DEN 25 May 1992 pt 1

Stapleton Int'l Airport in Denver, CO.

[@FireflyLightningBug]

Heavens! What a busy city in '92 with consecutive take-offs and landings! By the way, the baby snapshot was adorable. I really miss Denver back then! INCOMPARABLE

[@greekazoid_8325]

This brings back some memories. I miss Stapleton, and driving on I-70 under the main runway!

[@gregorygant0525]

you cant imagine the memories this brings back for i only lived a half a block away from this location from 1991-1996 between 11 and 15 years old I use to ride my bike and sit at this location for hours and watch planes take off and land. use to ride to terminal and walk through all the concourses and be in airplane heaven

[@joeg5414]

We're the same age. That sounds like heaven to me as a kid that age. I was obsessed with airplanes. I flew into Stapleton around this time to visit grandparents in Colorado Springs every summer. Now I drive through this area all the time. It's crazy how much it's changed and what used to be there. I lived in the Lowry area for about 10 years. Crazy to think what that used to be too with the Air Force base.

[@michaeltalbott6718]

I Understand your feelings as I have always loved aviation!

[@zms8092]

That DC10 landing at the beginning gave me goosebumps. The sounds of the thrust reversers engaging. Those things were just complete badass airplanes.

[@hamentaschen]

6:01 This was 6 months before I moved to Denver. I found this exact spot within days of arriving, after realizing flights would sometimes take off or land right over my apartment near 13th & Colorado Blvd. The takeoffs on 8R were my favorite. As this clip shows, they would become airborne literally right in front you. I miss Stapleton. I miss the tunnels and driving EB on 70 and having a Heavy taxi or takeoff as I approached the tunnels. I left Colorado in 2012, but I have missed this spot since DIA opened. THANK YOU for the memories!!!

[@johnmann8253]

I flew for Continental Express in 1989 - 1994. I flew the Beechcraft 1900s and the ATR 42. Eventually moved onto Continental airlines flying to MD 80s and the 737 fleet out of Newark New Jersey. I have now since retired from the airlines. The timing of this film May 1992 was at the pinnacle of activity at Denver Stapleton airport. I have fond memories….

[@brandondrescher2182]

Very cool to see this, I moved to Colorado in November of '92 and remember flying in and out of Stapleton till DIA opened. Neat to see the old airlines that no longer exist as well.

[@michaeltalbott6718]

Awesome ...such a VARIETY of Airlines and Aircraft!

[@jay-rus4437]

Saw a lot of those NW planes with the red and gray livery. Worked for NW Airlink during this time. Was in flight school, and working as a ramp agent, and later ticket counter, helped pay the bills…..but barely. LOL

[@robertslydell6990]

I traveled to Denver for business frequently in the 90s, and remember how overjoyed I was when Stapleton and it's short drive to my clients' offices was replaced with the trek from DIA. Oh the joy! Best part was when the "uncloseable" DIA was closed by a huge snowstorm not too long after it opened.

[@DaltonGM.]

GREAT video!! I love United 737-500, in this airport was shot the airport scenes of the film Die Hard 2.

[@seanwdc10]

How have I not seen these videos until now?! Amazing. Back when there was amazing variety.

[@nocoaviation8353]

Just think next year this video will be 30 years old, RIP Stapleton Int’l

[@mister8ch]

I grew up about a mile west of the approach end of 8L/R and would ride my bike to the fence at 26th and Syracuse and watch the action. Then, when I got older and had a car, I would go to Havana St on the east end and watch from there. Thanks for posting!

[@waterheaterservices]

Montview and Jasmine. Same thing.

[@Marcie66]

This is a great video brings back a lot of memories I was born in Denver 1966 left in 77. I went through Stapleton. Many times came back in 2016 so the new airport. Thanks for bringing back these memories for me. Great job.

[@billymcnutt116]

Neat seeing the old United and Continental liveries. Then the two airlines eventually merged.

[@UAL012]

Correct and when they did, UAL's customer service reputation took a nosedive. Continental was not known for their friendliness.

[@jocelynharris-fx8ho]

This was filmed May 25, 1992 and the first shot, is of a DC-10. Only this was in Denver. This was exactly 13 years to the date, that, that terrible day in Chicago happened.😢😮 By the way, I lived in Colorado for 22 years and I miss Stapleton Airport. Denver International may be larger but it doesn't evoke the love that Stapleton had.❤❤

[@maryexstroughtonaire4244]

And it has that horse statue to scare people.

[@Dimewick21]

Very cool! Surprised I haven’t stumbled upon this earlier. While I love DIA and I think Denver got everything they were promised and more with the new airport, Stapleton was indeed a special place whose essence and intimacy DIA could never emulate . Various parts of the terminal representing all very different eras. Was always a fun, engaging airport to explore. They also had a great collection of hangars and other facilities, and it was so close in. And you captured the action at a great time, basically Continentals last harah just before massively downsizing and eventually closing their hub in Denver.

[@zfdmsp]

Thank you for posting your videos of Stapleton. It's beautiful.

[@aeromoe]

Glad you enjoy - thanks for watching!

[@RTCMAHL]

What’s louder?? A DC9 or the next 12 planes that takeoff after it . . Combined.

[@jwaviation16]

One of the best classic planespotting videos I’ve ever seen!!

[@flydude1063]

Great videos. Wow how this brings back memories. I used to go to 7-11 and buy a bag of chips and a couple of Mountain Dews, and go sit by 26-8 at Stapleton for hours at a time. I wish DIA had a place like this. Unfortunately, these days if you try to get near a runway like this, you'd probably get arrested. Those were the good ol' days! Thanks for posting these videos.

[@waterheaterservices]

+flydude1063 Heck, how times have changed. I remember boarding on a Frontier 580 at Stapleton in 1967 and hunters carried their rifles on board, no problem. I miss those days. I used to watch from Havana Street.

[@dominicabeyta8134]

Yeah they chase you off now

[@ItsALoweNation]

Planes you don't see anymore :(

[@philipemma2359]

😥

[@michellesellinger578]

I miss Stapleton too Aeromoe !!! Was my favorite to spot at and my Grandma used to live in the flight path and she also worked at Stapleton and my Uncle was a air traffic controller there and also Denver International too !!!

[@chrisnizer1885]

There was about a 0% chance that pacifier was coming out. But the video was great.I could watch 727's, 737-200's, DC-9's, DC-10's all day long. Thanks for posting.

[@brianw8105]

Those old 727-200s were true jet sleds! Awesome. The paint schemes were so much better then!

[@777pusher]

Crazy that almost 30 years later, United is still flying planes with the Continental livery!!??

[@alexmartin0824]

It's amazing how such a common plane back then like the 727 or DC-10 were nearly phased out in about 10 years. If I was able to catch either one of those planes landing at Nashville(my hometown) I would be so excited. Planespotting has become so bland nowadays, but I still do it! :)

[@PenAirPilot]

Truly lovey! Thanks so much for the nostalgia! Great shots!

[@scottmackay8280]

Stapleton, my old home sweet home.

[@philomath67]

I miss old Stapleton. Still travel that road where you could watch planes.

[@davidharris2519]

stapelton was a great airport

[@jamesevenden6559]

Fast forward to taday: These planes are taking off in someone's living room!

[@jjouney]

This footage is GOLD! Thank you so much for sharing👍 :)

[@BFFAvgeek15]

27 years ago today. Can't believe how much air travel has changed.

[@aircraftadventures-vids]

Jeez, those 737-200s use up every inch of those runways! I recall when they were still operational but don't recall how much they were runways hogs.

[@bobbypaluga4346]

I was living in Denver flying to both coasts for training and regular product introduction meetings. You could take a UA or CO DC10 to any major city which was nice, I was transferred to PHX, Northwest flew lots of DC-10s from PHX to MSP, DA had the incredible TriStar on the ATL run from PHX. DEN was a hub for UA, CO, and F9 the code for Frontier. Outside of Chicago DEN had to be the largest hub for UA back then, they had 100’s of the classic 737 before the 300 and 400 came along. Once a day UA had a 747 flight LAX to DEN, it left at 5 pm and they served excellent food for an airline, but often the FAs only made it to row 40 of 49. I liked to sit in the back so I could see the aircraft twisting and flexing while we were in cruise. On CO if you couldn’t get a DC-10 you usually got a 727-200 which was fun to fly. It was the last aircraft to give you the pinned to the back of your seat feeling, although the 757 came close both were overpowered aircraft. Western flew 737s and 720s hourly to and from its SLC hub. Those were the great years. Stapleton’s location was easy to get to unlike today

[@aeromoe]

Of course, the first Frontier was FL but yes, the current Frontier is F9. And as for "100's" of the classic 737 for UA before the -300, they had N9001U - N9075U...that was it. 75 of them minus some unfortunate token write-offs and some sales. Yes, they had a number of 2nd-hand -200s but those quite literally came after the -300 was introduced into airlines service, so they never had "100's" of -200s prior to the -300.

[@bobbypaluga4346]

@@aeromoe I can recall Frontier running a code share into the LA market in cooperation with Hughes Air West. You either got a Frontier classic 737 or the Big Banana DC-9-30. This was of course before deregulation by a year or two. Hughes Air West portions included a 7:00 am flight out of DEN with an outstanding breakfast. I was told that the scrambled eggs were prepared with the whole eggs plus an extra yolk for every two whole eggs. I think they added a little cream because they were so good, best egg dish I have ever had.

[@shreddder999]

I had forgotten how many of those aircraft still had turbojets. 19:55 Great Lakes and probably Air Wisconsin. 24:08 Probably Rocky. 24:47 Mesa 1900C 25:24 Mesa 1900D

[@dvferyance]

Sad this airport no longer exist. At least the airport in Milwaukee has great plane spotting views.

[@airlinetraveller]

AWESOME video! Thank you so much for sharing! =D

[@macktravels68]

Outstanding video!!

[@777pusher]

Wind shifted, obviously! Blessed to get film of two-way/three-way action!!

[@jhonhplanespotter..6824]

Amazing classic video documentary mate 👏

[@svenr.2116]

WOW thx for the vintage airport vids... i love it :)

[@aeromoe]

Glad you like them!

[@ChrisZoomER]

More props then than there are today, a lot more!

[@nathanbieber2840]

I live by KAPA now.. Only cool thing is the F-15s they launch sometimes. Still cool to have an airband radio as they get clearance

[@nickmorse3275]

oh man I miss those old liveries

[@nenblom]

Is it just me or did the DC9 have a steep climb out? I loved watching that!!

[@777pusher]

Niklas Enblom - yes the Northwest DC-9 was acting like any Fed-Ex plane. Rocket Mode!!

[@kyoakland]

Yeah that think went super up

[@mcpr5971]

I dont know if its the camera angle or what, but these landings seem incredibly smooth compared to what I see on modern planespotting vids. I know smoother doens't always mean better in terms of airmanship, but its just cool seeing a giant plane float 12" off the ground and hear the engines cut out. I love it!

[@johnmann8253]

The landing portion of 8R and 8L was slightly downhill, aiding the pilots touching down providing a smoother angle rather than just a flat surface…..

[@matthewbennett06]

I remember taking a United DC-10 to Denver in May or June of 1992 when I was a kid.

[@InterflatironAirways]

Awesome! Unfortunately there are only a few spots at Denver which provide measly views from far away; nothing like this...

[@alyssaboyett9182]

It used to be some United DC10s and they used to fly both domestically and internationally back in the seventies, the eighties, the nineties and the early millennium. And it was right before they retired these ones back in 2001.

[@wafflesandcarolina9344]

I flew N943N DFW-MEM in September 2004. Small world!

[@ersaviation3031]

DIA is a great airport but Stapleton looked like a fun place.

[@josephmercer9576]

Was the aircraft in the shot at 4:20 an old Convair 880/990? Sure looks like one but can't tell for sure.

[@aeromoe]

Yes, a former Denver Ports of call CV-990A on the fire dump. If you're unaware, POC was a Travel Club based at Stapleton. They had a small fleet of 990s (a couple even made it into their new paint job in 83/84) which was eventually replaced by 707-100s and -300s beginning in 1980. A 727-100 was also acquired which I suppose was a replacement for the L-188 Electra. Another former POC 990 was transported north to Erie, CO, placed above a building and it became a restaurant B.J. Strawberries At The Convair. I ate in it several times between 80-82. chrisbaer.net/mp/2008/10/20/lost-restaurants-bj-strawberrys-on-the-convair/

[@nathanbieber2840]

DIA is such a bigger airport but holy crap does it have a weird conspiracy around it.

[@ScapoloMichael]

That DC10 is a lighter domestic variant without the centre gear. Wonder if it came from LaGuardia doesn't Denver have an exception to the perimeter rule...

[@RayMclaughlin-ff2rn]

The good days of airports

[@diff1280]

The old United Airlines livery is so cool. I wish it was still around.

[@dkeast911]

Loved the NW 9 takeoff

[@robertslydell6990]

916RW, former Hughes Airwest DC-9

[@Foxbat1155]

My like was number 400!

[@swgl2245]

Wow, just wow!!!

[@tylerbeck8551]

I don't know why that they have closed Stapleton for anyways I miss Stapleton

[@mrtodd3620]

Where did you do the planespotting? What is the point now? Were most of these planes taking off south or north or I-70?

[@shreddder999]

Looks like he was near the United Express concourse.

[@kyokushinkuma]

I wonder what this spot looks like today, can you even set up a Camera here?, or is it a house. Also, the more I watch this, it’s clear why it closed, It simply couldn’t handle the growing air traffic, you can see how backed up and cluttered things got at the 18 minute mark, if this airport still existed today, it’d be 3 times as bad. I wonder why they didn’t leave the smallest runway demolished everything else, and just kept it as a small commercial airport or something.

[@JWFalsetta]

Given the limited number of international carriers using DIA, it's a waste of that large facility to handle US carriers and their small 2 engine planes. DIA is one of the largest area wise airports in the world with the longest runway in North America to handle 737, 777 and a few 747's.

[@aeromoe]

It's not about the "small 2 engine planes." It's about the greater lateral runway spacing that Stapleton didn't have. Besides increased capacity during normal operations, Denver is now better able to cope with lower visibility conditions that used to severly limit operations at Stapleton. Of course DIA has still had its share of weather-related issues but not to the extent Stapleton had.

[@miguelandresreyescastro6998]

I was three months old on that date 🥲 Nice vid!

[@Purrfecrcatemoji1570]

United 232 didn't die 😊

[@joeg5414]

2:22 - Is that hotel still there? Off of Quebec. I believe it's a Red Lion.

[@777pusher]

j g - it’s there, maybe not a hotel anymore.

[@garty2]

j g it’s a Renaissance hotel now

[@777pusher]

Is this from the long gone restaurant with the crashed plane in the roof, that offered headsets to diners, so they cold listen to ATC and the aircraft??

[@aeromoe]

I don't remember such a restaurant. The 94th Aero Squadron restaurant was located at the spot where the opening sequence was video taped.

[@777pusher]

The video seems a bit further East than I remember the restaurant, but damn, I was a teen who would drive up from COS, often, just to watch, and roam the terminal, and collect timetables (mid-80’s). I remember, Piedmont, Republic, TWA, USAir, People Express (747 into DEN), Frontier (of course), Texas International, Rocky Mountain Airways, Braniff, etc…. Good old days!!! Best of days!!

[@davidharris2519]

worked for GLA and flew them into and out of den great airline and rather go on a 19 or 30 seater than a 50 seat crap jet now-a-days

[@CJbrinkman602]

We're is this airport at?

[@mrtodd3620]

Stapleton was in suburban Denver, east of downtown. If you go to Google earth, you can find the area between Quebec and Havana. The southern boundary was around 26th Ave (someone can correct me on this) and the northern boundary was way north of I-70 freeway. There is new housing throughout the old airport land.

[@anthonymed8454]

CJ hi. This air port is in heaven now. I was lucky enough to be part of it in 1993 when I flew in from Ca.. now it's a Stapelton homes and North field shopping .. I try to see if I can geologically see any kind of comparison to today's land .... I can't. I'm so sad but I never give up ..

[@benw1290]

united should go back to this livery, the new one is incredibly boring and doesnt catch the eye at all

[@dkeast911]

Lol the little girl is in her 30s now

[@aeromoe]

Yep and I'm a grandpa twice over :-)

[@davidharris2519]

some of these jets arv or dept DEN are going to or coming from that don't see jets these big and maybe no service at all and more than likely downgraded service

[@elisataaffe2086]

You tube cf6 50 engines Cf6 50 jet SPF Google

[@reubengreen4976]

Can you please talk less sir? LESS: Lima-Echo-Sierra-Sierra. We know you know the aeronautic alphabet, so please be quiet and just let us enjoy the sounds of the planes. PLEASE: papa lima echo alpha sierra echo.

[@aeromoe]

I can understand that. Back in the day and this was over 10 years before KZbin. I had no idea I'd be uploading these to a public forum...they were strictly for my personal use...or so I thought. I'm glad you enjoy the planes...thank you for watching.