I FLEW the Convair 340 in 1956/57 with Braniff Airways. As a Braniff Hostess....who had a Student Pilot license...I spent any spare moment (when not serving full meals to my 44 passengers) up in the cockpit asking questions. Sometimes the Captain would tell the copilot to let ME fly... (OK OK so I just steered for a few minutes) But I loved the galley...boarding and serving my passengers...(Braniff had a reputation as having the friendliest crews!) What changes I have seen in the past 60 years in the industry!
For what it's worth, I bought and thoroughly enjoyed John Nance's book on the fall of Braniff. I'm in my mid-60's and cried as the story ended....literally. I had never seen before....nor have I ever seen since..... a gate area as pretty as they had at MCI Just absolutely gorgeous
I flew the Convair 580 for 5 years and have to say it's still my favorite airplane even over the big jets I have flown. They are so overbuilt, strong and reliable, created in the days before computer design where they made them 3 times stronger than they thought they would need to be. Amazing comfortable workhorses that are still flying today! I miss those good old days of being a real pilot! So glad I had the opportunity to fly these wonderful airplanes, but it's sad how so many younger pilots have never even heard of Convair. What a great aircraft manufacturer they were. Thanks for sharing this video!
+dc10driver1 I used to love being a passenger on the 580 (at least as long as you didn't sit right across from the props). One flight took me from ICT-MCI-SUX-FSD-OMA-MSP (although maybe not in that order). Never enjoyed a flight so much in my life. (I did have a friend who showed me the cockpit and those pilots had naughty pictures stashed in every crook and crevice they could find. Apparently when they started hiring females they got cleaned out in a hurry!)
+Hank Fuddle I remember many passengers telling us they preferred riding on the Convair than the jets they were connecting onto after our flights! I had a retired USAir captain tell me that at one time they had around 70 seats in the back, before the flight attendant rules came to be for 1 attendant for every 50 passengers. With "just" 50 seats in the cabin, they were all "first class" comfort. Very nice ride indeed! Still miss that airplane!
Worked on the 580 as a mech for a few years and got to jumpseat occasionally. Yep, strongest airplane ever. 100,000 hours, 150,000 cycles, 60 years old, still going strong. Only issue was some wing cracks on the lower planks by the fuel panels. Solution was to stop drill and monitor--no patches. My crew chief said he'd been looking at the same cracks for 15 years and they never changed--and some planes didn't have them and were unlikely to get them. Figured it was a slight variance in the alloy or heat treating for certain planes.
Man, I'm jealous! My first airplane flight was a Convair 600 on the now defunct Trans Texas Airways. Big, roomy seats and a nice big window over the wing. I was only 10 years old and it felt like I was on a huge plane even though there were only around 30 seats as I flew from Dallas Love Field to San Antonio. Fast Forward to 1982 and I flew their last year of service from Dallas Love Field to Cancun on a DC-9 Great airline and their fleet all began with Convairs. You have some great memories!!!!
Always had a good feeling for the old airliners : -my only experience with the big props were Cdn military : Twin Otters... which were a barf-machine. these rode better ? anyone ?
As a kid growing up in a Chicago suburb 11 miles from O'Hare Airport, I used to see the North Central Airlines 440's & 580's banking and lining up for runway 27R into ORD. I so wanted to be able to fly on one of these, and still do. It's one of the many planes I'd like to fly that are on my aviation bucket list. Thanks for sharing!
Nothing, in the splendor of Post-War Flying Machines, can compare to a Convair 440 et al -the turboprop variants included, I once flew one. Thanks for posting!!!
Thanks for the upload! Convair had some amazing planes, military and civilian. Wish I could one day fly a 440. I wouldnt be surprised if this video hasn't been featured on mst3k.
i have 2 air force grandfathers so ive heard of convair themselves and the 240 but this looks like a neat plane beautiful and comfy the narrator sure sold me on a flight on a 440 too bad there arent any left i wish i could have flown (on) one but alas i was too young
TO THIS 'CLASSIC FLIGHT BLOGGER,' MANY THANKS FOR THIS "RECIPROCATED CONVAIR METROPOLITAN'S INTERVIEW," AND TO Y'ALL, PAST AIRWAY PILOT THRU FREQUENT FLYER, LET THIS AIRCRAFT BECOME A FABULOUS PASTIME!!
Flew them loaded with Wall Street Journals way after their real airline careers. Got 2500 hours and a type rating, of which I am very proud to this day. Beautiful, classic airplane. Would love to have flown them brand new, but I am privileged just the same.
3:18 General Radio 1551A sound level meter. Introduced about 1950 ish. Flat response from 20 cycles to 20 Kilocycles. Has A,B and C weighing. Has 7 vacuum tubes. Preamp i.e. first tube is a Raytheon CK512AX. The meter's Filament A supply is 2 D cells i.e. 3 volts total. The B high voltage plate supply is single 467B battery 67.5 volts. Reply ·
In the 90's, I flew on the General Motors and Sierra Pacific 580's. So many great experiences. Oh, even with the engines at idle, you cannot here the ticking of a watch. Trust me.
I busted out laughing again! I remember... my first flight was on a 580; and as I commented above, "I couldn't hear myself think".......and then there's Billy waving that sound meter around!! LOL!!!!!! oh, my goodness!!! LOL
@@kevinheard8364 Kevin, in between legs, I had to lug the honey bucket up the stairs, through the cabin and into the Lav. Some days were so cold, we had to add antifreeze into it to prevent freezing. We were so lucky to have been able to ride those aircraft.
Flew on them a lot when I was a young kid. On a flight from Detroit to Binghamton, NY the left engine went out. I remember there was a woman who invited me over to her side of the aircraft so I could see it.
Flew 580's as an engineer for the Navy. (C131H's) my most favorite bird I flew or worked on. Single engine... no problem when you have 4,000 HP per side. Jets... they suck and they blow, I liked the big turboprop.
Here in MEXICO it was very daily with Mexicana airlines Aeronaves de Mexico from 1961-a74 then they continued flying for other second category airlines until today 2020
Actually it had a pretty good safety record. We lost one but it was due to the rework facility in Dothan Al that rigged the elevator wrong. Hardly the airplanes or crews fault. If properly maintained it's a OUTSTANDING bird. The Lynyrd Skynyrd crash BTW they ran OUT of gas.
Yes they were a very special company, and it is a shame they are gone. If only they hadn't sunk so much money and time in the 880/990. Wonderfull plane as well just no market for it by the time they finished.
Convair CV-440 entrou para história do Brasil, por conta de um acidente na cidade de Curitiba nos fins dos anos 50. Matou o senador e ex-presidente Nereu Ramos(1888-1961) e outros 17 tripulantes.
Sure does! I just checked and he did narrate several aviation videos (The Crowded Sky), but did not see this one listed. It sure sounds like him to me. He was a great actor that sadly never quite achieved the stardom he deserved. One of his last films sadly was a low budget B film called "Hot Rods to Hell". Hollywood was and still is a machine where everyone is only as good as their next picture.
I FLEW the Convair 340 in 1956/57 with Braniff Airways. As a Braniff Hostess....who had a Student Pilot license...I spent any spare moment (when not serving full meals to my 44 passengers) up in the cockpit asking questions. Sometimes the Captain would tell the copilot to let ME fly... (OK OK so I just steered for a few minutes) But I loved the galley...boarding and serving my passengers...(Braniff had a reputation as having the friendliest crews!) What changes I have seen in the past 60 years in the industry!
For what it's worth, I bought and thoroughly enjoyed John Nance's book on the fall of Braniff. I'm in my mid-60's and cried as the story ended....literally. I had never seen before....nor have I ever seen since..... a gate area as pretty as they had at MCI Just absolutely gorgeous
Thank you very much for sharing
I flew the Convair 580 for 5 years and have to say it's still my favorite airplane even over the big jets I have flown. They are so overbuilt, strong and reliable, created in the days before computer design where they made them 3 times stronger than they thought they would need to be. Amazing comfortable workhorses that are still flying today! I miss those good old days of being a real pilot! So glad I had the opportunity to fly these wonderful airplanes, but it's sad how so many younger pilots have never even heard of Convair. What a great aircraft manufacturer they were.
Thanks for sharing this video!
+dc10driver1 I used to love being a passenger on the 580 (at least as long as you didn't sit right across from the props). One flight took me from ICT-MCI-SUX-FSD-OMA-MSP (although maybe not in that order). Never enjoyed a flight so much in my life. (I did have a friend who showed me the cockpit and those pilots had naughty pictures stashed in every crook and crevice they could find. Apparently when they started hiring females they got cleaned out in a hurry!)
+Hank Fuddle
I remember many passengers telling us they preferred riding on the Convair than the jets they were connecting onto after our flights! I had a retired USAir captain tell me that at one time they had around 70 seats in the back, before the flight attendant rules came to be for 1 attendant for every 50 passengers. With "just" 50 seats in the cabin, they were all "first class" comfort. Very nice ride indeed! Still miss that airplane!
Worked on the 580 as a mech for a few years and got to jumpseat occasionally. Yep, strongest airplane ever. 100,000 hours, 150,000 cycles, 60 years old, still going strong.
Only issue was some wing cracks on the lower planks by the fuel panels. Solution was to stop drill and monitor--no patches. My crew chief said he'd been looking at the same cracks for 15 years and they never changed--and some planes didn't have them and were unlikely to get them. Figured it was a slight variance in the alloy or heat treating for certain planes.
Man, I'm jealous! My first airplane flight was a Convair 600 on the now defunct Trans Texas Airways. Big, roomy seats and a nice big window over the wing. I was only 10 years old and it felt like I was on a huge plane even though there were only around 30 seats as I flew from Dallas Love Field to San Antonio. Fast Forward to 1982 and I flew their last year of service from Dallas Love Field to Cancun on a DC-9 Great airline and their fleet all began with Convairs. You have some great memories!!!!
Always had a good feeling for the old airliners :
-my only experience with the big props were Cdn military :
Twin Otters... which were a barf-machine.
these rode better ? anyone ?
My pops worked there from 50s to 65 when he went to work for Claude T Ryan. Thus was special. Thank you for sharing.
When I want to escape the hustle n bustle I watch these fab uploads,,,
My father flew these for Braniff in 1966. This is the first good look that I've had at one, and it's a beauty.
I'm sold! Where can I buy one??
OMG my Dad had that ashtray. so proud of it. one of my sisters has it now ❤
As a kid growing up in a Chicago suburb 11 miles from O'Hare Airport, I used to see the North Central Airlines 440's & 580's banking and lining up for runway 27R into ORD. I so wanted to be able to fly on one of these, and still do. It's one of the many planes I'd like to fly that are on my aviation bucket list. Thanks for sharing!
Great comment, thanks!
@Cubs Fan Forever
I flew the Republic (used-to-be-NorthCentral) Convair 580 in the early '80s. A memorable flight!
Herman the Duck FOREVER !
I also like the musical backgrounds and the seriousness of the narrators!
wow thanks 4 up loading this great clip
!
Nothing, in the splendor of Post-War Flying Machines, can compare to a Convair 440 et al -the turboprop variants included, I once flew one. Thanks for posting!!!
Convair 440 was my first airline trip at 4 years old in 1958.
Thanks for the upload! Convair had some amazing planes, military and civilian. Wish I could one day fly a 440. I wouldnt be surprised if this video hasn't been featured on mst3k.
i have 2 air force grandfathers so ive heard of convair themselves and the 240 but this looks like a neat plane beautiful and comfy the narrator sure sold me on a flight on a 440 too bad there arent any left i wish i could have flown (on) one but alas i was too young
TO THIS 'CLASSIC FLIGHT BLOGGER,' MANY THANKS FOR THIS "RECIPROCATED CONVAIR METROPOLITAN'S INTERVIEW," AND TO Y'ALL, PAST AIRWAY PILOT THRU FREQUENT FLYER, LET THIS AIRCRAFT BECOME A FABULOUS PASTIME!!
That "elderly lady taking her first flight" doesn't look all that pleasant to be seated next to.
Flew them loaded with Wall Street Journals way after their real airline careers. Got 2500 hours and a type rating, of which I am very proud to this day. Beautiful, classic airplane. Would love to have flown them brand new, but I am privileged just the same.
Great post, thanks!
Amazed to find these are still flying. One crashed today near Toledo, OH.
3:18 General Radio 1551A sound level meter. Introduced about 1950 ish. Flat response from 20 cycles to 20 Kilocycles. Has A,B and C weighing. Has 7 vacuum tubes. Preamp i.e. first tube is a Raytheon CK512AX. The meter's Filament A supply is 2 D cells i.e. 3 volts total. The B high voltage plate supply is single 467B battery 67.5 volts.
Reply ·
So, based on this information, what is the captain's name, relax, just kidding, but wow, you are a very intelligent person, very nice.
Impressive knowledge sir! However did it pick up shortwave?
This guy right. No more used cubs for me. I want a 440!
In the 90's, I flew on the General Motors and Sierra Pacific 580's. So many great experiences. Oh, even with the engines at idle, you cannot here the ticking of a watch. Trust me.
I busted out laughing again! I remember... my first flight was on a 580; and as I commented above, "I couldn't hear myself think".......and then there's Billy waving that sound meter around!! LOL!!!!!! oh, my goodness!!! LOL
@@kevinheard8364 Kevin, in between legs, I had to lug the honey bucket up the stairs, through the cabin and into the Lav. Some days were so cold, we had to add antifreeze into it to prevent freezing. We were so lucky to have been able to ride those aircraft.
hola encantado con el video gracias Convair
These were still flying in 1967! I like these films, because they are not sizzle, but steak!
Amazing!
Flew on them a lot when I was a young kid. On a flight from Detroit to Binghamton, NY the left engine went out. I remember there was a woman who invited me over to her side of the aircraft so I could see it.
Flew 580's as an engineer for the Navy. (C131H's) my most favorite bird I flew or worked on. Single engine... no problem when you have 4,000 HP per side.
Jets... they suck and they blow, I liked the big turboprop.
Flew on many of these mostly between Albany, NY & JFK (formerly Idlewild). Excellent aircraft.
It's funny how they say 50 years is longer than what the airplane would have to go through yet people are still flying it today
Yes, Air Chathams still have three in service here in New Zealand
Here in MEXICO it was very daily with Mexicana airlines Aeronaves de Mexico from 1961-a74 then they continued flying for other second category airlines until today 2020
🤗i flew in both the 440 + 660. ❤️
Excelente
Built by smart aviation orientated people with slide rules.
12:05 those seats DID recline
Beautiful airplanes I hate I never had the opportunity to fly in one 😢
vintage fun.
Very nice plane!!
At 10:05, pilots advance throttle, but gauge needles don't move. May want to rethink this takeoff.
MrShobar pretty much like a Ford. except nothing moves !
I THINK u shud check the top speed of the VC10 ????
Which airport is that at the end? GSW?
Convair should have came out with a four engined version of this,turbo prop version,oh well.
Douglass already had it......... the DC6/C118.
a lot of people died in crashes involving this plane, the list on wikipedia, of crashes, is unbelievably long
Actually it had a pretty good safety record. We lost one but it was due to the rework facility in Dothan Al that rigged the elevator wrong. Hardly the airplanes or crews fault.
If properly maintained it's a OUTSTANDING bird.
The Lynyrd Skynyrd crash BTW they ran OUT of gas.
...howcome they were building a 4-engine;
but only the 2 engine was flying ?
Convair should have survived.
Yes they were a very special company, and it is a shame they are gone. If only they hadn't sunk so much money and time in the 880/990. Wonderfull plane as well just no market for it by the time they finished.
Ah the America of then
O convair i do love the 440 i wish someone would make one for P3D
prachtig vliegtuig
Convair !
She was a Sweetheart.
Convair CV-440 entrou para história do Brasil, por conta de um acidente na cidade de Curitiba nos fins dos anos 50. Matou o senador e ex-presidente Nereu Ramos(1888-1961) e outros 17 tripulantes.
At 12:47 open overhead bins. Wouldn't receive FAA approval now.
Or as I like to call them: "Dangerously open overhead bins." Every FAA rule has a reason behind it.
Sounds like Dana Andrews narrating.
Sure does! I just checked and he did narrate several aviation videos (The Crowded Sky), but did not see this one listed. It sure sounds like him to me. He was a great actor that sadly never quite achieved the stardom he deserved. One of his last films sadly was a low budget B film called "Hot Rods to Hell". Hollywood was and still is a machine where everyone is only as good as their next picture.
Times when in USA was not drugs and other bad things.....
Except for two idiot pilots that did not put enough fuel in one in 1977.
Great planes! that's why 20 out of 26 lived in a brutal crash.
kunnon konna palveli suomessa27oh lrb
Drama
Drama
Drama!