Loved this film.... As a BRANIFF Hostess back in 1956!!!.....(mostly flying Convairs and DC-6) I was part of a crew that ferried a Braniff DC-3 from Midway Airport to Sioux City, Iowa after midnight. Sitting in the jump seat, I told the Captain that I was taking flying lessons (PIPER CUB) , had soloed and done my first cross country flight! He sent the co pilot back to take a nap....let me fly....and then after a few minutes he went back for a cup of coffee!! I was alone in the cockpit grasping that steering when that dark night over Iowa for about 15 minutes.......(that wouldn't happen in today's world)
Hi Patricia I was a air hostess for Braniff too way back on 1979 only for a year my base was Argentina and we flew Chile Panama. Miami.for instance. Those were the good old days.
I am with you, had a similar experience on a DC-8-63 many years ago when I was sitting on the right chair and a Co-Pilot had a rest. Ha, ha, ha. This surely would not happen today.
Was able to visit the cockpit at 14 while flying a Braniff 727, Nashville to Dallas. I remember eating a steak on good china with real cutlery. Flying first class back then meant something. You were treated like a god. Hell even coach was still a pleasant trip. No inflight entertainment but who cares - they would give you a choice of new magazines or a new deck of cards. I would stock up on magazines - they gave away many of my favorites. I have flown over several million miles over decades of working on the road but I have not traveled by air for more than a decade. I have actually let my passport expire. It was degrading year after year. It’s really sad what air travel has fallen to now. Thankfully my last trip was a business class trip on Air France 777 to France. Went out on a high note.
I just turned 69 yesterday. I happened across this video and reminded me of my very first airplane ride. It was in a DC-3 from Houston to New Orleans on Eastern Airlines. My dad flew B-25 during the war and he approached the cabin and then call me up and I got to look in and see the pilots. I was probably five or six years old at the time. I'll always remember that. They gave me a set of silver plastic wings to celebrate my first flight.
I turn 70 tomorrow and have memories similar to yours. My first DC-3 ride caused the most excruciating ear pain. Nothing - certainly not gum - worked and my howls freaked out the other passengers. Can't remember if that was the trip I got my head stuck in the luggage check-in counter or not. Another time, sitting in a TWA Connie on the tarmac at Logan, I was astounded to watch a tech climb up into a vertical stabilizer of another Connie parked next to us. So cool to find something that memorializes the wonder of those flights.
I turned 68 a cpl days ago I never got to fly period. My family just dumidn't fly much but I loved reading about planes and became an armchair pilot. Gimonna fly once before I ck out of planet earth...Take care gents we remember a much simpler time....
I was born in the 80s and get a couple pairs of those plastic wings.. wanna say they were gold though. Was four months old on my first flight. Never got to fly in a commercial prop plane.
@@packingten . You've got to do it! I fly home 3 to 4 times a year and Ive been hooked since my first flight. Man ,I cannot even imagine getting to that age and all of it on the ground?? Call or go online and see if Frontier Airlines serves your area.
OMG! What a treat these old videos are! Just think...the "little old lady" 🤨 from Springfield, IL witnessed the first car(s), TV, flight, washers, dryers, stoves, vacuums, electricity, refridgerators....you name it! Her youth was filled with mundane "girl" chores! I estimate her to be in her 70's while filming. Thank you Periscope, British Pathe, etc.
I'm late to this rodeo. But how cool! When I was 10 a pilot became a family friend. He flew for the airlines before WWII. That was where he met his wife. During the war he flew the Hump. He was always a personal hero. Thank you for posting this video that hearkens back to those times. He was a Quiet Birdman in the 1960s. Here's to John Francek and his wife Barbara.
My maternal grandfather, who passed away in the mid '80s, was a navigator in the CBI theater during the war. He married my grandmother in '40, went off to war in '43 & didn't return until the summer of '45. His first-born, my mother, was 2 years old before she met her father in person. Until then, he was just a face in a photograph. All I remember him saying about his time there was, "I am not a hero - the heroes never came back..." He was a great member of the greatest generation and I still miss him dearly... if only I could talk with him today...
Around 1974 I had to travel from Boston to Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. The first leg was into Toronto, the second leg, about 150 miles, to Chalk River was on a regularly scheduled DC-3. The three memorable moments were that as soon as were airborne the stewardess passed out chewing gum to relieve the pressure in your ears. Even though we never got above 2, 000 or 3,000 ft. the gum was very welcome. The second was the pilot pointing out moose along the way. The third was how easy it was to nap listening to the synchronized hum of the engines. Thanks for posting; it brought back wonderful memories!
Wow, so great to see. I was part owner of Flagship Texas, a static display airplane at the Museum of flight in Langley B.C. We dragged her out of the bush on the side of Terrace B.C. airport, trucked and barged her down to Cloverdale B.C. (just outside of Vancouver) and reassembled her over a ten year span. I'll never forget blasting the layers of paint off her and seeing the American Airlines insignia and name on the side of the fuselage.
I love watching these old films. Look at them from a history perspective and enjoy. They are history. Not meant to be politically correct by today's standards. History is what it is. You cannot judge it by today's standards. Personally I loved this piece. My second flight was on a DC-3 Florida - from Tampa to Ft. Meyers in 1973. Darn tail draggers were great. And we were offered a drink in Dixie Riddle cups!
Feel nostalgic. I started my aviation career 40 years back working on these DC-3 aircrafts as a mecanic. Needed hard work maintaining them. Nowadays it is much easier.
Also with Buffalo Airways, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, along with Curtis C_46s, DC-4s, and Lockheed Electras. See "Ice Pilots" on the Weather Channel, Sundays, 8:00 PM, Eastern.
Amazing to hear. Back in January 1994 when I drove for Roberts Express I had to wait three hours in a snowstorm for a DC 3 to land in Detroit. It was carrying parts to keep a local Toyota (IIRC) plant running until their regular shipment came in. I was very surprised on how small inside the plane was, I'm 6'2 and could just barely stand up in it but it was a cool experience.
@SeaDub II Douglas DC-3 today There are still small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as cargo aircraft. Current uses of the DC-3 include aerial spraying, freight transport, passenger service, military transport, missionary flying, skydiver shuttling, and sightseeing. m.en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Douglas_DC-3
I'm fortunate. I'm not that old, but when I first flew as a kid in the early 1960s, they served really good meals, changed the head rest cover for each passenger, gave out unlimited free drinks and cocktails, slippers, UNREAD newspapers from the both the departing and arriving cities, magazines (shared), and even brought out hot towels for your face on longer flights. Meals were served on ceramic dishes and you had cloth napkins and metal silverware.They used to hold flights for late arriving connecting flights, and no one ever lost their baggage. Quite honestly, the 747 in 1970 killed fun flying.
Passenger to Stewardess: "It's the first time I've been in a plane." Stewardess: "What a coincidence! It's the first time the pilot has been in a plane too!"
my father was a captain on a dc3 in the late 40s over the carrabien,then moved over to pan American, where he met my mom who worked flight control. I grew up with pan American, I remember when flying was something you got dressed up for, not like today, it's like riding a city bus! I don't fly anymore..
I stopped flying steerage in 2001 when I had a flash of killing the snotty little arsewhole British Airways oik cabin crew who gave me shite for asking for a bottle of water. Still, flying is much safe than it was 70 years ago. Except for the entitled Karens. But let's leave that for another time, shall we?
My first flight was a PanAm DC-3. I only recall a few things: Walking uphill to the seat. I had to dress up. The checkerboard pattern below. My older siblings got to visit the cockpit and came back with their wings, which made me jealous! And the stewardess handed out Chiclets (to help your ears deal changes in cabin pressure). We also went up to an observation deck on the roof of the airport to watch planes take off. The next leg of that trip was a sea plane with the wheels tucked into the sides of the fuselage. Not sure what plane that was, but it took off on wheels and landed in the water. I remember the incredible noise and water rushing up past the windows, and I was fascinated by that.
@@mikehalm164 Good call, but I've since figured it out that it was a PBY, flown by Ellis Airlines (I even found the tail number and fate of the plane, which crashed in 1964). The Grumman Goose was the workhorse, though, and are still flown. Sadly, there aren't many PBYs flying today.
I flew into Boston once on a DC-3. Enjoyed the experience but not sure I'd want to cross the country in one. Before take off I pointed out to the captain who looked to be about 25 that the starboard engine was leaking oil. He said that it always did that. Anyhow, the plane got us there with both engines still running. No 400 pounders on this flight and no screaming kids or psychotic passengers.
My first flight was from the Netherlands to Canada in 1959 as an emigrant. I was 18. It took about 17 hours with a refueling stop in Gander NewFoundland. I much enjoyed this unforgettable trip and am sure glad I came.....This I believe is the best country in the world in which to live 😊😊😊😊😊😊
I was reminded of the AA DC-3 taxiing off the ramp with the flag flying above the cockpit (hence AA Flagship pre 1940), The copilot sometimes would forget to take it in prior takeoff, The vibration above the crews head was really something....
The DC-3 was the first airplane I flew in, in the early 1950s. I was about 7 or 8 years old. I don't think it was a pressurized aircraft; it only flew a few thousand feet above the ground. You could see cars moving on the roads.
Amazing, what we take for granted today, was a miracle and wonderment to the people on their first flying adventure. The DC-3 was way ahead in her time, and people learned how to fly in her, and they were amazed at the sights from altitude. It must have been akin to going to Heaven and brought such glee to people who saw the world from the advantage of the angels. She's still at her job in places like Africa and South America, where terrible or no roads exist, and it takes days to get anywhere. With the DC-3, the same trip takes only hours. There is simply no substitute for her; the only possible plane is another DC-3. Born in 1935, she's coming up on a century of service. Donald Douglas, the owner of Douglas Aviation, whose team designed her, said they had no idea she would be in use for so long. On his deathbed in 1981, he said he hoped she would outlive them all. She has.
In the Florida Keys, two DC-3's would fly up and down the chain of islands spraying for mosquitoes. A great sight as they were probably no higher than 100 feet. That was in the '90's, I don't know if they still do.
What a classic. I was fortunate enough to be able to fly in the ARCO DC 3 from Burbank to Albuquerque and back on a weekend in 1967 as a teen. My friend's dad was a pilot for ARCO and the executive VP liked flying in the DC 3 even though he had a Fan Jet Falcon at his disposal as well as a Gulfstream II. He was an older gentleman who didn't mind us teens flying with him. He said he flew the Fan Jet Falcon only on cross country trips but had flown the DC-3 because the cabin was like an office and living room and he had time to work. It had a galley and employed a stewardess/cook on board for guests and business partners. The same for ARCO's jets. This Executive VP told me Dwight Eisenhower had been aboard the plane a couple of times as well since he left office and a couple of the Secret Service Agents accompanied him. As I remember, it took close to 6 hours to get to Albuquerque and I don't believe we went above 11,000 feet. I know my ears popped.
In 1960, my dad got on a plane for the first time - an American Airlines Flagship DC-3 to Chicago. He connected on to California on a Boeing 707. 69 years later, and I am starting my new job flying for American Airlines next month. What a wild, amazing world we live in!
I'd rather fly over weather in a jet than get bounced around in an unpressurized prop. What the promo films don't show you is the barf extravaganza that went on in the cabin while flying through rough weather.
This cabin was pressurised do some research also this flight was much more smooth than modern planes I know because I flew one in 78 they are amazing and a lot better than the sardine cans I fly today!
@@sharronneedles6721 Ummm...nope. Yes, DC-3/C-47s are amazing aircraft -- one of the finest, most rugged transport aircraft ever designed, substantial numbers fly today, an incredible 83 years after introduction. Douglas built nearly 11,000 DC-3/C-47/C-53s, and then the USSR (Li-2) and Japan (L2D) built nearly 5,000 more copies. Some have been converted to turbine-driven propellers (turboprop), but they've never been pressurized. So they fly smack dab in often-choppy weather, usually below 10,000 feet at around 180 knots (207 mph) cruising speed. DC-3 service ceiling is around 23,000 feet, but after 30 minutes above 12,500 ft. oxygen supply for crew is mandatory and passengers must be provided oxygen above 15,000 ft.. Not sure which DC craft you were on, but DC-3s definitely experience some rough turbulence -- they are prized for their cargo capacity, 1,200 mile range, mechanical reliability and the ability to land on short, rough grass or gravel landing strips, not for speed and comfort. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basler_BT-67
Twenty years later (and since 1959), it took only five to six hours to cross the continent, compared to "overnight" (approximately twelve hours) in 1940.
@Jim Jim...Most people at least have the good sense not to wear their ignorance on their sleeve. I am sorry to see that you do not posses such knowledge. Also, your invective aphorism is misstated. As you clearly present, you are demonstrably short of a sagacious thinker, but perhaps a remedial English class may serve you well. I would not start out much beyond grade 5. I would hate to see you get discouraged and dejected right out of the gate. Did you follow my twice stated example, regards the proper use of a correctly utilized aphorism? Or did that too cruise right over your head like a ballistic missile armed with an obtusity warhead in the middle of a moonless fog laden night? I even threw in an idiom for good measure? Do you know which is which? Can you identify either? Or did that elude you, as well.
And no one suspected the little old lady from Springfield was the serial killer all along. 5m05s - she takes a huge hat pin out of her hat - shit just got real.
Ah, those were the days when flying was a real event. People even dressed up for the occasion but now, unless you can afford the higher grade seating, it is pure hell. I notice the question of air turbulence and sick bags is not covered!! Flying at those relatively low altitudes on a warm sunny day could be pretty uncomfortable.
A friendly FYI. This was shot in 1939, possibly 1940. I don't see anything newer than 1939. Newest automobiles in the picture are 39s as well. This is definitely Pre-War America. Those DC-3s are definitely Pre-War model's as well.
6:53 you see Meigs Field Airport (KCGX) Famous from being the start point in many Ms Flight Simulators, Now sadly closed. Great to see it back in this footage
My mother, being an Air Force wife, flew a lot. She told me these flights were very bumpy, unlike what is said in the video. She also flew to Europe and back several times in the 40's and 50's. Ove rseas flights were military flights, most of her domestic flights from regular airlines and mostly these DC=3's.
I've flown on almost every modern (post 1940) airliner EXCEPT the DC 3. I've been IN them, and have a friend who flew them and also flight instructed in them. Actually, I DID fly in a much rarer transport -- the DC 4. I doubt there are any left in service in the world. It was a 4 engine forerunner of the DC 6, smaller and non-pressurized. My flight was in 1965 aboard Avianca Airlines from Bogota to Cali, Columbia. The only stewardess couldn't get the back door to close and she and the 1st officer used a coat hangar to keep it from flying open. It was a LOUD NOISY flight to Cali, but thankfully short. Cigarettes down there were 3c per pack. I got a haircut and a shave in Bogota for 25c. Gas was 16.9 for regular, 19.9 for ethyl when I went to flight school in 1965 in Oklahoma. The good old days ...
I thought so too. Recognisable due to their smaller engine cowlings and slab sided fuselages. The DC-3 had a rounded fuselage cross section to give more room.
It wasn't until the DC-4s came along that air travel truly became civilized. Tail draggers are uncomfortable to get onto and off of with their tilted cabin floors.
I flew in them in the '70s on Texas International airlines. Once we landed during a severe thunderstorm and the flight attendant looked a little nervous.
That was the time when people dressed up to travel and behave in a much civilized way. Drinks were served in glassware, hot food in chinaware and cutlery were made of stainless steel. Back then people can smoke in-flight, and in this particular plane, passengers could sleep under blanket in a bed.
7.03 Good old Meigs. I bet more flights started here than anywhere else. Should have been preserved as an Air Theme Park. Kids love planes. What a day out that could have been.
1st flight for me in the 50s was Jackson, Michigan to Detroit, Michigan via North Central Airlines on a DC-3. I love to look at videos regarding this aircraft.
Captain, shouldn’t you be locked in the cockpit? Cockpit, what is it? It’s the small room in front of the plane where the pilots fly, but that’s not important right now. Well, this is before 9/11.
Days when every American loved America. Communists were opaqued. No Obamas, no Pelosis, no Sanderses. Total freedom. Total capitalism. Regrettably those days are over. Even airlines charge astronomical fee for the suitcases.
Yes, it's a bit quieter than inside a jet airliner. I have travelled in a DC3 and was surprised how quiet and vibration-less it was. I fly in jet airliners about twice a month.
When I was a small boy (late 1940's), my first flight in an airliner was an American DC-3. Enroute to Chicago's Midway airport, I got invited to the cockpit and sat on the copilot's lap. Boy, how times have changed.
I love this DC-3 on which I worked for 5 years as a technician - Sergeant in the Indian Air Force serving in the North East India, both during war and peace time.( 1971-1975) We suffered from want of supply of spares and cleverly managed to fly about 40 of them, I think, upto 1981-83.( I left IAF my DC-3 Sqn in 1975 and also IAF in 1977) I fondly remember the aircraft and proudly recall my memories abt maintaining it & flying so many ops.sorties on duty!
Flew in a 2 engine turbo prop once. The last flight, to be flying out of Lebanon, New Hampshire, 2009?. It was end of October and cold. All the 8 or so passengers had to sit in the back of the plane. The plane had been sitting all night and engines were cold. At least that is what they told us. Great flight though.
Fun Comments...Some are really good! Here's mine: Yep..."Springfield Old Lady" looks some like Betty White & Barbara Bush. And how about that: a newspaper man on that clack-a-dee clack typewriter. Hummm...what a smooth ride. I'm not knocking my favorite all-time passenger prop plane - the Douglas DC-3, but it's got to have a little humpty-bumps. "Captain Butler"...hey, that's Rhett...Butler. You know..."Gone With the Wind" main man. Hummmm… (Yeah...the commercial airlines don't for a long long time come out to see the passengers, unless he's got to go to the "back door john".) Well...these classic old films of advertising a brand make flying fun...in those old days of many decades ago. And, the people dressed up for the public. That was respect!
Loved this film.... As a BRANIFF Hostess back in 1956!!!.....(mostly flying Convairs and DC-6) I was part of a crew that ferried a Braniff DC-3 from Midway Airport to Sioux City, Iowa after midnight. Sitting in the jump seat, I told the Captain that I was taking flying lessons (PIPER CUB) , had soloed and done my first cross country flight! He sent the co pilot back to take a nap....let me fly....and then after a few minutes he went back for a cup of coffee!! I was alone in the cockpit grasping that steering when that dark night over Iowa for about 15 minutes.......(that wouldn't happen in today's world)
I'm betting the plane was in good hands. ;-)
What a cool story!
Hi Patricia I was a air hostess for Braniff too way back on 1979 only for a year my base was Argentina and we flew Chile Panama. Miami.for instance. Those were the good old days.
I am with you, had a similar experience on a DC-8-63 many years ago when I was sitting on the right chair and a Co-Pilot had a rest. Ha, ha, ha. This surely would not happen today.
Was able to visit the cockpit at 14 while flying a Braniff 727, Nashville to Dallas. I remember eating a steak on good china with real cutlery. Flying first class back then meant something. You were treated like a god. Hell even coach was still a pleasant trip. No inflight entertainment but who cares - they would give you a choice of new magazines or a new deck of cards. I would stock up on magazines - they gave away many of my favorites.
I have flown over several million miles over decades of working on the road but I have not traveled by air for more than a decade. I have actually let my passport expire. It was degrading year after year. It’s really sad what air travel has fallen to now. Thankfully my last trip was a business class trip on Air France 777 to France. Went out on a high note.
I just turned 69 yesterday. I happened across this video and reminded me of my very first airplane ride. It was in a DC-3 from Houston to New Orleans on Eastern Airlines. My dad flew B-25 during the war and he approached the cabin and then call me up and I got to look in and see the pilots. I was probably five or six years old at the time. I'll always remember that. They gave me a set of silver plastic wings to celebrate my first flight.
I turn 70 tomorrow and have memories similar to yours. My first DC-3 ride caused the most excruciating ear pain. Nothing - certainly not gum - worked and my howls freaked out the other passengers. Can't remember if that was the trip I got my head stuck in the luggage check-in counter or not. Another time, sitting in a TWA Connie on the tarmac at Logan, I was astounded to watch a tech climb up into a vertical stabilizer of another Connie parked next to us. So cool to find something that memorializes the wonder of those flights.
I turned 68 a cpl days ago I never got to fly period. My family just dumidn't fly much but I loved reading about planes and became an armchair pilot. Gimonna fly once before I ck out of planet earth...Take care gents we remember a much simpler time....
Happy BD to you and the others responding.
I was born in the 80s and get a couple pairs of those plastic wings.. wanna say they were gold though. Was four months old on my first flight. Never got to fly in a commercial prop plane.
@@packingten . You've got to do it! I fly home 3 to 4 times a year and Ive been hooked since my first flight. Man ,I cannot even imagine getting to that age and all of it on the ground?? Call or go online and see if Frontier Airlines serves your area.
OMG! What a treat these old videos are! Just think...the "little old lady" 🤨 from Springfield, IL witnessed the first car(s), TV, flight, washers, dryers, stoves, vacuums, electricity, refridgerators....you name it! Her youth was filled with mundane "girl" chores! I estimate her to be in her 70's while filming. Thank you Periscope, British Pathe, etc.
She played the dotty aunt on Bewtched.
I'm late to this rodeo. But how cool! When I was 10 a pilot became a family friend. He flew for the airlines before WWII. That was where he met his wife. During the war he flew the Hump. He was always a personal hero. Thank you for posting this video that hearkens back to those times. He was a Quiet Birdman in the 1960s. Here's to John Francek and his wife Barbara.
My maternal grandfather, who passed away in the mid '80s, was a navigator in the CBI theater during the war. He married my grandmother in '40, went off to war in '43 & didn't return until the summer of '45. His first-born, my mother, was 2 years old before she met her father in person. Until then, he was just a face in a photograph. All I remember him saying about his time there was, "I am not a hero - the heroes never came back..." He was a great member of the greatest generation and I still miss him dearly... if only I could talk with him today...
Around 1974 I had to travel from Boston to Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. The first leg was into Toronto, the second leg, about 150 miles, to Chalk River was on a regularly scheduled DC-3. The three memorable moments were that as soon as were airborne the stewardess passed out chewing gum to relieve the pressure in your ears. Even though we never got above 2, 000 or 3,000 ft. the gum was very welcome. The second was the pilot pointing out moose along the way. The third was how easy it was to nap listening to the synchronized hum of the engines. Thanks for posting; it brought back wonderful memories!
Wow, so great to see. I was part owner of Flagship Texas, a static display airplane at the Museum of flight in Langley B.C. We dragged her out of the bush on the side of Terrace B.C. airport, trucked and barged her down to Cloverdale B.C. (just outside of Vancouver) and reassembled her over a ten year span. I'll never forget blasting the layers of paint off her and seeing the American Airlines insignia and name on the side of the fuselage.
Wish I could fly a DC-3. Best airframe ever built.
“Excuse me stewardess, I speak jive”
I love watching these old films. Look at them from a history perspective and enjoy. They are history. Not meant to be politically correct by today's standards. History is what it is. You cannot judge it by today's standards. Personally I loved this piece. My second flight was on a DC-3 Florida - from Tampa to Ft. Meyers in 1973. Darn tail draggers were great. And we were offered a drink in Dixie Riddle cups!
Feel nostalgic. I started my aviation career 40 years back working on these DC-3 aircrafts as a mecanic. Needed hard work maintaining them. Nowadays it is much easier.
Blackman couldn't get jobs at the air lines
08:17 "Oh, there's a train!" Yes, traveling at the same speed as we are...
I saw people jogging faster.
Yeah, I would have taken the train.
The Japanese maglev trains soon to enter service will travel at 630km/h. About the same cruising speed as a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320
Still flying in 2019 hauling cargo, Amazing Airplane.
@Jinja-Ninja DesertAirAlaska is one Buffalo is another. Many more operate also.
Also with Buffalo Airways, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, along with Curtis C_46s, DC-4s, and Lockheed Electras. See "Ice Pilots" on the Weather Channel, Sundays, 8:00 PM, Eastern.
Amazing to hear. Back in January 1994 when I drove for Roberts Express I had to wait three hours in a snowstorm for a DC 3 to land in Detroit. It was carrying parts to keep a local Toyota (IIRC) plant running until their regular shipment came in. I was very surprised on how small inside the plane was, I'm 6'2 and could just barely stand up in it but it was a cool experience.
I'm pretty sure there are a few operating in Columbia as well
@SeaDub II Douglas DC-3 today
There are still small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as cargo aircraft. Current uses of the DC-3 include aerial spraying, freight transport, passenger service, military transport, missionary flying, skydiver shuttling, and sightseeing. m.en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Douglas_DC-3
I'm fortunate. I'm not that old, but when I first flew as a kid in the early 1960s, they served really good meals, changed the head rest cover for each passenger, gave out unlimited free drinks and cocktails, slippers, UNREAD newspapers from the both the departing and arriving cities, magazines (shared), and even brought out hot towels for your face on longer flights. Meals were served on ceramic dishes and you had cloth napkins and metal silverware.They used to hold flights for late arriving connecting flights, and no one ever lost their baggage. Quite honestly, the 747 in 1970 killed fun flying.
Deregulation did more damage than the 747 did.
Passenger to Stewardess: "It's the first time I've been in a plane." Stewardess: "What a coincidence! It's the first time the pilot has been in a plane too!"
And don't call me Shirley.
That's funny.
my father was a captain on a dc3 in the late 40s over the carrabien,then moved over to pan American, where he met my mom who worked flight control.
I grew up with pan American, I remember when flying was something you got dressed up for, not like today, it's like riding a city bus! I don't fly anymore..
I stopped flying steerage in 2001 when I had a flash of killing the snotty little arsewhole British Airways oik cabin crew who gave me shite for asking for a bottle of water. Still, flying is much safe than it was 70 years ago. Except for the entitled Karens. But let's leave that for another time, shall we?
And no one had to take off their shoes before boarding...how nice!!
My first flight was a PanAm DC-3. I only recall a few things: Walking uphill to the seat. I had to dress up. The checkerboard pattern below. My older siblings got to visit the cockpit and came back with their wings, which made me jealous! And the stewardess handed out Chiclets (to help your ears deal changes in cabin pressure). We also went up to an observation deck on the roof of the airport to watch planes take off. The next leg of that trip was a sea plane with the wheels tucked into the sides of the fuselage. Not sure what plane that was, but it took off on wheels and landed in the water. I remember the incredible noise and water rushing up past the windows, and I was fascinated by that.
It was likely a Gruman Goose, possibly a Chalk Airlines aircraft.
@@mikehalm164 Good call, but I've since figured it out that it was a PBY, flown by Ellis Airlines (I even found the tail number and fate of the plane, which crashed in 1964). The Grumman Goose was the workhorse, though, and are still flown. Sadly, there aren't many PBYs flying today.
I flew into Boston once on a DC-3. Enjoyed the experience but not sure I'd want to cross the country in one.
Before take off I pointed out to the captain who looked to be about 25 that the starboard engine was leaking oil. He said that it always did that. Anyhow, the plane got us there with both engines still running.
No 400 pounders on this flight and no screaming kids or psychotic passengers.
Just a guy clacking away on a manual typewriter.
MACdonalds and Burger Slime didn't exist yet.
wholeNwon and no surly stewardesses
quite a film. My dad flew DC-3's for Northeast Airlines (later merged w Delta) cool plane.
Back when someone actually wanted to go to Buffalo
Hilarious 😆 thought!
Buffalo is coming back tho, lots of millennials are moving there
My first flight was from the Netherlands to Canada in 1959 as an emigrant. I was 18. It took about 17 hours with a refueling stop in Gander NewFoundland. I much enjoyed this unforgettable trip and am sure glad I came.....This I believe is the best country in the world in which to live 😊😊😊😊😊😊
I love these "Golden Age of Flight" videos-- everyone dressed up, polite, no Karens or Chads.
unintentional sleep inducer, i love dc-3s!!
I was reminded of the AA DC-3 taxiing off the ramp with the flag flying above the cockpit (hence AA Flagship pre 1940), The copilot sometimes would forget to take it in prior takeoff, The vibration above the crews head was really something....
CIVIL AERONATIC AUTHORITY IS "FAA " NOW . GREAT CLIP AND THX 4 POSTING !
The DC-3 was the first airplane I flew in, in the early 1950s. I was about 7 or 8 years old. I don't think it was a pressurized aircraft; it only flew a few thousand feet above the ground. You could see cars moving on the roads.
DC-3s were not pressurized.
Amazing, what we take for granted today, was a miracle and wonderment to the people on their first flying adventure. The DC-3 was way ahead in her time, and people learned how to fly in her, and they were amazed at the sights from altitude. It must have been akin to going to Heaven and brought such glee to people who saw the world from the advantage of the angels. She's still at her job in places like Africa and South America, where terrible or no roads exist, and it takes days to get anywhere. With the DC-3, the same trip takes only hours. There is simply no substitute for her; the only possible plane is another DC-3. Born in 1935, she's coming up on a century of service. Donald Douglas, the owner of Douglas Aviation, whose team designed her, said they had no idea she would be in use for so long. On his deathbed in 1981, he said he hoped she would outlive them all. She has.
10 4 such a leap forward for mankind in only less than 40 years then.
JosephK109 hi
moogghhh7 gj zucchini xccu ft 6ft 9
In the Florida Keys, two DC-3's would fly up and down the chain of islands spraying for mosquitoes. A great sight as they were probably no higher than 100 feet. That was in the '90's, I don't know if they still do.
Awesome video!! Thanks.
What a classic. I was fortunate enough to be able to fly in the ARCO DC 3 from Burbank to Albuquerque and back on a weekend in 1967 as a teen. My friend's dad was a pilot for ARCO and the executive VP liked flying in the DC 3 even though he had a Fan Jet Falcon at his disposal as well as a Gulfstream II. He was an older gentleman who didn't mind us teens flying with him. He said he flew the Fan Jet Falcon only on cross country trips but had flown the DC-3 because the cabin was like an office and living room and he had time to work. It had a galley and employed a stewardess/cook on board for guests and business partners. The same for ARCO's jets. This Executive VP told me Dwight Eisenhower had been aboard the plane a couple of times as well since he left office and a couple of the Secret Service Agents accompanied him. As I remember, it took close to 6 hours to get to Albuquerque and I don't believe we went above 11,000 feet. I know my ears popped.
In 1960, my dad got on a plane for the first time - an American Airlines Flagship DC-3 to Chicago. He connected on to California on a Boeing 707.
69 years later, and I am starting my new job flying for American Airlines next month.
What a wild, amazing world we live in!
I'd rather fly over weather in a jet than get bounced around in an unpressurized prop. What the promo films don't show you is the barf extravaganza that went on in the cabin while flying through rough weather.
Springbok295 why
This cabin was pressurised do some research also this flight was much more smooth than modern planes I know because I flew one in 78 they are amazing and a lot better than the sardine cans I fly today!
@@sharronneedles6721 Ummm...nope. Yes, DC-3/C-47s are amazing aircraft -- one of the finest, most rugged transport aircraft ever designed, substantial numbers fly today, an incredible 83 years after introduction. Douglas built nearly 11,000 DC-3/C-47/C-53s, and then the USSR (Li-2) and Japan (L2D) built nearly 5,000 more copies. Some have been converted to turbine-driven propellers (turboprop), but they've never been pressurized. So they fly smack dab in often-choppy weather, usually below 10,000 feet at around 180 knots (207 mph) cruising speed. DC-3 service ceiling is around 23,000 feet, but after 30 minutes above 12,500 ft. oxygen supply for crew is mandatory and passengers must be provided oxygen above 15,000 ft.. Not sure which DC craft you were on, but DC-3s definitely experience some rough turbulence -- they are prized for their cargo capacity, 1,200 mile range, mechanical reliability and the ability to land on short, rough grass or gravel landing strips, not for speed and comfort.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basler_BT-67
Rob M the
Today, it's the food that causes barfing.
Wow amazing watching America’s air travel history! I really enjoyed this video thanks for posting!!!👍🏼✈️🥇
It is 2020 the DC-3 is still in service in Colombia after in first flight 1935 it a wonderful aircraft.
Originally released in 1940. Note the aerial view of the 1939-'40 New York World's Fair at 21:03.
Twenty years later (and since 1959), it took only five to six hours to cross the continent, compared to "overnight" (approximately twelve hours) in 1940.
They have come a long way from this to beating the hell out of their passengers.
servicarrider Yes, United will give you a proper ass-kickin if you get "lippy" about giving up your seat...
Let me take care of this, doctor, you’re wanted on the phone.
Passengers have come a long way too.
The trailer estate trasher customers are part of the problem.
@Jim Jim...Most people at least have the good sense not to wear their ignorance on their sleeve. I am sorry to see that you do not posses such knowledge. Also, your invective aphorism is misstated. As you clearly present, you are demonstrably short of a sagacious thinker, but perhaps a remedial English class may serve you well. I would not start out much beyond grade 5. I would hate to see you get discouraged and dejected right out of the gate. Did you follow my twice stated example, regards the proper use of a correctly utilized aphorism? Or did that too cruise right over your head like a ballistic missile armed with an obtusity warhead in the middle of a moonless fog laden night? I even threw in an idiom for good measure? Do you know which is which? Can you identify either? Or did that elude you, as well.
7:25 " so smooth a ride. there is no giggling " as the cloud view out of the window belie a 25 degree pitch.
The passengers had a choice of steak or fish. That’s right, I had the lasagna.
“It’s Detroit, before it went to hell.”
And no one suspected the little old lady from Springfield was the serial killer all along. 5m05s - she takes a huge hat pin out of her hat - shit just got real.
WONDERFUL
Ah, those were the days when flying was a real event. People even dressed up for the occasion but now, unless you can afford the higher grade seating, it is pure hell.
I notice the question of air turbulence and sick bags is not covered!! Flying at those relatively low altitudes on a warm sunny day could be pretty uncomfortable.
For the price equivalent of what it took to fly during those days, you can afford business which is an even better experience.
I don’t think it’s pure hell
This business of flying will really take off in the future I believe
Won't be long before they have a plane that can travel faster than sound!
14:35 For people don't have time to see full video about the plane, check this out!
Have to remember that old lady grew up in the wagon train days without having to watch Bonanza.
jumpinjack1 😂😂😂
i flew from chicago to burbank in 1951 on leave to visit my family on a dc-3
Did it take you til 1952 to get there?
A friendly FYI.
This was shot in 1939, possibly 1940. I don't see anything newer than 1939. Newest automobiles in the picture are 39s as well. This is definitely Pre-War America. Those DC-3s are definitely Pre-War model's as well.
DC-2s most of them are in this film
How cool, the little old lady played the dotty aunt on Bewtched!
At 7:00, you have the beginnings of Meigs Field. KCGX.
Hey , one of those “ air conditioning “ trucks would be a great restoration project
6:53 you see Meigs Field Airport (KCGX)
Famous from being the start point in many Ms Flight Simulators,
Now sadly closed.
Great to see it back in this footage
My mother, being an Air Force wife, flew a lot. She told me these flights were very bumpy, unlike what is said in the video. She also flew to Europe and back several times in the 40's and 50's. Ove rseas flights were military flights, most of her domestic flights from regular airlines and mostly these DC=3's.
Look how thin everybody is back then.
It is an advertisement. They screened out anyone they did not like.
Yesterday food was real unlike processed food of today that kills you.
That DC 3 cockpit was so small.
I MISS THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS !
Thanks for this video. My first flight was in 1947 from LA to SF on a DC3.
1st passenger: "Honey, look at the people down there. They're just like ants."
2nd passenger: "They ARE ants. We haven't taken off yet!"
LMAO!
@@Airboss786 It's a very old gag, but still funny!
I've flown on almost every modern (post 1940) airliner EXCEPT the DC 3. I've been IN them, and have a friend who flew them and also flight instructed in them. Actually, I DID fly in a much rarer transport -- the DC 4. I doubt there are any left in service in the world. It was a 4 engine forerunner of the DC 6, smaller and non-pressurized. My flight was in 1965 aboard Avianca Airlines from Bogota to Cali, Columbia. The only stewardess couldn't get the back door to close and she and the 1st officer used a coat hangar to keep it from flying open. It was a LOUD NOISY flight to Cali, but thankfully short. Cigarettes down there were 3c per pack. I got a haircut and a shave in Bogota for 25c. Gas was 16.9 for regular, 19.9 for ethyl when I went to flight school in 1965 in Oklahoma. The good old days ...
There's at least one airwrthy DC-4. There is a video of one performing aerobatics at a airshow
I bet you never flew on an Airspeed Ambassador!11
Most of the aircraft in the film are DC-2s, recognized by the engine cowlings.
I thought so too. Recognisable due to their smaller engine cowlings and slab sided fuselages. The DC-3 had a rounded fuselage cross section to give more room.
@17:50 Buckingham Fountain in Chicago
It wasn't until the DC-4s came along that air travel truly became civilized. Tail draggers are uncomfortable to get onto and off of with their tilted cabin floors.
I flew in them in the '70s on Texas International airlines. Once we landed during a severe thunderstorm and the flight attendant looked a little nervous.
21:02 This is world's fair, probably around 1930-1939.
That was the time when people dressed up to travel and behave in a much civilized way. Drinks were served in glassware, hot food in chinaware and cutlery were made of stainless steel. Back then people can smoke in-flight, and in this particular plane, passengers could sleep under blanket in a bed.
Can’t imagine the hazards! 😆😆
@@mangos2888 Right? Flying into weather, not above it, over the freaking Rockies, some of those flights must have been horrifying.
@@Tomh821 Yeah, when the little old lady says it's so smooth, it doesn't even jiggle you're thinking "just wait..."
Newark was the only major NY area airport when this film was produced.
This DC-3 may be the “Flagship Newark”.
Why is it in these old films their voices sound the same?
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent
7.03 Good old Meigs. I bet more flights started here than anywhere else. Should have been preserved as an Air Theme Park. Kids love planes. What a day out that could have been.
Nutcase mayor with the crazy wife who wanted a giant flower garden. Chicago had plenty of flowers. Didn't need to sacrifice the airport.
1st flight for me in the 50s was Jackson, Michigan to Detroit, Michigan via North Central Airlines on a DC-3. I love to look at videos regarding this aircraft.
The pilot followed the roadway below so he wouldn't get lost.
Flying IFRR (I follow rail roads)
Where would we be today had it not been for the Douglas DC-3!
Captain, shouldn’t you be locked in the cockpit? Cockpit, what is it? It’s the small room in front of the plane where the pilots fly, but that’s not important right now. Well, this is before 9/11.
11:20 Smart lady anticipated the need for TCAS.
Days when every American loved America. Communists were opaqued. No Obamas, no Pelosis, no Sanderses. Total freedom. Total capitalism. Regrettably those days are over. Even airlines charge astronomical fee for the suitcases.
That little old lady looked pretty shady.....did they strip search her before boarding?
She volunteered.
Flight attendants were beautiful back then
And polite!
The real question is where is the propeller noise? Should be very loud.
So primitive back then. They hasn’t even invented the tsa groping.
I am glad someone invented the wheel 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Wow. So much quieter in the cabin than a modern jet airliner. Apparently.
Definitely. From experience I can say that the cabin of a DC-3 in flight is quieter than that of a Boeing 777.
Yes, it's a bit quieter than inside a jet airliner. I have travelled in a DC3 and was surprised how quiet and vibration-less it was. I fly in jet airliners about twice a month.
When I was a small boy (late 1940's), my first flight in an airliner was an American DC-3. Enroute to Chicago's Midway airport, I got invited to the cockpit and sat on the copilot's lap. Boy, how times have changed.
What exactly is a "club woman?"
A woman who engages mostly in Social or civic clubs
Douglas DC-3, gran e importante aeroplano. Mi favorito.
Hermosa película American Airlines.
👍👍🇨🇱
The old lady was prying into everyone's business.
Yeah, I real snoopy nose.
So they would pump the aircraft full of cool air at take off and that had to last until you landed?
At altitude it's very cold.
I hope nobody farted.
couldn't hear yourself think in the props
Can you imagine a Ryanair pilot doing a circe over Manchester to give the punters a look 😂 gone are the days
This is awesome I love sleeping to these old school programs but this is my favorite plane funny I'm from Detroit! 😉👍🇺🇲
Oh, the poor wife and her husbandless night's!
Truly a testament to a bygone era! 👏🏼
Its so cool and weird to see such footage :D Here take this plain ol map, we are here... :D
What it was, was football...
My kind of people who flew back then.
Nosey old ladies?
Stuffed shirts?
I love this DC-3 on which I worked for 5 years as a technician - Sergeant in the Indian Air Force serving in the North East India, both during war and peace time.( 1971-1975) We suffered from want of supply of spares and cleverly managed to fly about 40 of them, I think, upto 1981-83.( I left IAF my DC-3 Sqn in 1975 and also IAF in 1977) I fondly remember the aircraft and proudly recall my memories abt maintaining it & flying so many ops.sorties on duty!
They just couldn't let the whole "ship" thing go, could they? Love it.
Unless he had a double, actor Paul Douglas [-Fleischer] appears at 19.14.
Flew in a 2 engine turbo prop once. The last flight, to be flying out of Lebanon, New Hampshire, 2009?. It was end of October and cold. All the 8 or so passengers had to sit in the back of the plane. The plane had been sitting all night and engines were cold. At least that is what they told us. Great flight though.
At 7:30, imagined the newspaper writer had to carry a heavy typewriter on the plane to do his work.
I remember riding one of those back in the 60s
Love that old dreary music !
The vintage days of flying...
2:33 A flight every fifteen minutes, assuming as many flew at 3:00 as 15:00.
Have to laugh at how quiet the flight is depiced!
Fun Comments...Some are really good! Here's mine:
Yep..."Springfield Old Lady" looks some like Betty White & Barbara Bush. And how about that: a newspaper man on that clack-a-dee clack typewriter. Hummm...what a smooth ride. I'm not knocking my favorite all-time passenger prop plane - the Douglas DC-3, but it's got to have a little humpty-bumps. "Captain Butler"...hey, that's Rhett...Butler. You know..."Gone With the Wind" main man. Hummmm… (Yeah...the commercial airlines don't for a long long time come out to see the passengers, unless he's got to go to the "back door john".)
Well...these classic old films of advertising a brand make flying fun...in those old days of many decades ago. And, the people dressed up for the public. That was respect!