What an incredible aircraft! My family flew on an Electra when I was a young girl - in those days, people dressed properly to fly, and were treated with respect and courtesy. Food service was impeccable and it was not uncommon to have steak, lobster and so forth. Seating in third class (there was no second class) were larger than today's 1st class seats, and 1st class was 1st class! Later, I was an agent with Northwest at Detroit (now KDTW) and there were still Electra's in the system. They were workhorses, the pilots loved them, the passengers loved them and we loved them as they were so reliable. I loved this aircraft and still do. Passengers were still treated with great respect (and conversely passengers didn't come on board looking like they just went dumpster diving for their attire), as they were paying our salaries, and they were our valued guests - not cattle to be abused. What happens to folks today would be absolutely unthinkable - today these valued guests are simply "pax" to be packaged. Sit down, shut up, buckle up and don't you dare ask for anything!!! (and that is after the indignity of "security".... Nice huh?) This aircraft is so strong it was used as a hurricane hunter until the C-130's and the Navy used them for sub hunting. It is an amazing product of American engineering, craftsmanship and design, for a ship not made for war and killing. I used to fly allot - I don't fly at all any longer, I am not going to give some thugs my hard earned money to be treated like crap, and sit in a seat that has less room and comfort than an outhouse. - thanks but no thanks. I won't be treated like - not sure what by the TSA thugs either. They forget who pays their salary. Magnificent aircraft, whose like will not be seen again.
Chythia, we'll said..I'm a former commercial pilot and flew a L-188 for Air Florida in the 70s as a first officer it was quite an aircraft, logged many hours in one just starting out with airlines and was later crossed checked to jet aircraft. Perhaps odd to say the L -188s were way ahead of their time at the end of their time with the introduction of jetliners sales for the Electra declined and some up and start airlines bought them and used them until they were used up such the case of Air Florida and most of theirs were nearly 20 years old. But a great aircraft indeed, they had their quirks, and some accidents, but I felt perfectly safe flying the Electra, oh and Cynthia, if memory serves me 4 are still being used and maintained by NOAA for hurricane flights along with Lockheed C-130s. L -188s were total workhorses...and all of the other comments were nice to read...
Airline deregulation drove a lot of the deterioration of service, flying used to be an exceptional way to travel. People dressed up when they flew, it was an occasion. But deregulation pushed airlines to cut costs and try and pack their seats as densely as possible. I'm old enough to remember the days you described, flying back in the 1950's and 1960's was an occasion! My late father retired as an international Captain on TWA and my late brother was a Captain for NWA/DELTA. I've always loved the Electra, it was a beautiful airplane-but it came along too late for a big turboprop. Many airlines were holding out for the Jet aircraft and options like the Convair 880 as an alternative to the Electra. The first turboprop-the Vickers Viscount-came out in early 1950's when the market was there, by the late 1950's when the Electra came out we had several full jet airliners almost ready to be introduced. The market for 4 engine turboprops was ending and the market for jets was beginning.
When flying was really a treat, something special. Today, one can spend more time at the airport than the flight itself, only to get stuffed into tight crowded cabins, no service, dour sour staff and finally shuffling off the plane tired, crotchety and wondering if it was worth it.
I took my first airplane ride in a Western Airlines Electra, in 1962. I was 18 months old. Many years later, my boss was a former Lockheed engineer who'd worked on the L-1011 program, but was very familiar with the L-188 aircraft. He said that two factors kept the airplane from being a commercial success, aside from the whirl-mode flutter issue that was corrected after the loss of two early Electras, was that the airplane's maintenance requirements and cabin noise levels were considered excessive.
I grew up living near Miami International in the 60's-70's, and saw Eastern Airlines Electras everyday going and coming from the Bahamas. I was always intrigued by the Electra's lines, its sound, and speed. A very cool airplane indeed! I never did fly in one.
Netflix carries the reality TV series "Ice Pilots - NWT" and Season 2 - Episode 6 "Don't Muck with Chuck" prominently features Buffalo Air's lone operating Lockheed L-188 Electra. I forget the other episodes that include it, but there were others. There's also the military version, P-3 Orion and variants that flew for decades after the civilian market had rejected the Electra.
I had a pleasure to fly on these beautiful machines, in Brazil, back in the 80's on the shuttle service between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. VARIG was the airline that owed 14 of these unforgettable an incomparable flying machines. Good old days!
A favorite commercial airline plane I love! The sound of one high above sounds great and sorely missed by me and probably many. My first ever flight was in an Eastern Airlines turbo prop: The "Golden Falcon" , I think was its name. That was way back on May 31, 1964 when I was just a few months from turning 14. Yes! Flying is a not thrilling thing due to the majority of people who care less about how they look and act. It will be years, I think, till I ever fly again due to all the restrictions and cramming the planes tight. These TH-cam videos about the airlines and planes of the past are enjoyable.
I gotta say - i would 100% have chosen the Electra for my Airline's turboprop needs, maybe in conjunction with DHC-7s for more remote fields and just maybe 737-200s, perhaps even Dassault Mercures for higher demand routes
I just sent this video to my dad who spent most of his 24 years in the United States Air Force as either a crew chief or a flight engineer. I wonder what he thinks of the video?
A cousin of the Electra is still in the air with the US Navy as the P-3 Orion. In Hilo, HI I saw planes with various squadron markings approaching the airport right over the town's main highway. They'd come in but immediately climb out again and circle around. I presume they were on training missions doing touch'n'go landings. My guess is they were based in Honolulu.
Bourbon and a cig or two..fond memories of a bygone era. I don't smoke these days and I find ciggie smoke repugnant in enclosed spaces these days but for some reason, I still have that fond memory. Weird.
Can you imagine wings falling off a plane today? Can you imagine planes coming apart today because of catastrophic decompression. Why no lawsuits back then???
@@itjustlookslikethis We can thank Prez Carter's reckless deregulation for that and a whole lot more dysfunction. Once the regulatory protections and rules were gone, that cleared the way for Reaganomics to exploit the public trust and attach price tags for that privilege. Trust that was painstakingly restored and built up as a right during the New Deal Era (1933-1976)
Oh, you are so right. I flew all the Connie versions on Eastern as a kid and they were nothing short of majestic!! What a thrill. The Electra was short and stubby, but oh what a ride!!
Hard to believe we allowed smoking on airliners as recently as the 1980's. Anyone remember when it was finally banned? For a while it was only banned on shorter flights; they figured smokers would have a nicotine fit on longer flights. Well, fuck 'em!
I must agree with you, nastiest of habits, if I want to smell smoke I'll start a camp fire. I live in Albuquerque, right now can't even burn weeds, it's so dry. Truly a disgusting habit indeed.
A great comment. Your "pax"-comparison hits the nail. Two questions: There was only 1st and 3rd class? Shouldn't this aircraft type be more represented in terms of economy?
To think that Lockheed engineers designed that airplane with a slide rule! I have a Post Versalog slide rule complete with detailed instructions on how to solve civil mechanical and electrical engineering problems. I would need a long review on how to use it.
Four years later, I discovered your comment! I have a Pickett N3-T and have become quite acquainted with how and why it works. I'd love to have an exercise book on solving mechanical engineering problems using a slide rule.
Actually they designed it with pencils, straightedges, triangles, French curves, compasses and splines on vellum. The slide rule boys didn't design anything--they analyzed stuff like stress and thermal properties.
At 22:44 the narrator actually says "flight attendants" rather than 'stewardess" and this was in 1959, so perhaps that was the industry's term even before "stewardess" was banned from everyday speech. Incidentally, the term was never designed to be derogatory in any way; ships had male 'stewards" so naturally the female equivalent was 'stewardess." And originally they were all women because regulations said they had to be nurses and that was virtually a female-only occupation. Personally I never liked "flight attendant" - how do you use that term in addressing someone? And, I think in Europe they still use 'stewardess." Now that men are doing the job, the titles "steward' and "stewardess" should be restored.
Even with ventilation I bet that relatively cramped cabin reeks from all the cigarette smoke. I've seen these fly overhead in their Naval P-3 Orion form countless times out of Moffett Field in Calif, through the 70s, 80s and early 90's (The Navy left in '93 and took their Orions with them).
You got used to the smell of cigarette smoke, even if you didn't smoke. It was part of everyday experience, planes, buses, restaurants, parks, it was everywhere,and you just didn't notice it. The only reason you notice it now is because no one smokes in public any more.
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
What an incredible aircraft! My family flew on an Electra when I was a young girl - in those days, people dressed properly to fly, and were treated with respect and courtesy. Food service was impeccable and it was not uncommon to have steak, lobster and so forth. Seating in third class (there was no second class) were larger than today's 1st class seats, and 1st class was 1st class! Later, I was an agent with Northwest at Detroit (now KDTW) and there were still Electra's in the system. They were workhorses, the pilots loved them, the passengers loved them and we loved them as they were so reliable. I loved this aircraft and still do. Passengers were still treated with great respect (and conversely passengers didn't come on board looking like they just went dumpster diving for their attire), as they were paying our salaries, and they were our valued guests - not cattle to be abused. What happens to folks today would be absolutely unthinkable - today these valued guests are simply "pax" to be packaged. Sit down, shut up, buckle up and don't you dare ask for anything!!! (and that is after the indignity of "security".... Nice huh?) This aircraft is so strong it was used as a hurricane hunter until the C-130's and the Navy used them for sub hunting. It is an amazing product of American engineering, craftsmanship and design, for a ship not made for war and killing. I used to fly allot - I don't fly at all any longer, I am not going to give some thugs my hard earned money to be treated like crap, and sit in a seat that has less room and comfort than an outhouse. - thanks but no thanks. I won't be treated like - not sure what by the TSA thugs either. They forget who pays their salary. Magnificent aircraft, whose like will not be seen again.
Chythia, we'll said..I'm a former commercial pilot and flew a L-188 for Air Florida in the 70s as a first officer it was quite an aircraft, logged many hours in one just starting out with airlines and was later crossed checked to jet aircraft. Perhaps odd to say the L -188s were way ahead of their time at the end of their time with the introduction of jetliners sales for the Electra declined and some up and start airlines bought them and used them until they were used up such the case of Air Florida and most of theirs were nearly 20 years old. But a great aircraft indeed, they had their quirks, and some accidents, but I felt perfectly safe flying the Electra, oh and Cynthia, if memory serves me 4 are still being used and maintained by NOAA for hurricane flights along with Lockheed C-130s. L -188s were total workhorses...and all of the other comments were nice to read...
@Cynthia, you have described flying as it use to be! So true your comments. I hate flying even short distances.
Airline deregulation drove a lot of the deterioration of service, flying used to be an exceptional way to travel. People dressed up when they flew, it was an occasion. But deregulation pushed airlines to cut costs and try and pack their seats as densely as possible. I'm old enough to remember the days you described, flying back in the 1950's and 1960's was an occasion! My late father retired as an international Captain on TWA and my late brother was a Captain for NWA/DELTA. I've always loved the Electra, it was a beautiful airplane-but it came along too late for a big turboprop. Many airlines were holding out for the Jet aircraft and options like the Convair 880 as an alternative to the Electra. The first turboprop-the Vickers Viscount-came out in early 1950's when the market was there, by the late 1950's when the Electra came out we had several full jet airliners almost ready to be introduced. The market for 4 engine turboprops was ending and the market for jets was beginning.
Love these 1950s airliner promos! Very informative and entertaining.
When flying was really a treat, something special. Today, one can spend more time at the airport than the flight itself, only to get stuffed into tight crowded cabins, no service, dour sour staff and finally shuffling off the plane tired, crotchety and wondering if it was worth it.
I took my first airplane ride in a Western Airlines Electra, in 1962. I was 18 months old. Many years later, my boss was a former Lockheed engineer who'd worked on the L-1011 program, but was very familiar with the L-188 aircraft. He said that two factors kept the airplane from being a commercial success, aside from the whirl-mode flutter issue that was corrected after the loss of two early Electras, was that the airplane's maintenance requirements and cabin noise levels were considered excessive.
I grew up living near Miami International in the 60's-70's, and saw Eastern Airlines Electras everyday going and coming from the Bahamas. I was always intrigued by the Electra's lines, its sound, and speed. A very cool airplane indeed! I never did fly in one.
Interesting wing shape!
had the pleasure to flight in this aircraft in the early 90's- Electra , convair and F27 were the regional aircraft here,, Electra was always my fav
Netflix carries the reality TV series "Ice Pilots - NWT" and Season 2 - Episode 6 "Don't Muck with Chuck" prominently features Buffalo Air's lone operating Lockheed L-188 Electra. I forget the other episodes that include it, but there were others. There's also the military version, P-3 Orion and variants that flew for decades after the civilian market had rejected the Electra.
Original version removed; re-upped with better screen size and colour.
I had a pleasure to fly on these beautiful machines, in Brazil, back in the 80's on the shuttle service between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. VARIG was the airline that owed 14 of these unforgettable an incomparable flying machines. Good old days!
Absolutely fascinating engineering and technology, so lucky to be born here and enjoy these achievements in our USA, love these films posted!
J Damian Abel i
Large steam engines
Large sream rurbines
A biopsy
Ahhh the simple Non-PC world when a Beautiful woman (15:55) appreciated being whistled at !! LOL : )
"And that, my boy, is how I met your grandmother!"
He serviced her last night, look at that smile
My first flight was on an Eastern Airlines Electra from Boston to Dulles airport May 1968. Great plane!
A favorite commercial airline plane I love! The sound of one high above sounds great and sorely missed by me and probably many.
My first ever flight was in an Eastern Airlines turbo prop: The "Golden Falcon" , I think was its name. That was way back on May 31, 1964 when I was just a few months from turning 14.
Yes! Flying is a not thrilling thing due to the majority of people who care less about how they look and act. It will be years, I think, till I ever fly again due to all the restrictions and cramming the planes tight.
These TH-cam videos about the airlines and planes of the past are enjoyable.
I gotta say - i would 100% have chosen the Electra for my Airline's turboprop needs, maybe in conjunction with DHC-7s for more remote fields and just maybe 737-200s, perhaps even Dassault Mercures for higher demand routes
I just sent this video to my dad who spent most of his 24 years in the United States Air Force as either a crew chief or a flight engineer. I wonder what he thinks of the video?
A cousin of the Electra is still in the air with the US Navy as the P-3 Orion. In Hilo, HI I saw planes with various squadron markings approaching the airport right over the town's main highway. They'd come in but immediately climb out again and circle around. I presume they were on training missions doing touch'n'go landings. My guess is they were based in Honolulu.
Flew in them on a regular basis out of Lovefield. Remember Brannif?
I commuted in one of those. Great plane; good memories.
Gorgeous filmography,,,
Filmed with poor lenses, wow, potatoes have better eyes...lol
Bourbon and a cig or two..fond memories of a bygone era. I don't smoke these days and I find ciggie smoke repugnant in enclosed spaces these days but for some reason, I still have that fond memory. Weird.
First few seconds of the promo… “ oh look George, there goes the engine and the wing. Isn’t Whirlmode just fascinating!”
LOL, is KOMG another name for heaven for plane spotters and airline geeks like me?!
I'm picking up good vibrations ...
Can you imagine the mechanic whistling at the stewardess today? Lawsuit for sexual harassment.
It's only sexual harassment if he's not Chad. Captain Chad in his uniform can give her a wink and she'd turn all gooey inside.
Can you imagine wings falling off a plane today? Can you imagine planes coming apart today because of catastrophic decompression. Why no lawsuits back then???
@@BlackPill-pu4vi you know they hooked up on layovers
@@itjustlookslikethis We can thank Prez Carter's reckless deregulation for that and a whole lot more dysfunction. Once the regulatory protections and rules were gone, that cleared the way for Reaganomics to exploit the public trust and attach price tags for that privilege. Trust that was painstakingly restored and built up as a right during the New Deal Era (1933-1976)
Not as sleek as the Connie, but just as unique. From the Connie to the L1011 always that look of modern magic!
Oh, you are so right. I flew all the Connie versions on Eastern as a kid and they were nothing short of majestic!! What a thrill. The Electra was short and stubby, but oh what a ride!!
Ei Amigo muito obrigado por postar o filme 👍
Hard to believe we allowed smoking on airliners as recently as the 1980's. Anyone remember when it was finally banned? For a while it was only banned on shorter flights; they figured smokers would have a nicotine fit on longer flights. Well, fuck 'em!
I must agree with you, nastiest of habits, if I want to smell smoke I'll start a camp fire. I live in Albuquerque, right now can't even burn weeds, it's so dry. Truly a disgusting habit indeed.
I had seen smoking on planes in the 80 s. Glad they cancelled that.
Was the video made before or after the disastrous crashes due to propeller whirl instability ? [Aussie in BC]
Way before.
A great comment. Your "pax"-comparison hits the nail.
Two questions:
There was only 1st and 3rd class? Shouldn't this aircraft type be more represented in terms of economy?
I love this plane! Flew on it twice. Handles like a jet fighter. ORD-MKE, DCA-LGA. OMG, this was the Golden Age of commercial air transportation.
Haliimaakhilmahamed
To think that Lockheed engineers designed that airplane with a slide rule! I have a Post Versalog slide rule complete with detailed instructions on how to solve civil mechanical and electrical engineering problems. I would need a long review on how to use it.
Four years later, I discovered your comment!
I have a Pickett N3-T and have become quite acquainted with how and why it works. I'd love to have an exercise book on solving mechanical engineering problems using a slide rule.
Actually they designed it with pencils, straightedges, triangles, French curves, compasses and splines on vellum. The slide rule boys didn't design anything--they analyzed stuff like stress and thermal properties.
Romantic electra flight..
OK, I'm sold. Where do I buy one?
Kurt- You are out of luck, ... they're all sold out. Sorry.
You might pick up a P3 Orion at Davis Monthan AFB in AZ! Wish I could afford to fuel one up! Lol! They are great aircraft with a long history.
SIM HANGER - I love it!
Wasn't this the plane where the wings came off due to vibration caused by the turboprop engines? asking for a friend.
15:56 - mechanics being mechanics... 😂 Just kidding, total respect for those masters.
He took care of her last night, look at her smile. 😁
They made great bush planes .... out of Edmonton ;
the only time I have seen them.
Really a forerunner to today’s high bypass turbofans.
Fans not shrouded.
"safety". There's that fella SMOKING on the plane...!!!!! If THAT was "safety".......🤔🤔🤔
At 22:44 the narrator actually says "flight attendants" rather than 'stewardess" and this was in 1959, so perhaps that was the industry's term even before "stewardess" was banned from everyday speech. Incidentally, the term was never designed to be derogatory in any way; ships had male 'stewards" so naturally the female equivalent was 'stewardess." And originally they were all women because regulations said they had to be nurses and that was virtually a female-only occupation. Personally I never liked "flight attendant" - how do you use that term in addressing someone? And, I think in Europe they still use 'stewardess." Now that men are doing the job, the titles "steward' and "stewardess" should be restored.
they're called trolly dollies at Gatwick
Russ G We must have Party Approved Correct Speech.
I like Space waitress more
"Built by Lockheed powered by GM"
Did that mechanic whistle at a woman? Where's the outrage
the wings kept falling off the L-188, where was the outrage back then?
Except for the whirl-mode flutter causing in-flight breakups, it was a fine plane once they fixed it.
737-8max is also a fine plane, once Boeing fixed it.
what's with the square cut off tips on the props???
Sad. Whirlmode brought them down.
Oh, but, but Lockheed fixed it, didn't they? Just like Boeing fixed the Mcas system on the 737-8max.
The older I get, the more apparent it is I was born in the wrong era.
Even with ventilation I bet that relatively cramped cabin reeks from all the cigarette smoke. I've seen these fly overhead in their Naval P-3 Orion form countless times out of Moffett Field in Calif, through the 70s, 80s and early 90's (The Navy left in '93 and took their Orions with them).
You got used to the smell of cigarette smoke, even if you didn't smoke. It was part of everyday experience, planes, buses, restaurants, parks, it was everywhere,and you just didn't notice it. The only reason you notice it now is because no one smokes in public any more.
Too bad the engines came loose and tore the wings off!!
An even better maritime patrol / anti submarine aircraft in the guise of P3C’s
smoking on the air....
For information about Air New Zealand's Lockheed Electra L188-C Era
go to.....
flight-engineers-air-nz.blogspot.co.nz/p/lockheed-electra-l188.html
Ah, with soothing old white people music 🎶 ✈️ 😂
15:55 Those good 'ole pre Me-Too and "woke" days :))