Cockpit flight on Douglas DC-6A G-APSA

Captains John Griffin and Julian Firth takes us over the North Sea, buzzing Norwich airport on the way to a twilight landing at home base Coventry!

[@alejandroeguren4187]

The DOUGLAS DC-6 began her commercial flights in 1947, as a passenger airplane. In 1949 appeared the DC-6A, an exclsuively cargo plane with reinforced floor prepared for heavy loads. But the next passenger craft was the DC-6B, which began serving American Airlines on Apri 11, 1951.

[@bkailua1224]

I flew all three seats in the DC-6 and it is interesting they are having the copilot do what the flight engineer did when I was flying the 6. Maybe they have authorization to fly without an engineer. Looks like someone was in the middle seat Also when I flew the airplane the pilot flying would use the throttles in reverse and the FE would just regulate the mixture coming out of reverse so engines would not fail. I actually had to steer with throttles in reverse to keep the airplane on the runway one time.

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

Definitely someone in the middle seat. I used to fly this DC6 with Julian and John (as seen here). John's knowledge of the aircraft was excellent and he was a great trainer. First time I flew in the middle seat I managed to kill two engines when selecting reverse - didn't select auto-lean quick enough - there were lots of levers to move!

[@ronaldhodgson5301]

Yes, I noted that, the Flight Engineer is in charge of engines particularly, that includes the start, the switching, the throttles, and all this was done by the Co-Pilot. The third member was maybe a Pilot, and the Co-Pilot was Engineer qualified.

[@Agislife1960]

I flight engineered DC-6's in Alaska during the 90's, It's really better to have two sets of eyes outside the cockpit flying the airplane and the flight engineer controlling the engines and propellers, thats the way Douglas thought best, and the way the DC-6 was designed. I realize that two pilots can fly the DC-6, but to really operate the aircraft in a commercial sense, you need a good flight engineer

[@ROsteveification]

Did you work for Everts by any chance? Love their airline.

[@Agislife1960]

@@ROsteveification NAC

[@gregwhite7957]

I worked for NAC and everts in Fairbanks. Cargo for NAC, load master for everts.

[@gregwhite7957]

Are you still with everts

[@Agislife1960]

@@gregwhite7957 I worked for Frontier Flying Service throughout the 90's as an A&P, then in the late 90's was FE for NAF which was a splinter company of NAC on N7780B or BOB as we called the aircraft, hauling fuel, which also belonged to Howard Hughes back in the day. I don't live in Alaska anymore but I still have friends there Gene Salzman who still works for Everts is a good friend of mine

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Nothing like the wonderful sound of four Pratt & Whitney, R-2800, radial engines roaring along! Thanks for sharing

[@AeroPresentation]

Couldn't agree more! Thanks!

[@Slonge92]

Thanks a lot for the great video. I grew up learning about airplanes at an early age. Since my first airline flight was on a TWA Super Connie, I was not a DC6 fan (a 5 year old has to pick a team). As I grew older I appreciated what a beautiful plane the DC6 was. After 40 years in the aerospace industry, all in Southern California, I never worked for Douglas (just their competitors: North American/Rockwell, Northrop, Lockheed, General Dynamics). I love the old aircraft built before I worked in industry, the ones built from the late forties to the late seventies). Thanks again for the great content.

[@AeroPresentation]

@Slonge92 Thanks! Then you might just like this one too ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4DFh4msmbOMmM0

[@halrobinson2737]

Went to work for Douglas in Santa Monica in their machinist training program in 1966. They couldn’t get enough experienced workers during the Vietnam war. Worked on numerous milling machines and made parts for the DC 6,7,8,9,and 10’s. Was drafted into the U. S. Army in January 1968. Served a tour in Vietnam, then came back to work at Douglas in 1970. Too many layoffs and rumor that the Santa Monica location would be gone in a few years, so I quit in 1973 and went to work for IBM and held various positions in service and management. Retired from IBM in 2003 with 30 years of service. No layoffs for me, but many thousands after 2003 lost their jobs.

[@robertbulot7041]

A big thank for this very interesting Video which perfectly complements the other sequences on the magnificent Douglas DC-6. The cockpit of this aircraft is really fascinating! 🏆 (I noticed one impressive thing : the copilot's paper charts! Truly another aera...)

[@AeroPresentation]

Thank you! Those were the days!

[@LEMMYLEMON]

Definitely a classic. And my favourite airliner of all time

[@Jerry-n7u]

I was a. Flight engineer on the c 118 in the usaf loved the aircraft best job i ever had

[@Fab777300ER]

Awesome video! That's awesome! Thanks for shared!

[@AeroPresentation]

Thank you!

[@Bravo21]

Memories of my first Airline flight, 1962, Delta. I was used to flying, we owned an Aircraft and my Dad flew in WW2, but my first time in an airliner.

[@rudolfkrebs2311]

Vielen Dank für dieses absolut tolle Video! 👍😎🇦🇹

[@AeroPresentation]

Thank you!

[@Armafly]

The shape of those engines, the noise, the old fashion cockpit...this old lady is fantastic.

[@AeroPresentation]

Fully agree!

[@alejandroeguren4187]

It's not noise coming from the engines, pal! It´s music!! Sweet melody!!!

[@TheBaron481]

Just superb, thanks

[@AeroPresentation]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@e-rj8984]

Thanks for a new Pleasant trip in a Real Flying Machine 👍🌷😊🇬🇧🇸🇪

[@AeroPresentation]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@craigpennington1251]

Seems like a lot of turbulence when at lower altitudes. Still a great flyer for her age. Lots of cockpit work to fly this craft. Great job guys & enjoyed the flight. Thanks a bundle. P.S. Steam punk gages I like. Those are what I learned to fly on 50+ years ago.

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

Brilliant! - I used to fly the DC6 for Air Atlantique, often with the same crew here. Happy days!

[@ronaldhodgson5301]

I also flew the DC6 and all the engine start procedure was done by the Flight Engineer, not a 'mish-mash' of hands and fingers as seen in this video.

[@JW-gb6hq]

Yes the FE is much appreciated. Especially when things are busier.

[@weldonwalshe3090]

Great video, my only comment concerns engine starting. I flew FE on C118 for USN. I started engines not the drivers.

[@andrewalexander9492]

Yeah, that was odd. I flew the DC-6, often when leaving an outstation the pilots started the engines because the engineer was still in the back, closing the cargo door (we didn't run the electric motor driving the hydraulic pump for the doors unless there was an engine running) But if the FE was in his seat, starting the engines was his job. Also, the Engineer set power in flight per the flying pilot's command. To me it's strange to see all that being done by the non-flying pilot.

[@billdemarais7254]

I was a loadmaster at barber's Point Hawaii on C-118's. How I ever landed this type of duty was beyond my dreams.

[@Jerry-n7u]

I was a c118 flight engineer in the usaf the co plot in this video was doing the flight engineers job this is not good 29:22 29:22 29:22 29:22 29:22 29:22 29:22 29:22 29:22

[@madmikemackas]

I personally appreciate the ashtray for my cigarette while I perform F/O duties. 😂

[@Subgunman]

Let’s face it, radials have always been leakers of oil! That oil coating on the back of the airframe makes fly faster!!! (As the old timers used to say)

[@richcoca8932]

Why did they use a DC4 check list on the DC6. No mag check before take off. I’m an old Air Force flight engineer fro 60&70

[@andrewalexander9492]

3:02 Checklist pretty clearly says "Douglas DC-6" at the top. The video is continuous recording from engine start to shutdown. The Mag check likely took place but wasn't included in the video.

[@Steve-xf4uv]

Wow, for navigation a good old paper map, nice touch ? I would have gladly cleaned the bugs off the windshield for a ride in that beauty.

[@alexseiler1604]

Flew to Zurich on DC7 B often as the son of an employee- Shook for 3 days after arrival!!

[@ButchNackley]

Thank you for sharing this with us all. Since I was a kid, I've loved the DC prop planes, especially the 4 engine ones. I bought the PMDG DC-6 in MSFS 2020 a few months ago. So far I haven't taken it out of the hanger. But that is all about to change. I'm going to do an around the world flight in it. Pole to Pole and back.

[@AeroPresentation]

Thank you!

[@johnmagan7266]

Share some pictures of your plane and trip!

[@ButchNackley]

@@johnmagan7266 Hi John. I think you may have misunderstood what I was talking about. The plane is a model for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, not a real plane. Though it is a study level model, meaning every button, switch, control, etc. is functional in the simulator. Quite complex. On my channel is a walk-around of a real C-54 that is located at the Douglas Airport in Douglas Ga.

[@davef.2811]

Curious that the F/O is tasked with almost all of the F/E's regular functions here.

[@PeterNGloor]

perhaps because the aircraft was designed to be operated without F/E?

[@davef.2811]

@@PeterNGloor As a retired F/E, unless all the automatic functions are still operating, the workload must be astronomical in that plane or any other large radial eng. powered plane.

[@bkailua1224]

@@PeterNGloor You might be thinking of the DC-4 that was a two pilot airplane. The DC-6 was designed to use a flight engineer. I flew the DC-6 as FE FO and Captain and have over 2000 hours in the left seat.

[@andrewalexander9492]

@@bkailua1224 " The DC-6 was designed to use a flight engineer. " Not sure that is exactly accurate. As I understand it, Douglas had originally intended for the DC-6 to be a 2 pilot aircraft, just like the DC-4 was, but the CAA decided that was a bad idea, because of the increased complexity of the DC-6 and told them that they needed an FE.

[@kimberlywentworth9160]

Looks a bit of a hard landing.

[@emdude1784]

What does it take to get a type rating on an old bird like this?

[@JW-gb6hq]

yep but we would just use wet most of the time anyway....heavy and short.

[@jorgeperez7048]

Excelente

[@listener602]

Long retired F.E., Dc6,Dc7, l-88, Electras. I would have rapped that FOs knuckls if he touched my thottles. That was a big no-no in the airline days. The captain is for takinging off and landing and making the big decisions, he FE ran the A/C, and the copilot was to keep the other two awake.

[@virginsim8024]

Great memories of my time at AAG….happy days.

[@kinch613]

The ashtray atop the instrument panel is hilarious.

[@andrewalexander9492]

That was standard Douglas equipment.

[@dfolt]

Very interesting insight into flying a four- engined piston a/c. The co-pilot was looking at a German VFR-map. Was this flight by any chance out of Hamburg?

[@AeroPresentation]

Yes it was!

[@JW-gb6hq]

Nice👍🏻

[@nicom.peeters1576]

Thank you for applying a KLM livery to this splendid aircraft! Brings back memories of old Schiphol Airport in the fifties, where I dwelled many a time when I was a young boy. My father has been an employee at KLM and we lived in Amstelveen, nearby Schiphol. Many thanks for sharing this video, regards from the Netherlands!

[@AeroPresentation]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Pilotc180]

Really fun to fly if you don’t have to buy the fuel !

[@jocieltonresende6658]

Esse avião é turbo jato ou motor a pistão?

[@alexbena546]

Motores Radiais a pistão

[@mikearakelian6368]

Radial

[@jocieltonresende6658]

Para manter esse avião em operação existem dificuldades ou consegue manter peças e pilotos de formados sempre?

[@RETbuzz]

Great video. It was a kind of instruction video for me since I "fly" the DC6 in freight configuration on Microsoft's Flight simulator. Again thx very much.

[@AeroPresentation]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@madame-rosalitaduchesse7636]

Vintage propliners are my love! Why only why...did you eliminate the passenger seats?? This aircraft was not made for some silly pallettes but for living people!!! One time i want fly as passenger'm in dc-6, make videos and fotos of it and get lucky forever!

[@KimWentworth-y8e]

Little rough on the landing left of center line. This ship looks ponderous to fly. I could tell the aircraft was left of center line a bit on approach.

[@michaelmurray7199]

Just like the PMDG DC-6 I fly in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

[@C119G]

How long ago was this filmed? I thought APSA had been scrapped in 2018?

[@AeroPresentation]

2007

[@Shamrock100]

@@AeroPresentation G-APSA has been dismantled but not scrapped.

[@AeroPresentation]

@@Shamrock100 Thanks

[@Paradyski]

Getting goosbumps, amazing, just amazing. Thank you for sharing

[@AeroPresentation]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@williamdevine518]

I was born 40 years to late!

[@jaimehmejia]

That’s the best aviation ever

[@mikearakelian6368]

Where's decent,landing chk list?

[@01thomasss]

Has anyone else noticed that at the start all the fuel guages were on zero and later on in the flight they were still on zero?

[@Jerry-n7u]

You were probably looking at the water pressure gage

[@gunsaway1]

Love those round motors

[@anels9]

Fantastic video

[@AeroPresentation]

Thank you!

[@VeganWithAraygun]

❤🎉🛫🙏🏼🛐

[@JW-gb6hq]

👍

[@Lambonights]

Simply beautiful.

[@AeroPresentation]

Thanks!

[@tango22ah]

Wow that 1st officer is so fidgety.

[@lauralauren6432]

It IS Flat. Thank You

[@kiwidiesel]

`Yes I agree the top of that instrument panel is as flat as a piece of glass. Good observation.

[@PeterNGloor]

I will never understand why the F/E did not have his own, sideways workplace with his extra set of controls. After all, they did it on the DC-8, and the Connie had it from the first model on.

[@philrulon]

The DC-6 was a development from the DC-4/C-54, with a 2 man cockpit. Since The DC-6 was greater than 80,000 lb GTOW, by regulation an FE was required. The simple solution was a center seat for the FE. A dedicated station would have been better, but from a regulatory standpoint, all they needed to do was add a third seat. The simple solution won out. I’m a flight engineer for one of the last operators in the US doing revenue operations with these birds, I can say that our engineers have a much larger role, with us, than is shown here.

[@bkailua1224]

@@philrulon I flew the 6 for 6.5 years and I flew all three seats with over 2000 in the left seat. I did find it odd the FE didn't seem to be doing anything in this video. Maybe they have authorization to operate without a F/E.

[@Propliner_1955]

@@bkailua1224 As stated in the introduction "Captains John Griffin and Julian Firth take us...." The AFM (Aircraft Flight Manual) permits a crew of two--pilot and copilot---for ferry flights. In such a situation, the F/E seat can be an observer, as in this case. In my days of flying DC-6s and -7s (Florida, 1980s), we always used a flight engineer--even on ferry flights. Most of my time was as a F/E.

[@Wilber913]

anyone know when this was filmed?

[@AeroPresentation]

2007

[@collin6238]

What airstrip are we flying in to here

[@AeroPresentation]

Landing at Coventry

[@tmrobinson2374]

When the Co-Pilots actually did something !! and the FE !!

[@tommidd8042]

Excellent video 👍 The co-pilot is obviously dual qualified and maybe triple. Although they appear to be well trained and experienced, their operating technique would not pass US safety standards for safe operations of the DC-6. Primarily the non flying pilot is to remain vigilant to all possible airport incursions until parked. The Flight Engineer handles ALL other after landing aircraft clean-up items per check list. I was triple qualified in the 6 and FAA check airmen to the FE for over 10 years up til mid 90's.

[@tmrobinson2374]

@@tommidd8042, they're not transporting pax, nor or they in the U.S.

[@tommidd8042]

@@tmrobinson2374 Well, what a great conclusion of the obvious.

[@KimWentworth-y8e]

Slow climb rate. 200 to 500 feet / min.

[@kimberlywentworth9160]

Flew at a very low altitude of 700 to 800 feet. Yikes. The engines sound great.

[@mikeboden9475]

Boy, they sure don't trust the F/E. A pro F/E would have broken the F/O's fingers. (Old timey DC-7 plumber.)

[@flywithtb5005]

Amazing. I heard the R-3350 was even harder to manage than the R-2800. Is that true?

[@mikeboden9475]

The 3350 was almost 1 hp per cu. inch. Ran hot. There was an ignition anylizer on board. (Think ocilliscope) saved many engines by early recognition of impending failure. (Double shorted secondary) Plugs being mashed. Later use lowered hp and fuel octane. Engines lasted a lot longer.

[@atatterson6992]

You must know the crew and plane well to understand the crew dynamics of this particular flight... Sure are a lot of stuffy ole pilots on this channel, warts and all, who know best, better than the rest of us.

[@mikeboden9475]

Being old has a lot to do with it.

[@bkailua1224]

@@mikeboden9475 The DC-6 also had an ignition analyzer.

[@krozareq]

Gorgeous bird. Looks like they did a wet takeoff by the MP position. Ton of power.

[@JW-gb6hq]

10,000hp

[@andrewalexander9492]

"Looks like they did a wet takeoff by the MP position." Based on what? MAP was never above 55", water pressure was reading 0 on all 4 engines, and the RPM was no more than 2700 RPM. Looks like a dry takeoff to me.

[@JW-gb6hq]

Appears to be dry. 53"mp.. above that would have had to be wet.

[@andrewalexander9492]

@@JW-gb6hq More or less true, but if you had the prop governors set to 2700 rpm, you could use a dry power setting up to 55 inches at SL. In the video, the RPM doesn't go over 2700 rpm on takeoff, so I'd say they had the governors set for dry takeoff power.

[@Jerry-n7u]

It was a dry take off because they don't make 115/145 fuel now cost to much

[@4325air]

What is the small "wheel" mounted horizontally at the top center of the glare shield, below the "whiskey compass?"

[@mikeboden9475]

Rudder trim.

[@4325air]

@@mikeboden9475 Thanks!

[@dvgebhart]

I’ve got 3000 hours in that airplane and the flight engineer should be setting the power not the copilot!😮