The first city featured is Manhattan with Hudson River and faint outline of George Washington Bridge. The NEXT SKYLINE is downtown Chicago with a landing at Midway. The man wanting a ticket "flying west" is 609 from Washington to ?? But, remember he's landing in one city. LOL. Gasoline for a plane of that size in 1947?
Hmmmm... the "ticket clerk" should have just checked the airline reservation computer. Better yet the guy buying the ticket should have checked for a lower price from another airline with his iPhone app before he even walked up to the counter. Seems like they are purposely doing things the hard way in this video. Actually, what I really want to know is, how did he manage to talk to a gate agent without having purchased a ticket already!! Someone call TSA! ;-)
Flying was simpler in those days...but it was competent, reliable and you didn't sit on the tarmac for 7 hours with no food or water. Excellent bit of American history.
They need to slow the narration down and maybe put less information into the time slot. I felt bamboozled with information and struggled to grasp the concept of an "airport" until I watched it for a fifth time.
Who would have guessed from that film that January 31, 1973 would be the last day for Sky Harbor Airport, Northbrook, Illinois. Too bad nobody told the Navion pilot there was no tower or ground control at Sky Harbor ;-) Nice old "woody" parked outside the United hangar at Midway.
Sweet memories of KMDW. I always enjoyed what they called the "crib visual" approach. You came in from the east over the crib in Lk. Michigan, crossed 57th street beach at 2000 ft, then reported a 2 mile left base for RWY 22L and the tower cleared you to land. That changed when the jets arrived. No more fun like the prop days.
Notice- The private pilot plane was flown MINUS a seat belt/shoulder strap restraining type of belt. Today, that forgetful action would cause him to be against the Law. As the FAA- or also called the WESAYSO Corp. regulate things even down to this level nowadays. Freedoms are won and they are lost :)
BTW, the seat belts existed, but wearing one was optional then!
pilots were not required at that time to operate private airplanes with restraint devices, these requirements were the then- exclusive domain of the airlines/military. a Seat belt of any sort would have showing as a shoulder type there if it had been requisite equip.
Great film - to have been a commercial pilot back then must have been the best job in the world - I can still smell the interior of those planes from when I was a child.
great video, a blast from the past. I liked the ATC they had, no screens just a bunch of papers. Really shows ya how far we have come along/ Altho a busy airport with huge radial planes cant be beat.
"Stop calling me Shirley ..." (!)
gunsandroses1111 2 months ago
That's Chicago's skyline early on (see the river?), and a landing at Midway - it had not changed very much inside even as late as the 1980s!
dirac33 3 months ago
Holy Toledo Jones! Have you ever heard such infantile narration? Sounds like it was aimed at an audience of pre Kindergarten students?
Yes, I knew it as bad back then, but I really never realized that it was this bad!
OMG! This is hard to listen to!
GutpileCharlie 4 months ago
Someone forgot to preflight...
That70sShow1Fan 4 months ago
Comment removed
That70sShow1Fan 4 months ago
Why do all these films, as well as airline movies of the era, have the pilots wearing their hats and jackets?
MrRonnieG 8 months ago
The first city featured is Manhattan with Hudson River and faint outline of George Washington Bridge. The NEXT SKYLINE is downtown Chicago with a landing at Midway. The man wanting a ticket "flying west" is 609 from Washington to ?? But, remember he's landing in one city. LOL. Gasoline for a plane of that size in 1947?
OSTARAEB4 9 months ago
@OSTARAEB4 Yes gas, It uses a radial piston engine. What else do you expect to use?
trinidefender1 8 months ago
That pilot looks pretty nervous
SFConifer 10 months ago
STARTING AT 9:08 HE FORGOT HIS PREFLIGHT
airplanebuilderman 10 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
United 609 was operated with a DC-6, back then, but the Mainliner Golden Gate that was rolled out of the hanger was a DC-4.
mileswrich 11 months ago
United 609 was operated with a DC-6, back then, but the Mainliner Golden Gate that was rolled out of the hanger was a DC-4.
mileswrich 11 months ago
Hmmmm... the "ticket clerk" should have just checked the airline reservation computer. Better yet the guy buying the ticket should have checked for a lower price from another airline with his iPhone app before he even walked up to the counter. Seems like they are purposely doing things the hard way in this video. Actually, what I really want to know is, how did he manage to talk to a gate agent without having purchased a ticket already!! Someone call TSA! ;-)
oarias99 1 year ago
Here's the pilot...Here the man in the control tower. God who wrote this! LMAO
147258GS 1 year ago
Flying was simpler in those days...but it was competent, reliable and you didn't sit on the tarmac for 7 hours with no food or water. Excellent bit of American history.
mbazell 1 year ago
"Jimmy, do you like movies with gladiators?"
tripjet999 1 year ago
there's alot of men in this film
cavanfan 1 year ago
@cavanfan Except for the kitchen staff. LOL
147258GS 1 year ago
THis is like "FLYING EXPLAINED for the first time" for 5 year olds!
WHERE did they FIND the narrator??? I mean ."The MAN that is doing the speaking"
tonyde52 1 year ago
holly s*** cant u get any videos with fuc*** colors u idets!!!
hammytj10 1 year ago
Nice security on the tarmac. Is this when airlines started learning how to lose luggage?
UtRadioGuy 1 year ago
Looks like Chicago Midway.
DaveNF2G 1 year ago
The man in the control tower (1:19) didn't know where the airplane was.
paperbacknovel 1 year ago
They need to slow the narration down and maybe put less information into the time slot. I felt bamboozled with information and struggled to grasp the concept of an "airport" until I watched it for a fifth time.
ingma99 1 year ago
Who would have guessed from that film that January 31, 1973 would be the last day for Sky Harbor Airport, Northbrook, Illinois. Too bad nobody told the Navion pilot there was no tower or ground control at Sky Harbor ;-) Nice old "woody" parked outside the United hangar at Midway.
Elodea 1 year ago
I cannot believe that the airline industry actually functioned with out computerized reservations.... How far we have come.
MEATYOKERRable 1 year ago
There were no low cost airlines at those times - too many people employed for that.
Not enough automation.
rklionel2 1 year ago
Excellent. Interesting to see the pre-jet commercial aviation world. Seems so slow, for a "busy" airport. It's only getting busier. God help us.
synthuser 1 year ago
TOTALLY AWESOME, THANK YOU FOR SHARING>
MrMegaFredzeppelin 1 year ago
@MrMegaFredzeppelin
Nice to see the pilot didn't botch the landing!
onthemoveagain 1 year ago
Sweet memories of KMDW. I always enjoyed what they called the "crib visual" approach. You came in from the east over the crib in Lk. Michigan, crossed 57th street beach at 2000 ft, then reported a 2 mile left base for RWY 22L and the tower cleared you to land. That changed when the jets arrived. No more fun like the prop days.
mbazell 1 year ago
I know our principal used to show us movies like this in the 1960s..... they sure got me interested in aviation.
MrSunlander 1 year ago
Notice- The private pilot plane was flown MINUS a seat belt/shoulder strap restraining type of belt. Today, that forgetful action would cause him to be against the Law. As the FAA- or also called the WESAYSO Corp. regulate things even down to this level nowadays. Freedoms are won and they are lost :)
BTW, the seat belts existed, but wearing one was optional then!
TISAC1 1 year ago
@TISAC1 could have been a lap belt?
godzilla74114 1 year ago
@godzilla74114
pilots were not required at that time to operate private airplanes with restraint devices, these requirements were the then- exclusive domain of the airlines/military. a Seat belt of any sort would have showing as a shoulder type there if it had been requisite equip.
Thx
TISAC1 1 year ago
the airport he landed at was ORD or MDW?
UAL8495 1 year ago
"And here's the pilot: He's HIGH in the air..."
JoshuaTaylor 1 year ago
From listening to the narration, it seems like this film was meant to be shown in schools. Great footage!
Deltoid71 2 years ago
Great film - to have been a commercial pilot back then must have been the best job in the world - I can still smell the interior of those planes from when I was a child.
billoakesattablthree 2 years ago
Nice footage of old MDW Municipal Airport. Ah, such memories.
mbazell 2 years ago
"Here is a single engine plane...I wonder where the pilot is?"
"Oh, there he is...bellied up to the "all you can drink" tequilla bar....lol.
Seriously though, this brings back some memories. Walking across the tarmac and climbing the rollaway stairs.
Real silverware and china....those were the days.
AllanVictoriaA 2 years ago
@AllanVictoriaA "Here's the pilot talking to the air hostess. The hostess is named Jan. Jan is very friendly to the pilot!"
dirac33 3 months ago
great video, a blast from the past. I liked the ATC they had, no screens just a bunch of papers. Really shows ya how far we have come along/ Altho a busy airport with huge radial planes cant be beat.
worlock1422 2 years ago