Lockheed Electra start up

[@afreightdogslife]

Absolutely I miss this aircraft. I was a first officer on a cargo L-188 Electra, it was the best turboprop I have ever flown!

[@ThuyTran-gc8rd]

Lockheed is a wide variety airliner, it owns the fastest plane in the world, SR1 Blackbird

[@guaporeturns9472]

I used to fly around the Aleutian Islands in these(as a passenger) .. loved them

[@roysellars3977]

Started my flying career at the ripe age of 23 years old (1967) on the Electra with National Airlines (Miami Florida). A special thank you for the guidance, inspiration, and instruction from the GREAT aviators who I flew with and who helped me. Capt. Bucky Smallwood, Capt. Bill Henderson, Capt. Stan Barfield, Capt. Pat Ledford, and the many Flight Engineers (2nd Officers) that were a help & inspiration. And a special thank you to Capt. Earnie Bean (when I was struggling in the Sim.) told me get down in there and make it do what you want it to do when you're on instruments. IT WORKED !! I Retired off the 747-400.... Roy

[@rocketeerPM2500]

The L-188 Electra has forever a special place in my heart. In 1970, then a very green 22 year old, I was at the departure lounge of Wellington Airport in New Zealand, about to depart on the adventure of a lifetime and my first flight overseas... only a hop across the Tasman Sea to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Sitting on the tarmac was the biggest aircraft I'd ever seen, an Air NZ Mk IV Electra passenger airliner. On subsequent trips home to see family I loved flights on the Electras and their successors, the DC-8 jets. Back in a time when passengers were treated like individuals, and flight deck visits were freely available. Great memories.

[@greensocks4507]

I flew Christchurch to Sydney in one back the late '60s. Back then the airline was called T.E.A.L. Sadly I was too young to remember much of the experience.

[@captbrakeset7630]

The only L-188 ride I remember was as a kid heading home and we took an Eastern Electra on a half-hour flight to St. Louis, connecting with a TWA 727 (100 series) to LAX. We sat behind the wing and had a great view out that large window. Two things I remember are being pushed back in the seat on the take-off roll and the braking action on landing from the props in reverse pitch. I guess that was near the end of the line for Electras on those routes (late '60s) because the other trips I remember were on Eastern's DC-9s and occasionally a 727.

[@McClenaghanSR]

All the Electra have migrated south. I visited Brazil some years ago and flew in an Electra from Sao Paulo to Rio. Great flight, no problems in a plane that was older than me. Curtains on the windows and all.

[@rikkot]

+ Whynot Whynot One of them ended up in Canada after Varig Brasil retired the Electra in 1992: www.airspray.com/our-fleet.html

[@ericsvalland4417]

@@rikkot Actually Buffalo Airways (Red Deer, AB, CA & Yellowknife, NWT, CA) purchased I believe 3 from Atlantic along with all the spare parts inventory. I believe Buffalo also purchased 1 or 2 Electras from an auction in California around the same timeframe, and also have a P-3 Orion that's been converted for use as a waterbomber.

[@therickman1990]

@@ericsvalland4417 From what I know Buffalo owns 1 P-3A Orion as a waterbomber, they have 4 active L188, 2 converted to waterbombers and 2 freighters. And they have another 4 non-active L188's

[@LAviation87]

Eric Svalland Also, the company ‘Airspray Air Tankers’ in which my dad is one of the bosses at, (right beside buffalo airways in Red Deer)owns and operates a total of 9 Electra’s, fighting fires all over Canada and the United States. They also have a hangar down in Chico California.

[@paulozalewski]

The Electra were true legends on the Rio - São Paulo air bridge. From 1972 to 1992 operating, everyone loved Electra, on his last flight there was a lot of emotion from all of Varig, everyone loved him, the plane that really marked Brazilian aviation was Electra.

[@maxjet38]

39 years since I flown on this aircraft as a kid, will never forget the sounds of the Allison's. Great video, thanks

[@inekemateman273]

You must have been the youngest pilot ever!

[@clydesuckfinger7097]

Ineke Mateman: The comment was "flown as a kid"'. Never said anything about being a "pilot". Put the booze away.

[@NoTaboos]

Allison's what?

[@b1bmsgt]

I've seen pictures of me getting on one in Daytona Beach back in the 60's, but I don't remember a thing about it... but, then again, it was the 60's!!

[@Garwood900]

Brings back fond memories of when I worked air freight in the 70’s / 80’s. We serviced Electra’s, Convair 580’s, C-130’s and several other planes that ran the Allison 4000 HP turbo-props. Those were great planes!

[@andre.pronin]

Here um Brazil we have good memories of Electra. From 1975 till 1992 on most important route, from São Paulo to Rio, there was 15 planes exclusively. One takeoff every 30 min, 90% full of pax. I remember this beautiful sound.

[@TroisCarres]

Thank to my wife who let met alone to watch this with a glass of wine..

[@agpilot1873]

🤣🤣

[@ThuyTran-gc8rd]

Glass of wine!? NO WAY!!!😅😅

[@jeremy20100712]

Great sound. Remember flying the Electra on American Airlines back in the day. They had a little "lounge" at the back of the aircraft.

[@jimbo8357]

+Jeremy Ronson You're right they were an AWESOME airplane. Saw the lounge on an AA Electra and worked them at Eastern. Boy THOSE were the days.

[@TheAvenstar]

I remember the lounge too -- I was aboard a chartered Northwest Orient Electra from Reno to Chicago, returning from a gambling junket. They had a wonderful piano bar and we partied all the way home.

[@aviatrix8183]

Thank you for the great startup video. Note the vertical position of the prop blades prior to start. Engine oil levels must be good! Used to fly the Electra for TPI and CAM Air. Great experience. Love that sound, too.

[@TheSirjohn2012]

I love that whistle when the props start up but the better sound is when the turbos are up and turning in this great video. Whether it's the P-3 orion anti sub hunter or this civilian airliner the L-1088 electra,its music to my ears. In the naval base of Coronado if the humidity is up you can actually hear when they are taxiing on the runway over there.

[@dianavance1137]

Propellers are there for the purpose of stabilizing the wings. Most people love to watch them start up.

[@orion4565]

Don't forget our hurricane hunters " Kermit " & miss Piggy "

[@lanncopeland8127]

I think the Electra is still one of the most attractive designs ever. I first rode one in 1960. A flight to remember.

[@montanawest8161]

Returning from my school holiday. I flew for the first time in my life on Garuda Indonesia's electra in 1967 from Bali to Jakarta. I was 11. What a great experience that was. Sweet memory. ❤🇮🇩

[@brittandthatsall]

Recall these from the 70's at CRW airport; we lived 3 miles away and can still hear the Piedmont Airlines turboprop's starting, idling, taxiing and flying away. SO much glorious noise, it was unreal when we were at the airport to see someone off on a journey

[@NetCerpher]

Damn, Lockheed built some great looking aircraft. P-38, Connie, L-1011 etc... sweet stuff.

[@sivadepilif]

The most beautiful engine sound ever!

[@woska7493]

A very satisfying video. My favorite video of my favorite turboprop, the L-188. A great aircraft (once they fixed that wing falling off in flight thing).

[@mcdonnell220]

You know, I have almost 200 vintage airliner videos uploaded, but this...to see & hear this in 2008 is surreal. This is the BEST Electra video on YT PERIOD. Discussion is over!

[@machia-mw1lm]

Allison turboprops .....One hell of an engine .

[@TheFatNumpty]

I used to live in a place called kenilworth which was only a mile or two from the airport at coventry, you could hear the Electra coming in to land late on a Friday night and reversing thrust when she touched down, eerie as hell but lovely at the same time!

[@TalkieToaster.]

I miss hearing them from Hinckley, had em wake me up for years coming over late at night.

[@shnewsman]

Funny thing about the Electra. They lost a few because of structural issues early on. Once those were remedied, that plane has flown for money for more than 50 years. As a kid, we'd stand on the observation deck at what is now Reagan National Airport and watch the Electras from American, Eastern and National make their milk runs. Brings a tear to the eye.

[@valdemarmorais5960]

Dez felizes anos voando essa MAQUINA FANTASTICA, na Ponte Aerea Rio- Sao paulo. THOSE WERE THE DAYS...

[@SSD99]

I can't stop commenting on the beauty of both sight and sound of this video. There are alot of L188/P3 videos out there, start-ups, shut-downs, in-flights, etc., but none of them even come close to this one in purity of sound and beauty of the picture. Please thank your wife for getting mad at you. We all owe her a debt of gratutide. :)

[@jameswsomers]

I used to love ggoing out to MSY early in the morning and catching the TACA viscount start up then National and Easterns' Electras start up.Brings back many fond memories of my youth,thanks!

[@ckfsr]

My dad used to take me to then National airport in Virginia in the 60's to watch aircraft. Really nice to hear the sound of an Electra. I saw those DC-4's6's and 7's along with Connie's, Convair's. Thanks for the history lesson!

[@wa1ufo]

Flew on those as a young lad and would fall asleep to the music of the engines.

[@glennso47]

NewHampshireBoy Was my first flight from Providence RI to NYC the morning after I had seen the movie FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, about an airplane crash.😣😲

[@dianavance1137]

You may have felt the love of the Spirit.

[@kallabos]

85% of the Electra's wing was in the prop wash. So if you you got in a stall, all you had to do was kick the throttles and you had instant lift. It made for a bumpy ride sometimes though. Electra's were used in the short-to-medium range market. The were not customarily used for transatlantic flights.

[@krishnbimanagar]

the baritone hum of the engines, just love turboprops

[@fourseasons2349]

until the blades let go

[@AD-yi3qz]

krishnan....agreed. One of the sweetest sounds there is.

[@SgfGustafsson]

That's not the engine, it's the prop blades. The engine is quite high pitched.

[@dianavance1137]

The propellers are accessing the stabilizing force of a specific Spirit whose name I do not yet know.

[@RobertoDallossi]

Isso fazia um barulho infernal, he, he! Quantas tardes passei no aeroporto Santos Dumont vendo estes aviões chegando e partindo!

[@leonardocapparelli5512]

caraca! mesmo com a idade qie ele tem, é um avião de respeito, essa máquina tem charme, deve ser muito bacana acelerar esses 4 motores turbo-hélices Alison , o som é perfeito e empolgante.

[@samnorthpin1036]

He volado en los años 80 desde Santa Cruz de la Sierra a Asunción con este avión; un acontecimiento!

[@Operafiend22]

First vintage turbo prop video that I've watched that doesnt spew exhaust clouds....engines sound amazing

[@ThuyTran-gc8rd]

I love the growling noise, it sounds like the low growling dash 8-100 which i love too

[@mcdonnell220]

Same here...can't stay away, and keep coming back for more!

[@kallabos]

Actually they are jets even though they have propellers. The turbine spins at 14k RPM and is geared down to 2k RPM for the propeller. They use JP8 fuel. That orange cart provides the initial starting power as the Electra (like most earlier jets) had no self starting capabilities. It always took a little while to get the engines into phase (all 4 props in sync).

[@ElectraJetProp]

kallabos 13,820rpm gas turbine, 1,020rpm propellers. Like most turbines, they can run on all kinds of fuel, even diesel or avgas or alcohol for emergencies. Normally they would use regular Jet-A. Although it didn’t come with an APU, most had one installed and STCed afterwards.

[@beechlad3541]

Many times I sat on the ramp at GCI to watch a Channel Express Electra start up, what a great noise those engines make.

[@ntchpt1271]

wow, what a difference from all the large piston aircraft. no drama or smoke, just a wail and off goes the prop! i'm sure people were amazed back on those days of the "big props."

[@herbergreen]

Ntch Pt1 When I was a kid in the 60's it was the "tweety bird" start followed by the "Electra sizzle" when they taxied out.

[@telsport]

compared to the HUGE props on the Breitling Super Connie !

[@C17Inspector]

I remember Air California flew L-188s into Orange County Airport in the late 60s early 70s. Love em!

[@dpohunter]

Allison Wonderland! I was fortunate to fly aboard two of these beautiful aircraft back in the '90's, with NWT Air and Reeve. Those flights are some of my best memories. Thanks for posting!

[@albareis]

What can I say? Just amazing, five stars. I had the privilege to fly on that lady when Varig operated them on shuttle service between Rio and Sao Paulo.

[@elkabong6429]

That's some nice footage right there! Nothing sounds like a turboprop! 👍👍

[@TheDaffygluk]

Apart from the new zealand airforce which flys the p 3 orion ,our countries Air new Zealand used to fly the electra duing late 60's into early 70,s .I remember going on one of these planes from Wellingto to Sydney about an 3+ hr flight ,and i particularly remember the start as an eight yr old AWESOM SOUND thanks for posting

[@johneddy908]

@Brent, back then it was known as Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL). It became Air New Zealand to the best of my knowledge as soon as it got its first pure-jet aircraft, the Douglas DC-8, and began trans-Pacific service to Los Angeles.

[@sergeytolstov956]

I've seen aircrafts Lockheed PC-3 Orion being a military modification of Electra. A lot of them are still in service.

[@christophermurphy4982]

My favorite commercial airliner of all time! What a thrill it was just to ride as a passenger while mentally pretending to be flying it as a pilot!

[@53bigmikejones]

Love those Allison engines during turn up. flew with VP 47 and 50 back in the 70's from Adak Alaska. One of the all time great aircraft the Navy used for years.

[@ethanbrown4780]

Love the sound of these. One of the companies at our airport owns the largest fleet of electra's in the world

[@wagnercaminhoes001]

electra varig from brazil, I miss you.....

[@a-10warthog16]

allison t56 with his signature sound

[@Chris_at_Home]

I worked on P3s for a little over 3 years. They had also had a T56 that was a-14. I think it made something like 4600 HP. I worked on the avionics about 50 years ago. These engines and prop have a distinctive sound that I’ll never forget. I’ve been that guy out front during startup a few times. I remember in Cartagena, Columbia I thought a commercial 727 was going to run me over when doing this.

[@robertbarnier45]

From the days when flying was fabulous

[@secretspyfrog]

I love the electra, don't know why, just special!

[@garrettgokey1071]

That must be one hell of a GRU to get those things turning that quick! Impressive and what a great sound!

[@gabrielrosario4794]

Electra is the iconicest aircraft in Brazil

[@SommerAdric]

I can hear these engines running on the tarmac of a local airforce base where i live. the base is 10-15km away. The Australian airforce uses the AP-3C Orion based on the Electra. They often fly overhead also. ;)

[@schnellguy]

I love the L188 and in a freighter configuration is as good as it gets.Great start up!

[@AD-yi3qz]

Great video. it is such a great feeling knowing that these classic birds are still flying.

[@bigbass421]

These great airplanes, after some tragic accidents, like the DC-10, ultimately proved themselves. They were very fast, efficient, and made plenty of money for American, and most notably Eastern Airlines, among other carriers. The U.S., and other governments modified these under the original P-3 type and later, for a long and very successful career in ASW and electronic patrol duties. I saw thousands L-188's, I grew up living in the LaGuardia runway 4 ILS approach in Queens, N.Y. Loved this vid!

[@fabiosilvadossantos4145]

Cara eu sou apaixonado por esse avião hj estamos em 2024 e vamos reconhecer electra ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@AdjiKurniadji8797]

When I was teenager, I loved flying with Electra Turboprop of Mandala Airlines. Missed those four turboprop sound.

[@RonSafreed]

Thanks for the info, my father use to work on these planes back in the sixties for the air-line he worked for!!!!

[@gpost2800]

I remember watching these planes fly in and out of Burbank with my dad when I was a kid back in the mid '60s. That awesome sound, especially at 7:02 brings back wonderful memories.

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

started those many time when we owner some. worked for hunting cargo in the 90s.

[@herbergreen]

I was first fascinated by this aircraft type when I was about 10 years old in 1962. Had my first airplane flight on a National Airlines Electra in 1963. Still love this airplane to this day.

[@redcarsarasota]

Don't try to tell that Electra it's the jet age. She doesn't mind getting up and going to work! What a great video of a fantastic aircraft!

[@foxtype1973]

Oh man, what a beautiful noise! This brings back so many memories when I was a kid riding my bike around Long Beach Airport (KLGB), when Western Airlines (The classic red and white 'Indian Head' livery) was using these babies, and 'Gate 3' was a open walk to the tarmac starting with a chain link fence on either side of you.... :) And the near by Douglas Aircraft plant had changed it's name to McDonnell Douglas and seeing the first DC-10 takeoff from RWY 30.... TYVM for the upload! :>

[@Eric-kw2bv]

I flew in Electras a few times during the 1950s. They were very spacious compared to today's sardine cans. They, & the Vickers Viscount were made for the comfort of passengers. The advent of the Boeing 727 & Douglas DC9 (the T jets), put an end to passenger comfort & were the beginning of today's sardine can DVT generators.

[@pulgabros]

I just love the sound of C-130's and Electras on the tarmac and taxing!! Nothing else like it!!!

[@memonteiro195]

I flew many times between Rio and Sao Paulo on the shuttle service. That was a very beatiful flight over mountains and the sea. I also once flew on the cockpit from Sao Paulo to Rio. It was fantastic to see the sea coming close on Santos Dumont landing in Rio. For the record, there were 14 Electras on the shuttle, and each one flew approximately 50.000 flights. We missed a great airplane

[@abcaster]

The most beautiful sound there ever was in aviation!

[@SSD99]

I remember as a kid living 9 miles north of DTW, hearing CV-580s on approach all the time with their unmistakeable turbo-prop whistle.  On rare occasions, I'd see/hear an L-188 going into Willow Run (about 10 miles west of DTW). Same whistle but much louder than the Convair. That's a sound I will never forget. I wish all prop-jets sounded like this. Beautiful video! Pity that SAS truck driver spoils the shot by lingering in front of the camera!

[@ODANofficial969]

This video is 14 years old and still is good

[@borderking59]

we had eastern electras flying into chattanooga when i was a kid back in the sixties. i dont know how i remembered this but the starting sequence was engine 3, then 1, 2 and 4. 3 would start and then the stairs would be raised. we usually had at least 2 to 3 flights per day going to charlotte nc if i remember correctly,

[@katemdegrood4580]

Howdy and yes I too love the L-188, If I'm not mistaken this bird is alive and well working for Buffalo Airways in Yellowknife NWT as a freighter. November 4 2024, quite a run! Love that ghostly howl.

[@b747guy9]

Loved loved loved flying the Electra. It was a dream to fly. Touchdown was another story. lol

[@TommyWylie]

I remember a Convair with Allison engines very similar to these. I remember they started one engine without the propeller and ran it like a jet for about 15 mins, presumably to charge the battery. Very interesting.

[@ariucr]

That's a beauty right there. Old is gold

[@buster757]

On some later models the #4 engine was retrofitted with an electric starter to facilitate starting without a huffer. Zantop's L-188s are equipped with these. The remaining engines were then started with bleed air.

[@buster757]

Allison 501-D13 engine main shafts rotate at a constant 13,800 rpm. Power is controlled by propeller blade angle. That's why there is no noticeable change in sound when they take off.

[@Tillerman56]

Deeper and sweeter to the ears than the RR Darts. I liked that sound.

[@philw9436]

nothing wrong with a screaming RR Dart ! ,.. but I take your point ... fairly awesome !!

[@johneddy908]

Allison is today a Rolls-Royce heritage company. The former Allison plant in Indianapolis builds the AE2100D3 engines for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, one of which is used by the US Navy "Blue Angels" flight team as their support vehicle "Fat Albert."

[@leorim]

Thanx for all your comments. It was truely amazing standing there for 9 minutes fliming thisone. Even when she turned an dI got the jetblast directly into my eyes . But who cares. The result was perfect

[@royalanania3306]

If I had money 8 f buy one have her rebuilt at Lockheed and just fly her, she is a beaut.

[@jaguarnordestino]

Para qq um que ama a Aviação ouvir o ronco desses motores é como escutar o som de uma bela canção...

[@kurtstark9966]

my fav part on aviation flight, the sound of those prop starting, i miss them

[@brianfeuhtinger3267]

No other plane on this planet sounds Like a Lockheed Electra., My Favorite Prop driven Plane.

[@mightaswellbe]

Back in 1968 when my fiance was headed home for Christmas vacation I took her to the airport. We were early so we sat down for a coffee & danish. When the Electra taxied up I told her the story about the wings falling off the plane in it's early days and how they had fixed it. Smart move, she was a nervous flier anyway and she roundly cursed me when she got back. Said she damn near pissed her pants every time they hit any turbulance on the trip. She married me anyway, be 40 yrs in December. :-)

[@johneddy98033]

@Kirk Conway, the Convair 580 was a conversion of the famous 240/340/440 with Allison engines.

[@steveember8972]

Yes, I remember calling them "Pocket Electras" or "Almost-Electras" ;-) Same great sound, just a bit less of the experience.

[@marcswanson7066]

I lived about fifteen miles from O'Hare International Airport during the 50s, 60s and 70s which provided an opportunity to watch thousands of airliners ascending and descending at a fairly close range. The Lockheed Electra was by far my favorite because it seemed so graceful and quiet. I would describe the sound it made as a subdued whine. Jets were certainly fascinating when they first appeared but I soon tired of the engine roar and smell. Too often they were deafening. It's a shame the Electra ran into some problems that couldn't get ironed out in time to insure better sales. We live in a fast paced unforgiving world where important decisions are sometimes made a little too hastily. Vinyl records and photographic film can be added to the list of things discarded a little too quickly for our own good.

[@robertbarnier45]

Love this very real aeroplane. Always a pleasure to fly an Electra.

[@1956MercM260]

I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to fly on one of these back in 1965. Western Airlines from Stapleton (Denver) to Sioux Falls, SD.

[@auburn886]

I flew on one of these when I was a kid. I remember it like yesterday. It was a pretty quiet airliner.

[@BKetch]

How quiet compared to modern day airliners? This would be a long haul plane of its day, so compared to like a 767 or something similar.

[@auburn886]

Louder than a 767. You get some vibration and prop noise. I flew from Orland to Jacksonville and on to Atlanta on Eastern Airlines.

[@marcswanson7066]

After watching a good number of similar videos, I learned that passengers sitting ahead of the engines sometimes complained about noise levels. From the standpoint of someone who lived near a major international airport for decades, however, I can assure you that they were a lot quieter when passing overhead. Jets roar while Electras whine.

[@mileswrich]

The problem was with the engine mounts and the nacelles. There were two crashes, Braniff at Buffalo, TX in September of 1959, and Northwest at Tell City, IN in March of 1960. The speed reduction was after the Tell City crash, an alternative to grounding. Lockheed engineers then went to work and discovered the problem was whirlmode, engaged in program to beef up the mounts, and structure, modified all aircraft in service, and those still on the production line, in a program referred to as LEAP

[@TheSirjohn2012]

The Lockheed Orion What a fantastic airplane and occasionally I still see them at an altitude of 10,000 ft. This is from the naval station of point magu USN and just love seeing them go back to north island naval air station in coronado it happens about 2 times a month. Great airplane just to see it flying.

[@AvgeekCarGeek]

A very beautiful aircraft 😍😍

[@javacup912]

Nice video. Some versions of those Allison engines can produce over 4500 SHP. A very powerful and proven engine/prop.

[@ovationpdh]

Love the sound of turboprops!

[@mediamonitor980]

One of this carriers L-188's (possibly this one) now sits in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada where it appears to be serving as a parts donor for L-188's in use as wildfire fighting aircraft in British Columbia and Alberta.

[@TheOwl]

And not to mention the engines also had 800 lbs of residual jet thrust each, which helps.

[@mightaswellbe]

Thanks for the video, I too could smell the burnt kerosene as it taxied out. I only had a couple of flights in the Electra, Braniff I think, but 4000 hours in the back of a P-3 running sonar & radar. A most wonderful airplane. It will be a sad day for aviation when they're gone for good.

[@johneddy908]

@mightaswellbe, I'm certainly hoping that Lockheed Martin will develop a successor to the Orion.

[@leorim]

The next time this beauty visits us, I intend to be there for the departure and get it on film again

[@jenflights]

Wow! What a beautiful classic airliner. Thank you. Best regards. J

[@gabrielrosario4794]

I miss Varig's Electra