a national treasure and wealth of information. We are blessed that you share it with us! 😊
'Glad you're enjoying the channel, and I very much appreciate your wonderful comments. Many thanks!
Thank you for a great presentation. I fondly remember the BAC 111 with AA, with its super loud take off from JFK. Those Spey engines could be heard from departure thru most of Nassau County
As a "true AAr" for over 35 years, thank you! So proud of my true Eagle that once graced our skies. Sadly, long gone. Again, thank you.
Really appreciate the comment, thanks! My very first flight on American was awesome - a brand-new 727 from LaGuardia in 1965. Thanks for watching!
Great program Mike . Love hearing about US airlines . Being a Brit my background was BEA Viscounts , Tridents and Vanguards , BUA 1-11s and BOAC VC10s and 707s .
Back in 1967 my family flew back to Virginia from Atlanta in an EAL Electra. We were seated in the lounge in the very rear of the plane. A far cry from the airline seating of today.
Agreed!
To this day I think AA's lightning bolt livery was the best. Wish they would bring it back.
They had at least one 737 in that retro paint in recent years. You can probably do a search and find it.
@@wkelly3053 Hi, I saw it in person, I also saw a 757 with the retro. Really good looking schemes. I'm sure you can find that 757 on Airliners.net.
I don't know how many of them I saw on final to JFK in the 1960s. I agree it was their best logo.
AA never should have replaced that scheme. It was clean, classic and iconic
Agreed 100%!
Regarding Boeing's decision to re-size the 707 fuselage to accommodate 6 abreast economy class seating, the event that ultimately forced the issue was Pan Am's decision to place orders for 25 DC-8's while giving Boeing only 20 for the 707. Had Boeing not played ball soon enough, Juan Trippe would've ditched the 707 in time in favour of the DC-8, which curiously enough, was a better built aircraft, albeit with a slight fuel penalty.
The DC-8 is engineered to handled significantly more lifetime cycles than any 707. Furthermore, it was designed with a taller tricycle landing gear right from the get-go to accommodate future fuselage stretches without re-design the wing box (to augment landing gear extension).*
*This was the 707's Achilles' heel; and reason why fuselage stretches were greatly constrained (poor planning).
Good info, thanks!
Great added info -thanks
L R G, Just interested in info, not disputing your facts. Growing up, we always thought of the KC-135 as being basically a 707 but made to refuel rather than carry passengers. If the 707 was such an inferior aircraft, why did the air force choose it rather than the DC-8 for their refueling mainstay for many, many years? Don't know if any are still in service, but I know the air force or reserve was still using KC-135s until quite recently. How many DC-8s are still being used commercially or by the military? Was choosing the Boeing product purely political? I know military contracts don't always make sense, so that is why I am asking. Thanks for any further information.
@@diffened , the KC--135 was available way before the DC-8. Also, likely less expensive, and I'm pretty sure Boeing made certain it would stay that way.
Look at all the old time DC-8's compared to 707's (total hours/cycles flown per aircraft). It's not even close.
Also, there were at least two incidences where 707's lost 3 or all 4 engines during flight (Braniff and BOAC), due to rough handling. Not aware of any such thing occurring to a DC-8.
@@lrg3834 Thanks, didn't know there were DC-8s still in service and don't really know that much about them. My impression from when I was younger is that the 707 was a major mainstay of the airlines and them being used by the military was impressive to us air force kids. You sound like you are a DC fan and not so much a Boeing fan. Have a nice day.
American Airlines was my favorite airline as a kid - because of its super neat color scheme!
I love the all silver with orange lightening bolt color scheme. I flew in a 707 Astro Jet in 1969 from Los Angeles to Washington Dulles. What struck me was when they showed the in flight movie l could tell the actual plastic movie film was moving through the length of the cabin as there was a delay from screen to screen.
I really enjoyed that video, it brought back a lot of memories. My father was an Aircraft Electrician for Canadian Pacific Airlines after WWII. As a kid, I played in all those planes if he got called into work on a Saturday.
Neat story - many thanks!
Great review of a great era, I remember it well.
Thanks for the cruise down memory lane.
Unique video and good perspective. Thanks. I always look forward to seeing your latest video.
Many thanks!
Another great video and very informative and interesting.
Thanks for the memory lane report. My birthday present in 1967 was to spend the day on the observation deck at Dallas’ Love Field, a while before DFW. I saw many 707 Astrojets, 727s and a 990, several BAC 400 jets and Electras. I loved that old AA livery. I saw many Braniffs sporting their new “flying colors” back then and Delta DC-8s and CV 880s.
My dad preferred flying AA Astrojets from Dallas to New York on business because it was the only airline that allowed cigar smoking in first class.
Wonderful story and great comment, thanks. Wonder if you ever watched on of my Braniff 720 flights from San Antonio to New York JFK via Love Field. Also from Wichita Falls on BAC-111s. Every Braniff "Flying Colors" airplane I ever flew on (six altogether) was Yellow Ochre!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 You reminded me of a boy's airplane heartbreak. My best friend and I got to go on a trip with his father in January of '68 which was my first flight on an airplane. We were to fly a Braniff BAC 1-11 (my friend's favorite plane) from Love Field to Wichita Falls but the flight was cancelled and they put us on a bus instead. We drove away from the gate at Love Field's Yellow Concourse under the wing of a Braniff 707 with tears in our eyes. I never got to fly the BAC 1-11 but loved watching them. We flew back from Wichita Falls to Dallas Love Field on a Braniff Convair 340. My friend's father flew a lot and said at the time that Braniff was bad about cancelling flights. Maybe that was an omen of the future.
If you're asking whether Ochre was the same color as yellow - it wasn't. Yellow Braniff jets were distinctively yellow but ochre was a brownish color and seemed to be the most plentiful color of the Braniff's that came to my town.
I flew the 737-800. There is one painted in this retro scheme. Thanks for the great look back.
That was a very fast 20 minutes....thanks for another great one, 707s and Electras....WOW.
Mike, I'm really enjoying your presentations of piston airliners. I used to fly regularly on business, mostly on the Boeing 727, and after that, the Mad Dog series. Loved them all. But my first flight was in 1967, aboard a Piedmont Airlines Martin 404. Now, THAT was a plane!
Appreciate the comment, thanksTom!
Your post about American Airline and it's fleet brought back many remembrances of my youth, back then my dad worked in the oil industry and the family lived overseas mainly in South America. Thus I can tell you that during those years as I commuted to middle and later high school I flow on ever single plane you wrote out at least once. Back then I always spent my longer holiday periods at home at what ever oil camp my dad was assigned to. Generally we flew Delta out of New Orleans but always starting and ending in Tulsa thus American and Delta were my main carriers and yes one of my last trips overseas saw me finally exposed to jet travel. Those were fun times to fly you never know what might happen. We generally flow over night going down and returns were generally in the day. Our stops included Havana Cuba, Kingston Jamaica, and Oranjestad Aruba before landing in Maiquetia the gateway to Caracas Venezuela. At which point flow by either company plane or later on by the national airlines. And yes we never what we would be flying on, anything from a DC3 to God only know what.
Great story, thanks.
Wow! I just took it for granted that we could fly coast to coast regularly!
Although I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about military aircraft, I'm woefully ignorant about civilian ones. Thanks so much for helping fill the gaps!
really enjoyed this... my dad was a flight instructor in WWII and joined American after the war... I remember as a kid him taking me to the hangers at LaGuardia (grew up on Long Island) in the evening and getting to go thru the DC-7 as well as some of the "new" jets (707, 727) and even explore the cockpits... always loved the color scheme, simple but iconic... thanks again :)
Great story, thanks!
It's interesting to note that the lightning bolt cheatline is still in use today with the RCAF. Their red lightning bolt was also to be seen on the 707/CC-137.
Excellent as always. Many thanks Mike.
I feel fortunate to grow along with the industry. Six year old on an Electra from Tulsa to Houston unaccompanied! With a browning take down . 22 and ammo in the suitcase I carried on board. We were all safe 😉
Another fine presentation Mike!
Thank you!
Mike, I really loved your video. I worked at UAL's Maintenance Operation Center at SFO in the mid 60s. Just out of the Air Force where I worked on B-52s and KC-135s. They turned me into a sheet-metal/structural repair mechanic when I started working Plane Overhaul on DC-6Bs. When United got their B-727s, we used to call them "rectum rockets". Thanks for a great video.
Great presentation, photos and narration.
Great video! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and history of the early jet age. The subtle differences between the 707 and 720 were new to me.
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Can you imagine what would happen if that Convair nacelle came unlatched in flight. What a speed brake that would make.
Very well done and informative. Thank you!
That L-188 Electra N6101A on the ramp at Burbank would crash at LGA shortly after delivery, I have photos of the salvage operation as my dad was part of it
First off great video as usual. Funny thing it made me thing of Disneyland, in Tomorrowland there was a ride called the "Astro Jets" but Disney changed the name to the "Tomorrowland Jets." in 1964 when United Airlines, as a new park sponsor for "The Enchanted Tiki Room," contended the name was free advertising for American Airlines. A few years later it was changed to the "Rocket Jets" as it just sounded better. Thanks for your time, work and posting your work for us to view.......
Great story, and 'appreciate the comment, thanks!
Mike, I remember most of the things you have in your videos from the stick and tissue to the plastic models. The airlines different aircraft. I worked for TWA from 1962 to 1995 when I retired. I was also big into rocket models and a big fan of NASA in the 50’s and 60’s.
Love your videos. Great work I've built a lot of these planes so the information was great
Thanks for the memories from an American Airline's Brat. Loved it!
Thanks for the all the facts you’ve included-lots of interesting comparisons and history. I enjoyed it throughly!
Many thanks!
Love your programs, Mike. You do a wonderful job of explaining things and all your pics are first class! Best, Andy K. :-)
Appreciate the comment, thanks, Andy!
Enjoyed the video. Thanks.
I lived under the western outer glide slope of what is now Pittsburgh International Airport. It shared its runways with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. We called the sound of those jets flying overhead as, "The Sound Of Freedom". And, yes, they were loud. Growing up, like Mike, in the 1950's and 1960's, I too was able to see the change from pistons to jets. I can remember going outside on the roof of the main terminal at PIT to watch the airplanes load and unload. I could have sat there all day, but my parents had other plans, and usually our stay was perhaps fifteen minutes or so. You can't go out to watch airliners loading any longer, you can only watch from inside the sound-insulated terminal windows. It isn't the same, but safety and noise have taken their toll of things we thought "normal", at that time.
Great comment Alan, and that was me at Idlewild and LaGuardia in New York in that era. Thanks for watching!
Another great one Mike. Sadly we will soon be down to one pilot in the cockpit and dare I say eventually none? Hello HAL!
"Open the pod bay doors HAL." "I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."
@@paintnamer6403 Open the @*&%^&%*&%^ doors you sorry sack of silicon!!!
Evere seen the cartoon of the "Cockpit of the future?" One pilot, and a dog. Pilot is there to monitor systems - the dog is there to bite the pilot's hand if he touches anything!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 🤣😜
Great video! I really enjoyed watching this.
Many thanks!
Really enjoyable and informative presentation. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
thank for the Video and your Report. Best wishes from Germany
Thanks again for another great video. God bless you and thank you for all you do. Happy Father's day Mr. Machat. 👍👍
Appreciate the nice comment, Martin, thanks!
Nice video Mike. I've always been partial to American as well. My first airline flight was in 1976, Detroit to Phoenix, on an American DC-10. The pilots let my brother and I in the cockpit and gave us each a set of pilots wings! We lived several miles from the airport, and always had jets flying over the house. However, they were usually at a couple thousand feet altitude. Still pretty loud sometimes. I took some photo's of the Concord flying over the house, in the late 70's I believe, probably it's only flight to Detroit. I remember it being a big event, which is why I was ready to catch it on film. Thanks for the great channel, take care!
Great video,keep it up!✈✈🛩🛩🛫🛫🛬🛬🪂🪂💺💺🚁🚁🧍♀️
Nice selection of aircraft, especially the bi-wing. 👍🏻
Eastern Airlines next then and their Great Silver Fleet? Love these aircraft and paint schemes....quite boring these days! 😉
....another excellent video! 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻🏆🥇
Great video as usual, Mike. One minor clarification...the DC-7 bullet prop spinners are not a definitive indicator of a DC-7B. United's straight DC-7s were delivered without them but were retrofitted with them in the late 50s. How about a future video on United's Mainliner livery, both early and the later Raymond Loewy scheme?
Good catch, thanks. The DC-7B was an odd airplane because of its many possible configurations - with or without engine nacelle saddle tanks, no taller tail fin like the '7C, etc.
Great content as usual. Hail Mike!
Great video Mike! Having grown up next to Idlewild and early planespotter, I was witness to
the arrival that Sunday Jan 25, 1959 of AAL Flight 2 LAX - JFK. And then the transition began, props to jets. Wow, what witness to aviation history and I’m still loving it at 77.
Thanks Jerry! I'm three years younger and was at IDL that day also, as my Dad picked me up from Sunday school to go see the new jet on the ramp at the end of the Quonset huts. All that gleaming bare metal with the orange lightning bolt - unforgettable!
Great presentation. Even though we lived in Burbank, our numerous trips to SFO were always out of LAX. Western's 720s gave you a rocket ship take-off. TWA even flew the 880, along with the 707. If you flew to Phoenix, American operated the 990.
Great comment, thanks!
Great video. In the '50's my parents flew United, but during the '60's and onward, mostly American. I remember the orange lightning bolt well, and built two 1/144th Revell 707's in that scheme. That said, I liked the follow-on red, white, and, blue stripped paint scheme just as much after it came along around '68. Wow, no APU's? Didn't know that.
I remember watching planes in those days where a starter truck hooked up each time to start the engines. The DC-6s and 7s had an air conditioning truck pump cool air into the cabin at each stop. The DC-9 was hailed for being self-starting in the mid ‘60s
727 was first to have apu, it was in the right wheel well area and exhausted from the wing. Made it a very independent aircraft, indeed!
G'day from Australia. Loved this, it resulted in a new Sub.
Thanks, and great to have you aboard!
As a kid, I flew on the Electra. I had my little brown suitcase with me. In the suitcase was my browning semi auto breakdown rifle. I was ready to protect everyone on board if necessary. I was very, very young, but very mature in many ways.
My Dad flew A26's for Standard Oil starting in the late 40's and staying through all the name changes. Stanolin oil and gas, standard, 9-10 corp, so I had the coolest Dad in the world🤗
Neat comment, thanks Terry!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 love your work. Model box art was an overwhelming force in my life . It can still capture me.
Great trip in the Wayback Machine, Mike!!
Cannot confirm this tidbit, but the story wandering around in the past was that the 727 APU was an afterthought which is why it was installed in the right wing root... Yes, no, maybe??
Yes, I had heard that as well, thanks.
Great video history of my former employer! I flew the 707's, 727's, A-300's and 757/767's in the course of 31 years; and my favorite airplane, of those that I actually flew, was the 757 with the original delivery scheme retro paint job from 1959. Sadly, that one got repainted at some point, but the Astrojet 737 still flies!
American called their 720's 707's because, for all practical purposes, the 720 was just a hot rod version of the 707. It was formally named 720 at the behest of United Airlines, so the tale goes, because for the first few years of the jet age UAL had gone to great lengths extolling the virtues of their DC-8's and proclaiming the superiority of that airplane over the 707. By the time they bought the 720's it would have been downright awkward for them to acknowledge that the 707 was worthy of their consideration after all, so the 720 it became. AA operated both, and simply ignored the difference - only the pilots, and those few passengers who knew what you outlined here, knew for sure! The two types shared a common type rating - one of the first.
As to the CV 990's speed fairings (sometimes called Kuchemann Carrots, after one of the men who discovered the area rule), they were very much an after-the-fact addition, and not part of the original design. The CV990, although it turned out to be a good airplane, was a financial disaster for Convair, which had already lost money on the 880 and was desperate for another sale to a major airline. CR Smith drove a bargain harder than any that Bob Crandall would drive decades later - he demanded a larger, faster version of the 880 powered by the then-new fan engines, indeed the first airliner to be so powered. Smith demanded and got speed guarantees, which were written into the contract along with a provision that allowed AA to unload most if not all of their DC-7's onto Convair in trade. So backed into a corner was Convair that they did not build a prototype, but started building production airplanes; and it was only at that point, when flight testing began, that it was discovered that the airplane would not meet the speed specs, not by a long shot. AA could have torn up the contract right then and there (and some argue that Convair would have lost less money had they done so), but Convair did some research and ended up adding the "speed fairings" to the airplanes. This got the speed up closer to specs and AA took delivery; but the airplane burned a lot of fuel to go that fast (even in the 10cent/gallon days this was a factor) , and it turned out that the passengers really didn't care about which airplane was technically the fastest (we're only talking minutes on the stage lengths that the 990 could handle - it was by no means a transcontinental airplane). AA flew them for a few years, and got rid of them in the mid to late 1960's as more 727's came on line. The pilots did like them, for the most part, but airlines have never based their equipment decisions on what pilots like!
I just built the old Revell CV990, which is to my delight being re-issued by a modern producer, and in the process of building it I discovered from pictures that the AA 990 had a large area of the lower right fuselage forward of the leading edge of the wing painted Skydrol-resistant grey. This is a much larger area than what you see on the Boeings around things like the wheel wells and lav service panels, and I have no idea why it is there, but it is....
Hey Mike, actually the 727 APU is located in the wheel well. Only the exhaust is located on the right wing.
Good point.
Thanks for creating this video. I’ve always been fascinated that AA used orange as their signature colour from the 1930’s to the 60’s. I would think that orange would have been unusual in the 30’s.
Thanks, and yes, American pioneered the use of bright colors on the aircraft's control surfaces which enhanced inflight visibility as well.
Just LOVE the Electra!
As loud as the jets were back then, the Electra may have been louder.
Speed pods on the Convair 990s were anedoctally called “Kuckermann carrots “
Awesome commentary. I miss seeing your drawings in print.
Appreciate the comment, thanks Tom. Now in my 70s, I'm no longer able to paint, hence the UA-cam channel to share my artwork with a new generation. Thanks for watching!
Wonderful video on AA's famous lightning stripe livery! Somewhat related here, American Airlines' international subsidiary, American Overseas Airlines (AOA), had Lockheed L-049 Constellations with the AA lightning stripe markings.
WOW... THAT WAS FUN !!!! THANK YOU!
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
My Dad always told me that American Airlines paint scheme was mostly bare metal because they realized that paint adds weight and weight reduces efficiency.
You were correct about what you said about the shock bodies on the Convair 990 reducing transonic drag. I also like the fact that all of that volume was used for additional fuel tanks.
The shock bodies also acted as wing fences to control lateral flow effect. And you were right. I worked at a shop that paints airliners. A fully painted 737 has an astounding 500 pounds of paint on it.
Great video, and info!
Love the pix never seen before.
Im a "Boeing" fan, but the "27" is my baby!
That plane just looks like its going Mach 6 ON THE GROUND to me! Its that tail sweep!
Keep them coming.
I notice no one ever does anything on Continental Airlines, why is that?
The "Golden Bird" has as always been my favorite as far as liverys go, until they killed the "Meatball". After that, it was all generics.!
Thanks, and I agree on Continental!
I agree - I thought the gold and red globe color mix on Continentals were one of the best livery’s in those days.
My father worked for American Airlines from the mid 50's until the mid 1990's From age 7 to age 35, I practically lived on these airplanes. DC6, DC7, BAC111, MD70, 707, 747, 757, electras and so on. As a "non rev" flyer, I was told to wear a suit and tie on every flight and frequently got "bumped" in Buffalo or Rochester on flight between Chicago (Midway then O'Hare) and Syracuse. These days, Susan and I take United Airbus and 777s to Europe (Frankfurt, Brussels, et. al) to end in Budapest, Barcelona, Florence. for 2 month stays every year
Wonderful comment, thanks Timothy, and you truly experienced the Golden Age!
15:19 I remember using those rear boarding stairs of the 727 when I was in Europe in 1969. Neither Tempelhof nor Frankfurt had jetways built yet. Don't recall using any 727 front self-contained stairways but may be Lufthansa just didn't use them. Also recall that the backstairs is what DB Cooper used to escape from Northwest flight a couple years later.
Well Done!
Used to ride American's BAC 111-400's many times DCA-LGA when I was a kid, My first 747 trip was Summer 1971, IAD-LAX, on AmericanMy most recent trips on AA were 737's IAD-LAX. They were a great airline back when air travel was special. Only now as a retiree senior citizen, that I dress "business casual" when traveling by air.
As a kid in the 50s I use to go to LGA by subway and city bus and spend the whole day there watching aircraft and people come and go. I discovered ,one day, how to get to the approach end of runway 31. Back then there was nothing to stop you from walking to where the shore line was and following it to the end of the runway. The shore line was covered with enormous rocks and they were low enough to keep you out of sight from the airport authority. Once at the runway you could watch the the DC-7s and Connies, Electras and Convair and general aviation aircraft land right over your head. When the wind changed direction they would takeoff over you with a ground shaking roar! As long as I stayed below the raised berm between the shore and the airport I was hidden from view. One day someone on one of the planes must have noticed this kid being where he shouldn’t and told the airport cops. I could tell there was a break in the action with departures and asI peeked over the berm to see what was going on I noticed a yellow port authority car heading towards my direction. I quickly started my exit but those big boulders along the shore were difficult to negotiate without slipping and sliding all over the place. Since the grass at the top of the berm was very high I decided to climb up the berm and into the grass. As I was laying there I slowly peeked over the top of the grass and I could see the officer looking around for me where I had been. Fortunately he didn’t walk very far from the spot and gave up the search. After he left I made my way back to the terminal (the old old terminal) and as kids will do, I was convinced I was going to be picked up at any moment so I headed for home. Funny that many years later I would be working at LGA on the ramp for Mohawk Airlines and several years after that I would be making the same approach to runway 31 in twin engine Cessnas and later on in 737s for Piedmont Airlines. I guess life’s funny that way.
What a great story, thanks Dom! For me, it was the original General Aviation Terminal at JFK at the west end of the old 1948 Quonset huts (where the new National and British Airways terminals were built in the 1970s). I had the run of the place, and it took me 90 minutes each way from my house in Rockville Centre to JFK via two buses and a short Sunway ride to Kew Gardens. Today the LIRR and AirTrain make that same trip in 30 minutes! Congrats on your aviation career.
quite a few turbo-prop airlinersoperated in USA, viscount, YS-11, ATR-42, 72, Dash 8, and CV-580 and others
I didn't remember.
Nicely don!
That was verry nice..
"Flying" magazine cover photo shot still has the USPS mail sticker on the bottom @ 05:45
Thank YOU for this, In 1959 we went from jets to wide bodies by 1969 and it seemed these advances would keep going to the Moon (Kubricks 2001 Space Odyssey). I’m reminded of the the SST pushback in the late 60’s with todays Euro pushback with calls to avoid air in the name of sustainability (The old “people with brains take the trains” joke).
After 60+ years of jet travel are we at a crossroads and don’t realize it? Where do we go in size/propulsion as It seems we’re on a downside given todays airline experience,
Great comment, thanks!
The 727 was the first Boeing airliner to include an APU unit.
Very enjoyable Mike. Alas when I flew for AA we didn’t have the ⚡️. I also flew the last 707 built; a very well engineered plane. Joe Petronnie was right!
Love it!
You mean - it’s built to withstand anything except a bad pilot!
I was lucky as a young boy I few from New York to LAX on an American Airlines Boeing 707 ~ My memories are as a 10 year old were the 707 postcard in the seat pocket along withe the map of the USA and also the Captain letting us all know when we flew over the grand canyon then when we landed at LAX the spider building and palm trees everywhere never seen a palm tree before I thought I was in an episode of The Jetsons ~ Great memories ~
Wonderful comment and story, thanks!
This video was very informative. I grew up flying on 727 and 707/720 aircraft since my dad worked for AA. But I never realized in this much detail how these jets evolved because by the time I was old enough to remember flying, the modifications had already been made.
I didn't know that the early 727-023 had built-in forward stairs in addition to the rear ones. Is this true as the narrator said?
And like the narrator, I have always wondered why the 720 was dubbed a 707 (the 023B).
Butler aircraft operated
Tanker 68 ex American
DC-6 scrapped a few years ago. Still in American livery
Great production as usual by Steve. The only thing missing was an explanation as to why American chose the orange color. Perhaps safety (i.e.: visibility)? The other thing that always captured my attention with 'America's Leading Airline' ( as indicated on ticket folders ) was the use of the word Flagship followed by a city. Will always recall my amazement at my first sight of a gleeming silver American DC6 at Willow Run (YIP) in 1958 from the observation deck. Thanks Steve !
An interesting side note is that all of the original American Airlines' aircraft (not purchased/leased from another airline) that were ordered from Boeing, carried the designator "23" in the model number (for example: B707-123, B727-223, B747-123, etc.). Each airline was issued its own "customer number" by Boeing, to be able to customize the aircraft to the individual airline's needs. This included galley layout, cockpit instrumentation, radio antenna placement, just to name a few). Pan Am was 21, United 22, American 23, Continental 24, TWA 31, etc. A listing of all of Boeing's customer numbers is available on-line. If you know the full model number of any Boeing aircraft, you can find out by whom it was originally ordered.
I always wondered why Boeing seemed to have so many model numbers compared to Douglas.
> This [customer number] included galley layout, cockpit instrumentation, radio antenna placement, just to name a few) <
OTOH, it was Douglas (McDonnell Douglas by then) which went to an elaborate numerical designation part way through their Delta rocket program. Each one of four digits revealed yet another thing about that particular vehicle's configuration.
Enjoyable and very informative as always Mike. Just a query, the colour shot of plane shown behind the guy in that small glider at the 5:18 mark, is it not a DC2? The engine nacelles remind me of the 2.
Good question, and that airplane is an early DC-3 with very similar engine cowlings. Later models had larger engines with round cowling intakes. Easiest way to tell the DC-2 from the -3 is that the DC-2 has flat sides to the fuselage while the DC-3 has a wider, circular cross-section. Thanks for the comment!
Great video.
P3 was not Americas only 4 engine turboprop transport. Lockheeds L-100 was flown in 53. Delta flew it as well!
I think the Delta L-100 was cargo only.
I remember flying in the BAC 111 as a kid, got plastic pilot wings as a gift from the crew. I watched two F4 Phantoms take off at night time through the window while waiting for our turn to take off while in Arizona. very impressed. I kept looking up the aisle to see the cockpit too, as their was no door, just a curtain that at times was left drawn open.
Those were the days!
If you ever revise this one, you could add in the 757-223 in the commemorative Mercury service lightning bolt livery.
Good point!
I remember the DC-3s and BAEs that flew into Toronto.... never saw the bigger types there....