Classic LAX Action Recorded in January 1989 (Early Tape)

Here is an 11:00 minute video showing some of highlights from a VHS tape dated January 15, 1989, it's also labeled as Craig's third tape. Watch in 720p or 1080p.
Seen in this video:
Continental / Frontier (Hybrid) MD-82
Casino Express 737-200
Flying Tigers 747-200
Pan Am A310
Condor DC-10
Pan Am 747-200
Braniff 727-200
LTU L-1011
Northwest Orient DC-10
Piedmont / USAir (Hybrid) 767-200
Pan Am Twin Otter
TWA 747-100
Mexicana 727-200
Federal Express 727-100
American A300
Continental 727-200
Hawaiian Air DC-8-62
Shot by my friend Craig Pilkington (Aviation Media ©)
Edited / uploaded by me with the kind permission of Aviation Media ©

[@reignman40boozer5]

People who went out plane spotting and recorded it before it was really a thing are national heroes.

[@RyanBomar]

This comment is everything!

[@LateNightCable]

I’m pretty sure plane spotting has always been a thing, for as long as there have been airports and an opportunity to watch them. Means of documenting the action has exploded however in the last 30+ years.

[@donnix1192]

@@RyanBomarDo you know the registration on that Flying Tigers Cargo? A month later was flight 66 that crashed in Lumpur.

[@commanderniki3442]

I was born in 99 and watching these old plane spotting videos feels very heartwarming. I can tell that the 80s and 90s were a great decade, especially for plane spotting and flying on the tri-jets. I never had the chance to fly on any tri-jet in my life. Sometimes I wish I was born in the early 1970s so I can experience the real joy of flying on the classics. Even the liveries had real character, unlike today's bland liveries. But, I am happy that realistic flight sims exist so I can fly my favorite aircraft from the past.

[@pascaltholen2180]

I flew all of the Trijets and I must admit that none of them had the comfort of the jets from today. The Trijets where noisy and not comfortable at all. I can't really understand why so many comments are so positiv about the Trijets, The technic of todays aircraft is better, the aircrafts offer normally a smoother ride and the noise and fuel consumption is way more efficient than the era of Trijets. so what has been great about the fuel tossling Trijets of the past?

[@pascaltholen2180]

Bruno56 I can’t forget them neither. I flew with Condor the DC 10 the first time 1975, when shortly after take off from FRA one engine blew off and we returned safely to FRA and had to wait 18 hrs for another Aircraft. I flew with Delta‘s Tristar 1985 and 1986 on a standby ticket. We already sat in the Tristar from Fort Lauderdale to Dallas when we were removed from the aircraft. We landed in Dallas 2 hrs later in a different plane and saw the Tristar crashed and broken in two parts shortly before the threshold of the runway. My girlfriend, now my wife, and I felt reborn that day. We would have died that Day seating in the first rows of economy (tourist) class. The flights with the 727s were unspectacular but rather loud and bumpy. I personally like the Airbus Jets the best. Of course if you travel low cost no commercial aircraft offers enough seating space. But the air and noise is much better and the cabin altitude is also much lower than in the old airplanes. Not to mention the fuel saving efficiency and the footprint on our environment.

[@funkydave72]

I flew with a Trident 3 BA in 1983

[@lls6001]

Well one day the A380 will be a 'classic'

[@lls6001]

@@pascaltholen2180 it's just people wearing those old rose tinted glasses. I work in a museum and when people walk into one of our historic houses and say 'Weren't we happier back then?' I'm like 'nope!'

[@jesseboombatts8399]

The L-1011 and the Pan Am Clipper and the TWA 747 were the three highlights! Last two were haunting... flight 103 and 800...

[@kathynix4944]

To this day Jenni, it is killing me to know if the registration on the TWA 747 on final approach at 6:30 is N93119. If it is, then we know what happened to it on July 17,1996 as it was climbing to cruising altitude over Long Island. Very haunting indeed if that is N93119 landing at LAX here in 1989.

[@Vortigan07]

@@kathynix4944 If that is indeed N93119, how does this clip shed light on what happened that night?? I'm not disputing you, just honestly curious to know.

[@aeiou9054]

​@@Vortigan07theres actually a video of N93119 at LAX

[@ilike2fly71]

Remember when america had more than three airlines to chose from

[@colemanb.7223]

ilike2fly71 remember when America had Pan Am? Those days...

[@martinjuulandersen9694]

Kevin Wilt Anti-trust will never be enforced by any administration again. American politics is simply to corrupt amd owned by corporations. If they weren't the banks and big Tech let alone the Airlines would already have been broken up.

[@mitchellmotorsportsLLC]

Well not necessarily. Today, America has got United, Delta, American, Alaska, JetBlue, Sun Country, Southwest, Frontier, Spirit, Pen Air, and Hawaiian.

[@alvarofavela2918]

Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, United, etc. That’s about a dozen airlines that you can choose from to fly domestically. So what are you talking about?

[@jordannelson2208]

They've got not than 3 now

[@philmontejano5971]

Planespotting like many other things were better in the 80s. So many great airlines and variety.

[@ex-cop_bountyhunter]

3:35. The pilot of the PAN AM landed the 747 like an A330.

[@kyrahjaynevlogz8724]

Mr. Whaleman that’s weird to see a 747 land like an A330

[@craft7185]

phil, that description is perfect

[@s4rthakforreal]

Smoothn't

[@747heavyboeing3]

A few stories higher at touchdown.

[@drcbindulavanya4591]

2:28

[@filthyyoko1497]

i just love the look of that flying tigers b747. looks like a true workhorse with all that dirt.

[@ProtegeTuype]

its looked like it was already old lol

[@Joserae]

Exactly what I thought. It looked so imposing, so magnificent

[@pvpat92]

Kind of interesting that a cargo plane had a full complement of windows.

[@indahooddererste]

@@pvpat92 converted freighter.

[@davidca96]

@@ProtegeTuype it was an old 747-200 converted to freight, probably assembled back in the early 70's. That puppy did a lot of flying.

[@SteveH98264]

I was certified @ LAX tower on Jan 1, 1989. I was almost certainly working on Jan 15th. Would have loved to hear the ATC recordings.

[@petervennemann9183]

Condor DC10...what a beauty :)

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

I was born in 97 exactly 8 years after this was filmed

[@777pusher]

Thanks!!! Brings back memories of great days in the 80s, hanging out at airports all day, watching planes and people, and collecting timetables.

[@ChristopherVPepe]

Thank you for keeping this posted. I began my career at Pan Am In '88. Its great seeing all the older planes and carriers in existence at that time. 👍

[@alexfinns6162]

Wow! Really though, knowing what happened with Pan Am shutting down in 1991, you couldn’t have chosen a worse company to start with 😅. Cool story though!

[@funkabby1]

Shame that almost all these airlines are no longer in the air. Nice trip down memory lane though. Thanks for sharing

[@cherianmathai5013]

70's, 80's and 90's were the golden era of flying.

[@WaifuPunisher]

OMG I didnt expect to see at 7:12 a Mexicana airplane !! I am so sad that this airline is no longer ... Mexicana was the 3rd oldest Airline after KLM and Avianca

[@tenista2182]

omg love to see that Pan Am A300 and 747 ... how I wish they could bring Pan Am again ..great video!! enjoyed it very much .. thanks

[@whrjongo]

I agree i miss Pan Am and world class service!!

[@MagicDragonKatt]

Back when plane spotting was actually interesting

[@abhishek6561397]

Dear Ryan, I have no words to thank you for uploading this priceless footage.Thank you so much!

[@37jet74]

Loved that you caught a Piedmont 767 during the transition to UsAir!

[@jjgreek1]

Probably arrived from Charlotte

[@janetgaddy]

i worked for Flying Tigers, (in their training group) in Los Angeles and seeing our old bird was great.... Wonderful view... thanks Jon

[@jasonpayne1240]

This is my favorite classic plane spotting video yet. Thanks for posting!

[@RinkyRoo2021]

My first trip to LAX was in 1988 as a little kid ,I remember seeing the same Condor dc10 ,and the soup brown air flying in

[@donnix1192]

My first trip was on a UsAir 727-200 to Orlando in 1989 , great memories

[@pip12111]

Back when the old control tower was running the show. I'm glad they didnt tear it down after the new one was built.

[@jessicabruno2820]

These videos make me so happy, to see all of those old aircraft that I remember seeing and using on flight simulators in the 1990s but at the same time really sad because there are so many that just aren’t flying anymore, both airlines and the frames that are gone forever. Great video thank you so much for sharing it

[@redbrobster]

I love the Continental livery on the first plane.

[@davidlisowski5245]

That’s the “Frontiernental” transitional scheme from the old Frontier Airlines.

[@rtcp2020]

So, how many airlines do you want? 1970s/80s America: *Yes*

[@stephenheath8465]

7:55 I totally forgot that FedEx was called Federal Express back in those days,also good to see classic Fallen Flag Carriers like TWA and PanAm

[@DR.ELEKTRIK]

Being that it's the 80's the quality of that vhs is pretty damn good. Things were built way better back then.

[@solomonpilot2510]

I TOTALLY AGREE W/U 1000%.

[@questadversary]

that pre turbofan dc-8 was a real treat there at the end

[@cowboybob7093]

Comparing the DC-8 to the 767 and A310 was interesting. Was it a DC-8 at 3:07?

[@pascaltholen2180]

@@cowboybob7093 Yes, that was a short view at 03:07 of a DC-8!

[@pascaltholen2180]

Pre turbofan DC-8? The DC-8 had 4 turbofans. What do you mean with pre turbofan?

[@ChorltonM21]

@@pascaltholen2180 He means the older DC8s had turbojet engines instead of turbofans.

[@viscount757]

​@ChorltonM21 Yes, only the early -10 series with the Pratt & Whitney JT3C and the -20 and -30 series with the much more powerful JT4A were turbojets. The -40 series with Rolls-Royce Conway and -50 and -60 series with P&W JT3D were turbofans, and if course the 110 -60 series DC-8s later re-engined with the CFM56, becoming -70 series. The Hawaiian aircraft in the video was a -62, one of a dozen or so -62s and -63s acquired used from original operators including United, Braniff, Alitalia, KLM, SAS and Iberia.

[@jjouney]

Fantastic footage, great nostalgia. Thank you for sharing :)

[@Ichbins2485]

You are my hero! I wanted to see a Condor so badly. And now it is a video even with it on the Thumbnail 😍. Thank you!

[@adamwillis6975]

You know what Ryan, i used to live right next door to Heathrow Airport and went to a senior school that sat so close to the airport, that in my form room and humanities class, i could see these old girls coming on their final approach to 27R. Because the classes were on the 3rd floor, i could see right over onto the runway and above the houses. I used to hear that high pitch sound of a 747-200 or 300 at 3:17 almost every minute and then that howling of the reversers i used to just love...it was like a symphony to my ears. Just hearing it made me shift my memory all the way back to me sitting there sneaking looks outside the window to watch them so my teacher wouldn't see. Got caught a few times but i couldn't resist.

[@michaeltalbott4496]

Wow--FANTASTIC VIDEO--OH THE MEMORIES OF BY-GONE ERA

[@ersterhernd]

Great footage. Amazing how many of those carriers aren't around anymore, or rebranded. Love the tri-holers, the 80s was a great decade for that vintage.

[@velocityjet1884]

Loved seeing the old clipper landing

[@Springbok295]

I talked to the guy who shot this video, I recognized his voice from the first minute. I bought a VHS video from him on the DC-8 back in 1990/91. I think his favorite DC-8 was the -61. That video and one produced by Paul Havis a pilot for People's Express were two of my favorites of all time.

[@pecatoribus64]

Wow, this is a good video, thanks for sharing. I remember LAX plane spotting in the 80's. OMG a DC-8 for Hawaiian airlines, now this is priceless.

[@Webdun]

This is a brilliant video of the classics! well done for posting.

[@peytonbass5396]

Keep seeing that old CO hangar there at the end of the runway and how I started working there in 89. Great memories and sound.

[@anthonycameron2067]

Worked there back in 87 😀

[@grimreapertrader6635]

This was awesome, thank you. I'd give up anything to go back to this time.

[@johnhenry6762]

No no. Make it "l'd give anything to go back 38 years". That's when liveries and engines were colorful and loud. The 747's, DC-10's and L-1011's were coming into their own.

[@VIR092]

Look at that glorious DC-8 kiss the runway around 10:35 into the video, just beautiful. And the L-1011, another gem.

[@alfredsnyder4]

Gotta Love That DC-10-10 & DC-10-30.

[@buttholeChecker]

Love all the classic liveries. Great video!

[@aviation_enthusiast]

Woow, TWA, Pan Am, 727, DC8, 707, thanks for upload 👍

[@mr.coffee1]

Loving the Flying Tiger 747, looks rough as guts hahah :)

[@LoganLavery]

Yeah it does right. FedEx bought them right around that period and sold the 747s ASAP. If you watch the FedEx "Anthem" commercial from superbowl you'll see one of the 747s in FedEx livery, but they didn't keep them for long.kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4iZeXp4rsh8b9E

[@waltersempticowski1794]

the same here. its great

[@tiadaid]

@@LoganLavery Wonder why did FedEx got rid of the 747s. A lot of other cargo airlines operate 747s by the bucketload.

[@shrimpflea]

They would rather fly more smaller planes for less cost each with more flexibility. The 747F is great if you are hauling a lot of freight to the same location especially long distance.

[@jaymac8496]

If a 747 was bucket that’d be it cuz that thang been through it😂😂😂

[@DNR5586]

Wonderful historical content here, great job!!

[@xmodder077_aviation9]

When those beautiful Pam Am’s are still flying

[@pvpat92]

Love how that afternoon fog is rolling in. I used to plane spot for hours from probably the same spot. Loved the Flying Tigers too, made me very nostalgic :)

[@danielwallace7536]

I worked for Flying Tigers on 727, DC-8, 747 at LAX. Great memories and thankful for the experience with wonderful people. The PAA 747 slid it on as they almost always did. My dad loved flying the PAA Boeing's. Great times

[@jorjay1810]

I miss working the old heavy iron aircraft. It was just a few years ago that we saw the last FedEx B-727 fly.

[@BFFAvgeek15]

This is back in the prime of commercial aviation

[@GulfCoastTim]

The end of the 80s era airline aviation. This brings back a lot of memories.

[@Videospotter]

I miss that sound! Thx for uploading!

[@Worrgamesguy]

I love seeing all the DC-10s. I'm a boom operator on the KC-10, and it really is a phenomenal aircraft. Wish I saw more still flying. Everytime we're on the road and we pass a UPS/Fedex MD-11, our flight engineer comments that those winglets are engineer killers haha.

[@kurthuber7747]

Man that Condor DC-10 looked like it was struggling to lift off.

[@richardgerlach5156]

That was a pleasant stroll down aircraft (and airlines!) memory lane!

[@ImranHussain-hk7gt]

Great footage and a very great reminder to what aviation really was.

[@zachmatt3]

Very nice video. I did notice some elongated horizontal distortion, which made the airliners look longer than they were. But still a great video.

[@MBihon2000]

So much competition in the 70s-80s and 90s.

[@bronxboy2998]

Totally impressed. Always wondered what the 1980’s plane spotting scene was like. I know there were LOTS of various carriers to choose from. But whew!

[@donnix6931]

This is great footage!!! I remember flying for the first time in June of 1989, on a Dc-10 from Chicago OHare to Orlando for a family vacation. Love watching some of these old carriers like pan American and TWA coming in and taking off as the afternoon fades into the early evening at 1989 LAX. I wonder if that twa 747 that landed was flight 800, the plane that blew up over Long Island in 1996?? Yes, I know TWA had more than 1 747 obviously. How eerie would that be if it was.

[@pascaltholen2180]

It was a 747-200 which landed at LAX. Flight 800 was a 747-100. So the 747-200 was not the TWA 747-100 which crashed over Long Island!

[@grumpyjamaican]

great video friend thanks for sharing i was 16yrs old back then ,dang how times fly:)

[@jeffreyjeffrey6090]

This is beauty!

[@alanmorgan4397]

What a great video. Amazing clarity as well. Was that a Convair at the end as well? Bonus.

[@catrachocolo]

You mean the Hawaiian plane? That's a DC-8.

[@GaryPotocki82]

June of 1989 I remember flying Northwest Orient 727200 at 6 years old from Seatac,wa to Memphis Tennessee in the summer mornings then coming back from Florida and Arkansas on vacation and Alabama... dad boarded me in Atl on a Delta 767-200 bound non-stop returning to Seattle. I never forgot those memories the 1st to fly in my life and touch the sky which introduced me to my love of Aviation. In 1993 October I flew to Berlin Germany got to see the tempelhof airport coming and going between connecting "Copenhagen and Seattle" both times on the old SAS 767-300 rainbow schemw. I've flown so many times trans-continental Regional and I got to go overseas once in my life "I can say I've been there and I've done that good memories with me forever.... today I'd rather drive myself across the states or take a train I don't enjoy Aviation as I used to because of what it's become I grew up with the md-80s the dc-9 the 767/757 dc10 l1011 a320 Saab 340 s Embrear Brasilia 120s beech1900s 737 classics, the old scrap which is now forever gone.... sorry but I'm not a fan of the brilliant brand new Jets they're just not the same..... neither is the culture of flying or business ... I no longer have a infection bug for the airline industry you could say it's become pathetic..... I proudly say that some airliners will profit off their planes today just to save a buck today yet putting their passengers at risk for the sake of intimidating their caring hard-working informing faa certified Mechanics for example passengers are given a false sense of luxury feeling in the sky unless you're absolutely In First Class you are treated like cattle it's a joke.... that is very disgusting and disturbing...not to mention you don't get a free meal anymore flight attendants are a joke, I'm not saying all passengers are flight staff for airliners or planes are bad it's just you see so much drama and negative news pretty much it seems 90% of the industry has gone to hell and it has... there rude an arrogant passengers have become trashy and self entitled , you have to even swipe almost ten bucks just to take a s*** in Flight, ....no thank you.... not to mention the drama the madness and the disrespect in air or on the ground.... it's just not worth it anymore. Now I do believe Hawaiian Airlines is still one of the best and I look forward to going to Hawaii and flying with them down the line") from Seattle

[@graemewilliams1308]

ALL of them now at the Mojave boneyard if not already scrapped. Crews retired & watching these videos trying to convince themselves they are happy in retirement !!!

[@a380qm2]

I love the Pan Ams in this video, the 747 look like a beautiful beast! For a first generation wide body, those A300 B4s, was very quite, almost as quite as an A330.

[@747heavyboeing3]

Narrator knows his birds and airlines! Flying Tigers 747 classic!!

[@donnix1192]

I wonder what the registration was?? One month later in February 1989 Flying Tigers Flight 66 Reg N807FT crashed in Lumpur, identical 747 freighter

[@jonathanjackson9208]

Great video, loved the L1011, all of the 727's, and I wonder if that TWA 747 was later flight 800?

[@noodlehome]

Very good thank for this video...love old aircraft

[@faustoleon9373]

Excelent video and sound. Very nostalgic. 👍

[@schnellguy]

Great posting,lots of memories.

[@abathens]

Definitely some great footage!

[@retroguy1976]

love seeing the old continental livery

[@jetfreak4]

I was 2 and a half at the time this video was made, yet it brings back many memories I had as a toddler. I remember DC-8s, 727s, DC-10s, L-1011s, and 747 classics. The era of aviation as depicted in this video began to come to an end around the mid-1990s.

[@kirkhead94]

the LTU tristar is possibly the best lookin plane ive seen on the net.. great video :)

[@garbagelifeoftheboringwife]

The day before I was born. Found this searching for events in January 89.

[@BFFAvgeek15]

31 years. That’s pretty amazing!

[@superality]

lots of old classic beauties. and some of these airlines does'nt exist anymore. very happy to have discovered this video.

[@ssgooent]

Such great memories! Back when flying was fun and passengers weren't treated like cattle. Makes me sick at what we put up with today!

[@LeeDfined]

That applies to life in general...the 80s were a different time to be alive.

[@ragaglia]

At 0:55 the Flying Tigers 747 sight looks amazing considering that just 1 month later from the date of this video tape an aircraft just like that (reg N807FT) crashed while approaching to Kuala Lumpur as Flying Tiger Flight 66 with no survivors.

[@markk2060]

Truly sad indeed. I had the fortunate opportunity to sit up front with Jack Robinson when I was a teenager. My father flew with him a lot and spoke very highly of him and the crew on that flight.

[@chucklamont9778]

Mark K nice

[@vikashkittu2598]

Jorge Ragaglia f

[@cslan4]

Man I miss them coal roller DC8's 747-100, 200 and 727's sounds crazy but I loved working on them!

[@kray97]

The Flying Tigers 747 is a true throwback to the old days.

[@bobblue_west]

Great. Used to fly PSA and Air Cal a lot between LAX and SFO.

[@ikaikamaleko8370]

Wow that last plane was a Hawaiian airlines DC 8.......I had just started basic training for the Army in Jan 1989.........feels weird watching this and the memories that come from it...........very nostalgic.

[@chrissflyer4722]

Two German classic, Condor DC 10 and LTU L1011 on the video. Nice

[@jr13227]

That Flying Tigers 747 looks like it’s been through the shit...

[@shrimpflea]

Workhorse.

[@bearpaw72]

At around that time, I considered becoming an airline pilot (but my interest in planes was only a general one at best). Later in the same month you shot this, I entered the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. But the following year, my career aspirations changed once again.

[@Hat65]

Loved this video! What plane model is that with four engines at the end? Hawaiian Airlines!

[@StrongandStable17]

DC 8

[@Hat65]

@@StrongandStable17 Thanks

[@AmirJaffer]

This makes me so nostalgic. LOVED PanAm and their service on international flights. And this was a time when there were no security checks and TSA. The good ol' days :-(

[@xzem613]

I wasn't even born in the 80's nor 90's, however, i would love to be there planespotting, there was so much variety of planes and airlines, today, you'll only see there Delta, United, American, and some couple others, A320, A330, 737-800+, 747-4/8 and not much more.

[@albear972]

0:53 Damn! That vintage Flying Tigers 747 looks like it's up for some serious business!

[@mateosou6610]

The Pan Am Twin Otter maked me laugh

[@ashedits456]

I like the plane's type and the quality it just looks cool.

[@1975azam]

Way to go Malaysia Airlines.Yes that's Malaysia Airlines in the background when Condor Air was taking off-the red and white plane with a circular design on the tail(that was Malaysia Airlines's old logo).

[@mevlijakaric3825]

Sheesh that flying tigers 747 looks sick. 0:53

[@muhammadfadhiil5992]

Love the Condor DC-10

[@oliverw1898]

classic impressions from this amazing airport top 👍

[@ProtegeTuype]

Im proud to see these old school jets that belong to my year of birth.

[@philmontejano5971]

Pan Am twin otter was very interesting

[@donnix6931]

Is there any way to know whether the TWA 747 landing at 6:16 was the infamous flight 800 registration N93119 that would explode over Long Island seven years later??

[@RyanBomar]

@Springbok295, yeah, that's Craig Pilkington. He's a DC-8 nut, his favorite is the 50 series but he loves them all! He had three tapes, "Plane Spotters", "The Mighty DC-8" & "The Legendary 707" which were all put out through his company called Aviation Media. I just had dinner with him, when he gets home I'll be sure to pass this along to him. You'll see some of the footage from those tapes and pieces from pretty much every video that he's shot, which is 300+.