Pan American Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Promo Film - 1950

[@grandmajab1]

I flew in this one in1952,California to Honolulu, I am 88 this year. The food was fantastic, but it took 8 hours to get there. We were not rich, we were two young working girls and we paid 387.00 RT and we also saw humphry Bogart and Lauren Bacall at LAF. That was a plus in those days. We paid 27.50 for a very nice 2 room with kitchenete one block from waikiki beach. In those days there was only about 5 hotels on Kalakaua.Those were the days.

[@grandmajab1]

Yes very interesting. I love Hawaii, and I have been there several times thru the years, The last time I stayed there 5 months, all winter. By the way those stratocruisers were not that loud,great insulation I guess. I love Honolulu & Waikiki..

[@kerryincolumbus]

Jean you should write a book about your adventures, sounds fantastic!!

[@milano61]

+ Jean Barton That 1952 $387 round trip ticket from LA to Honolulu would be $3620 in 2018 adjusted for inflation. This was indeed a luxury item.

[@gartoni62]

That's great memories Jean. I agree you should tell us more about your times. Those were the times ;)

[@hp5587]

Thank you for sharing your stories :) i paid LAX ~HNL on Delta $350 round trip on last September. Cannot imagine paying almost equal amount of money in 1952 lol but of course i was in basic economy with no meals

[@JohnS916]

I flew in the Boeing Stratocruiser as a little kid back in 1950 or 51 out of San Francisco with my mom and brother to live in Honolulu for a year with family. Even though I was around 4 years old, I can still remember a couple scenes from that flight, looking out over the ocean and for some reason the front end of the plane. For sure the Boeing 377 had a unique front end design. My dad flew often in the later 50s early 60s, he was the concert organist for the Hammond Organ Company, flying all over the place to play demos and concerts. I also recall how expensive it was to fly, but it also had much more amenities, flying was a special event, something to look forward to. I grew up to become a frequent flyer both coast to coast and north to south, eventually I grew to dislike flying and if I had the opportunity to drive, I took it. Actually, I hate to fly now, just the thought of parking the car, waiting in lines for both check in and security and then waiting around for departure, notwithstanding delays, I never thought I would say this, but I would rather have a root canal. Love these old videos, I recognized Authur Godfrey's voice, an accomplished flyer in his own right as the commentator in the video. He certainly had a calm presentation and words to match, you could tell he really had his heart and soul into flying.

[@werksdesign]

Those were the days when we had class. I began flying in the '60's. People were dressed up, food and beverage service on the planes was immaculate and the seats were roomy and comfortable. Flying on planes today is a miserable experience.

[@werksdesign]

CrazyWedz ... I know they did but that's just how people dressed in those days. They didn't have the casual style clothing we have today. It isn't overkill to dress decent while in public especially on a plane. It's a matter of self respect to go out in public decently attired.

[@kdrapertrucker]

werksdesign then again in those days all men dressed in suits, no matter what they did for a living. He might have worn coveralls at work, but when he left for the day he had on a suit & tie.

[@salty-as-heck9915]

Notice the heavy emphasis on maintenance and safety in the film. This was common in 1950s and 1960s aviation promo films, as back then every major airline lost at least a plane a year, sometimes two. Flying then may seem glamorous to us, but there was a reason why flight life insurance was such a huge business back then.

[@lsorensen-jolink4776]

When my brother and I first flew (on a series of international flights) as unaccompanied little kids, a flight attendant told us stories about the Stratocruisers that Pan Am was then flying. For ten years after that, I dreamed of flying in (or at least seeing in real life) one of those airplanes some day. Then, when I was preparing for a trip that included my next flights as an airline passenger, I was disappointed to learn that Stratocruisers were no longer used by U.S. airlines to transport passengers. Six years later, during Pan Am's first months of flying the 747, I began 8 wonderful years as a Pan Am flight attendant and purser, flying mostly 747s. Because of those experiences, I remain interested in the history of both Pan Am and the Stratocruiser. I found this film fascinating, particularly as it provided a look (albeit idealized) into what what it was like to be a passenger, and glimpses of working as cabin crew, on a Pan Am Stratocruiser. Female passengers and flight attendants wearing hats inflight! Sleeping berths as wide as those found on Canadian National trains crossing Canada two decades later! A navigator using celestial navigation via a sextant (positioned in a hole in the ceiling of the cockpit?) to navigate (which was still being done on the Pan Am 707s I flew on South Pacific trips in the 1970s)! Workers in swimsuits wading into waist-deep water to remove the tires from a departing Pan Am flying boat that was floating on the water after it had rolled into the water on those tires! And much more.... Thank you for posting this film.

[@regmason2329]

The Boeing Stratocruiser was basically a double decked B-50. As a seven year old I flew with my mother and brother from Birmingham Ala to Anchorage Alaska, my father in the Air Force was stationed at Elmendorf AFB. We flew to Chicago and then boarded a Northwest Airlines Stratocruiser for a flight to Edmonton Alberta and then on to Anchorage. I still remember that flight as if it was yesterday. We left Edmonton in a snowstorm, and flew non-stop to Anchorage, and there was nothing below but ice-ice and snow. The flight was bumpy due to air-pockets and as a kid I thought that was cool. but, the adults not so much! What memories!

[@gcrav]

Same hull design, wings, and engines as the C-97. Not that it should change your memories or anything.

[@Martmns]

I notice in the engine start sequence at around the 4-minute mark that due to the almost total absence of smoke and exhaust flames from accumulated engine oil in the lower cylinders that radial engines are famous for, that immediately prior to this scene being shot, the engines must have been started, warmed up and then shut down

[@andrewarmstrong7310]

Good times back then. I'm 82 and remember flying with Pan AM as a kid on the clipper routes with my mom and dad. Always a thrill.

[@Treetop64]

The aircraft shown at the beginning of the video (_hull number 15923, Pan Am Clipper America, then Clipper Golden Gate, N1023V_) was written off after a crash landing in Manila, Philippines in 1 June 1958. The landing gear collapsed after a hard landing during a thunderstorm, the aircraft slid off the runway, and one of the propeller blades from the #3 engine entered the cabin, killing one passenger.

[@Prunesqualler]

So nice to read comments, both pro and con, without having to put up with some internet troll's negativity. Just a nice group of people sharing, and commenting on their experiences of days long past. I'm glad to see civility actually lives on KZbin, especially among those with dissenting viewpoints. May good manners never go out of style.

[@kerryincolumbus]

Very well said and VERY true!!!

[@jackanthony976]

I too appreciate good manners and it is nice when people can share their experiences without resorting to negative speech and name calling. However I do admit that sometimes a troller can spice things up a bit if things get a tad too polite.

[@rexpositor6741]

JACK ANTHONY too polite!? 🤣

[@blakegwinn1902]

TROLL REPORTING! ....."man will never fly".

[@mikecole-hamilton2270]

I flew from London to Bermuda, via Gander, in one in early 1953. For an air-minded 12-year-old it was the utmost experience. So pleased to find this footage, my grandchildren will be astonished!

[@IndependentBear]

I worked for Lockheed Aircraft Service in the late 1950's and they had a Stratocruiser stored on the field. They were out of service then. Maybe it was a trade-in, I don't know. But it was impressive and sad-looking, just standing there week after week silent and unused.

[@LeonAllanDavis]

Back when I was a kid, at night we'd hear the big airliners fly overhead. Of course they flew in the daytime as well, but at night, it was kind of special. They made a deep droning sound and you could tell when they passed because of the Doppler Effect.The sound would drop. Higher pitched approaching and lower pitched going away. It might take five minutes from when you first heard them to when they faded away. I can still remember thinking that up in that little point of sound, there were people. Actual people.

[@willyboy3581]

My God, does this bring back memories! My family spent the 50s in the Philippines, and when going to and from the States, usually flew Pan American --- which, at that time, usually meant the Stratocruiser.(and also, at that time, stops on Wake, Guam, and in Honolulu, before continuing on to California). Yes, they were ugly; but they were also among the most comfortable planes I've ever flown. In addition to berths (very comfortable), they also had sleeper seats; and as for the lower lounge, it was super! (There was an unspoken understanding that come cocktail time, children would return to the upper level.) Sad to say, they were not very economical to run, and with the introduction of the DC-7 (and later, the jets), Pan Am withdrew them from service.

[@charlestsiang8504]

I remember many Tokyo -Honolulu and Honolulu San Francisco trips as a kid with my parents. Guam and Wake were interesting stops. I have one of those Pan Am certificates on my wall... Domain of Phoebus Apollo... awarded when you cross the Int'l Date Line. And I do recall the lower lounge ... I still have the Pan Am coloring book.

[@Gail1Marie]

My parents flew a Northwest Airline Stratocruiser from Detroit to Minneapolis on a Sunday. Because liquor wasn't sold on Sundays in Wisconsin, the stewardess collected all of the passengers' drinks before the plane entered airspace over Wisconsin. When they entered Minnesota airspace again, the drinks were returned (presumably to be quickly consumed before landing in Minneapolis!)

[@IndependentBear]

It's easy to be nostalgic about air travel in those days, but the cost to passengers was high compared to today - roughly $7,000 NYC to London in 1955. And the film fails to capture the roar of the four 3500 HP radial engines, along with the vibration. A cocktail got mixed just sitting on your table (but, hey, we actually had a table back then). But one kept their hand on the glass because they were NOT really above the turbulence. What I miss most is the people. Like the video, I wore a suit whenever flying and women wore conservative, smart clothing. And people behaved similarly - courteous and relaxed.

[@Bruno-hd9qo]

Ron D'Eau Claire This must be in top comments. Not to mention there are still 7k tickets for the top class with the same amount of personal space and services.

[@achris1212]

Civilized travel

[@hcrun]

@ InfiniteMushroom: I totally agree. Air travel today is little more than sardines in a tin. As a 7 year-old, I travelled trans-Tasman with TEAL, in one of their Solent flying-boats. Even tho' we departed Sydney harbour at midnight (arriving in Auckland the following morning) my mother wore her best frock and I was also in my "Sunday clothes". It may have been expensive then, but that was in an era when the trip was part of the experience, not just a way of getting to a destination.

[@maldmc2873]

travel passengers with proper manners and dress then with flight service but aircraft where props . today no proper wear of dress or behavior with high flying jet liners in opinon

[@wholeNwon]

@@achris1212 Civilized travel for civilized people. But travel was incredibly expensive.

[@kirklorange]

I crossed the Atlantic on one of these in 1957, when I was 8 years old, New York to London with a stop at Shannon airport, Ireland. Slept in one of those berths.

[@yankfroggy]

I always dreamed it would be a thrill to sleep in one of the berths. How would you describe it? Was the drone of the engines disturbing? Was the bed comfy? Could you look out the window? Or were you just too excited to sleep?

[@kirklorange]

yankfroggy I was pretty excited but I do remember waking up in the berth so I guess I fell asleep. You couldn't look out the window from the bed and it was comfy, but anything is comfy to an 8 year old. It was a long flight -- 13 hours as I recall -- so it did get a bit boring after a while. We took off in daylight, flew through the night and landed at Shannon Airport in Ireland to refuel in the morning. Then off to London.

[@yankfroggy]

Thanks for sharing that. At that same age, we sailed to NY from France in the SS United States. That was quite a thrill too.

[@mcdonnell220]

yankfroggy Great stories from both you guys, thanks for sharing.

[@semsemeini7905]

Wow. I would have loved flying on one of these.

[@patriciaannobrien7909]

This was the first airplane I rode in - BIG really BIG as I remember. My Mom, Dad and I flew from Spokane Washington to Minneapolis St Paul Minnesota in April 1954. A memorable experience, so remember the double deck.

[@mcdonnell220]

Wow, thanks for that Patricia...I'm guessing Northwest Orient Airlines, then?

[@CurtisGregoryLTI]

+Dennis Wilson In those days, the Civil Aeronautics Board set all the prices. The only difference between carriers was each carrier's own personality with food/drink/service. Northwest' was always great with passenger service. Northwest did not use the mini bottles of whiskey. Many times the stewardess would leave me the entire bottle, a FIFTH of my choice of whiskey would be left on my table for me to pour my own.

[@TXnine7nine]

The aircraft in this video N1023V had an incident in Manila on 2 June 1958. It had a hard landing which in turn collapsed the undercarriage. A passenger was killed when a blade from engine #3 broke off and penetrated the cabin.

[@sixstringlove8242]

I love these old promo films. The glamour of flying back then, especially with Pan Am. Every passenger is dressed in their Sunday best, the food was real, the service spectacular, and it was a real event to travel. These days, I see punks wearing tank tops and flip flops...no I am not going there...to sound like one of those old cranky bastards "in my day..." You all know what I mean,

[@oliverdelgado6952]

Flip flops and pajama pants

[@BigRedPower59]

Watching these training and promotional films from the 1940s and 1950s is so much fun. It still makes me chuckle to see how much people smoked. Lighting up a cigarette on an aircraft these days would get you in some hot water.

[@BlueSky-qv7cd]

When I was young we lived about 2 miles away from an Air Force base with KC 97 tankers, they had run up stands for the R 4360 radial engines after overhaul and heavy maintenance and I remember hearing that sound many times during the summer nights.

[@CurtisGregoryLTI]

1957, the air refueling model was my first assignment after USAF training. I was so excited and still love that airplane.

[@mcdonnell220]

You served on the KC-97 Curtis?

[@CurtisGregoryLTI]

+Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture yes

[@kdrapertrucker]

Curtis Gregory you guys flying as fast as you can, while the Jets you are refueling are just hanging on the edge of a stall.

[@maldmc2873]

wow a lucky guy right after training have seen KC-97 at USAF Museum sitting outside

[@maldmc2873]

Boeing KC-135 solve that difference in airspeed

[@bobboberson2024]

That is AMAZING. The 377 was so far ahead of its time.

[@fanofjets]

What an amazing documentary - all those classic propliners! I love the old footage. Pity that no B-777s exist; however, I have been fortunate to have boarded two KC-97 museum pieces. They are impressive machines both inside and out. They have a personality all their own. Thanks for the great footage!

[@dudleyrathborne9849]

Thank-you for posting this video . It's a great history lesson .

[@DoctorDARKSIDE]

The past, sounds like the future should sound!

[@marquamfurniture]

+DoctorDARKSIDE -- Check out 'Emirates A380 First Class: Showers and Suites' (7 mins video) it is a direct modern day parallel to this Stratocruiser Promo Film.

[@Stacie45]

+John C It would be interesting to do a comparison of fares in inflation-adjusted dollars, between a modern A380 first class flight and an early 1950's Stratocruiser flight on the same or similar route. Does a passenger get more or less for their money today?

[@gotham61]

+Stacie45 In 1950 a first class berth flight from New York to London was $800. That's just under $8000 in today's dollars. Today a one way first ticket starts at around $5000 on United with a sleeper seat. So it's actually cheaper today, in addition to being way faster.

[@Stacie45]

gotham61 That's progress, I suppose. And it is also safer.

[@saultube44]

That's because the Monetary System we live in, limits greatly advancements because it promotes greed, so we have the mediocre service of today

[@RoboTekno]

Funny how planes these days are almost twice as fast, more than twice as large, but somehow their seats are half the size and food or even a drink is rare...

[@oscillation9814]

Quite right. It seems the design outside has advanced, while the design inside seems to be downgrading...(Besides the obvious entertainment editions and other modern 'luxuries' of course)

[@Digi20]

and economy prices are...10..15 times? cheaper. thats the reason why. however going first class will give you much better service and space than you can see here in the video.

[@goldleader2804]

+Digi20 true. Nothing beats international first.

[@tracer740]

... and we now have so many more fat people than we used to. I'm 5' 11' and I weigh 138 lb. so, ...

[@blackbrass1973]

Liche Christ Don't the airlines now charge two tickets for anyone over 300 pounds?

[@barrybmlv]

Growing up in LaGrange Illinois I got to see a lot of these coming in to land at Midway; mostly Northwest Orient.

[@davidringo1399]

The glory days of commercial aviation...when flying was fun...an adventure....Thrilling,cool as can be and pilots were "Gods" and the stewardesses....The angels of the sky......I was a kid and I loved it

[@concorde197]

A great documentary!! Such a shame Pan Am went out of business!! They knew how to treat passengers!! Today our American airlines are the worst!! No service and if one is flying First Class, terrible food!! The American airline companies should study the European, Asian, and Midde Eastern airlines for quality service. Emirates, Qatar, Singapore, and Lufthansa know how to treat passengers!!

[@willyboy3581]

+concorde197 I loved this documentary, too, having been privileged to fly on Pan Am (DC-6, DC_7, and yes, the Stratocruiser, There is also another documentary, currently available on KZbin called "Come fly with me: the story of Pan Am." (And as a special bonus, it's narrated by Honor Blackman,) I hope you'll enjoy it!

[@gravelydon7072]

Best flight we ever had was on PAA. A stretched 707 with more crew than passengers departing from Tokyo Dec 25 @ 2030 and arrived in LA @ 1130 Dec 25, 1966. We slept in first class and half the crew slept in the tail. 7 passengers and 14 crew and a batch of mail. They did save on the fuel by catching a jet stream and shutting down 2 engines. PAA was THE airline of the US.

[@scoobycarr5558]

Derek The Arab world no doubt has some of the finest airline service in the industry especially in first and business class with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates leading the way. I cannot afford such services however, so all I have in this life to do is dream about flying on Qatar, Emirates and Etihad.

[@spoch1517]

Derek A

[@goldleader2804]

Magnificent airframe. One of my all time favorite airplanes ever made.

[@leekenney9214]

17:21 "maintain a constant flow of fresh air" as they light a couple up...:-D

[@spacecadet35]

Since they have banned cigarettes on aircraft the air quality in the aircraft has decreased markedly. This has lead to an increase in passenger health issues, disease transfer and air rage incidents.

[@buddychump]

Yes indeed! I miss the sweet, healthy, clean air when smoking on planes was OK. Not to mention, my clothes smelling like an ashtray. Those were the days!

[@leekenney9214]

I remember when the pilots could have a drink or two and everything was fine.. and yes the cig smoke did have positives to it.

[@MarcusLeepapi]

Those days.. It was a great feeling...

[@johneddy98033]

@Chuck Moore, the Stratocruiser was based on the C-97 Stratofreighter used by the Air Force for many years. Elements from the B-29 Superfortress were used in the design of both.

[@teenagerinsac]

B-29, B-50, KC-97 all share a similar wing with strengthening for the B-50/KC-97/B-377 and span is the same for all.

[@stratus262j2]

Grew up flying in the 60's : DC-4, DC-6, Vickers Viscount, B-707, B-720, B-727, DC-8, DC-9, Convair 990 all excellent planes. Starting with the ugly 747 airline travel changed from a wonderful experience to the nightmare it is today. Seats are tiny, everyone crammed together, rude, hostility, lousy service if any. Thankful to have known the good times. Wish I could have flown on this bird here.

[@cindysue5474]

I heard the first gen 747s were cool a lounge bar piano.

[@keysontrains538]

25 people believe that the A380 was the first double decker aircraft.

[@leneanderthalien]

The Breguet BR763 2 ponts enter in service in same time as the Boeing Stratocruiser...so no the A380 is not the first full fuselage lenght double decker

[@CybermanBill]

The older I become (Wiser?) the more I miss the days gone by. I'm not old enough to have lived through the really great times from around the turn of the Twentieth century on, even some of the tough times like those around World War Two, but I really wish I could have experienced those incredible times, and as I am a lifelong Aviation enthusiast and pilot from an Aviation family at reaching back to the very tear the Wright Brothers first successfully flew a heavier than air craft, I would have most wanted to revel in the experience of The True Golden Age of Aviation before it became no different to most people than riding a bus. This video shows a glimpse of these times but better than this would have been the Pre War Amphibious Clippers that roamed the world, Amazing! Awesome!

[@willyboy3581]

One last sad note: "Clipper Golden Gate," seen in the opening sequences of this promo. film, crashed on June 2, 1958, while attempting to land in Manila during poor weather (heavy winds, heavy rain). My family lived in Manila at that time; our house was not far from the airport. That morning, during breakfast, we heard the plane fly over. Loving commercial flying, as I did then, I knew something was not quite right: it was way too loud, which meant it was flying lower than usual. Returning home for lunch, I heard that the plane had crashed moments after flying over the house. During the hard landing, the undercarriage collapsed; mercifully, there was only one fatality (a propeller blade broke off, penetrating the cabin).

[@myownidenity4955]

William Lindesmith wow I wish I could time travel

[@julosx]

The 377 was indeed the 747 of its time, but with a bar and sleeping berths. These particular aircrafts were plagued with the same engine troubles that the B-29 went through, for obvious reasons.

[@MrRobster1234]

I think they scrapped the Wright R 3350 and went with a Pratt & Whitney R 4360 "Corncob" which was more reliable despite being devilishly complex.

[@MrRobster1234]

Dennis Wilson Thanks for your comment Dennis. I did not know what a PRT was. Instead of saying "What?" I Googled it. You learn something new every day : )

[@paulalexander2928]

Ah back in the days before skyjackers and religious maniacs flying planes into buildings. When flying was an adventure and the ultimate experience. I envy this carefree period .

[@outlander-x]

fantastic documentary.

[@michaelwills1926]

These flight crews of the time were war veterans and highly trained airmen. Service provided by sincerely desecrated staff. What a great time in American aviation.

[@stevehanes6790]

Awesom. As a teenager flew on them on PamAm flights from Fairbanks AK to Seattle WA. Then the jets came.... .

[@MrShobar]

The wind tunnel shown at 10:55 is named after Eddie Allen, the legendary Boeing test pilot that was killed flight testing the XB-29.

[@tracer740]

The 'pilot' portrayed in this promo film is none other than, Robert Downey Sr., father of actor Robert Downey Jr.

[@bigglesflysagain1749]

Where is he ?????????????????????

[@Ronbo710]

He's the dude playing the dude playing the other dude.

[@brkitdwn]

Click on the number 5:00

[@cpotisch]

Nope. Because Robert Downey Sr would have been 14 years old when this promo came out.

[@albertogarciaarango2411]

Great and beatiful of this documentary film of this important model of Boeing.thanks!

[@ralphsanchico2452]

Im no aviation expert, but I wasnt aware that a propeller type plane could function that well in that high of an altitude! great video

[@kdrapertrucker]

Ralph Sanchico they could with turbocharged engines. In reality all,a jet engine is is a big turbocharger with a combustion section and an exhaust.

[@GoldenBear2468]

@@kdrapertrucker But isn't their claim at kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGqVhmV8bsyVi9E "into the stratosphere" inaccurate?

[@Spookieham]

When this was filmed the Comet had already flown and came into service 2 years later. Unfortunately metal fatigue wasn't well understood and two were lost with all passengers clearing the way for the 707. As soon as the Comet flew the piston engine airliner was a dead end. Boeing were already working on Jet Transports by the time of this film.

[@andyharman3022]

Yeah, the 377 was a stop-gap aircraft, meant to bridge the gap to a jet transport.

[@CombatDoc54]

I flew 1st class on Flying Tigers to Vietnam. Quite a delightful flight if I must say.

[@navynuc1]

great stuff, didn't know much about this one.

[@mikekirwan461]

The US Air Force used these planes as tankers too. This plane has it's roots in the B-29 bomber of WW2

[@MrShobar]

Plant 2 is shown at 14:53. It was torn down a few years ago.

[@carllafong4791]

Flew on a Pan Am Stratocruiser from San Francisco to Honolulu, at age 6, unaccompanied, in 1951. Can a 6 year old fly alone nowadays? 9 hours and 15 minutes per a diary I kept at the time. I think that's 2410 miles, so that's about 260 mph. Maybe into a headwind, I don't know. Only about 60 made I think. It wasn't my first airplane flight and I don't recall much about it. I doubt if I slept in the provided bunks and I have no memory of the noise level of those B-29 engines hammering a few feet away. It couldn't have been any noisier than the twin engine United Air Lines Convair I used to ride all the time between Reno and San Francisco in the 1960s. I think they had pretty much the same engines as the Stratocruiser. Only 2 of them, but likely situated closer to the cabin. Deafening. I'm wondering if there is any correlation between the demise of Pan Am and the direction of the country since then?

[@GFSLombardo]

Yes Un-accompanied minors may still fly. SOMETIMES they even wind up flying into the right airport. (lol)

[@garytripp5021]

This is the plane I few on while in the USAF 1960-1964...converted to the KC-97 Air refueling tanker. Fond memories.

[@ss_whole]

Waiting for the captain to turn off the no smoking sign? Ha, they didn't even HAVE a no smoking sign.

[@bigglesflysagain1749]

Used see these come into Sydney (Kingsford Smith aerodrome)...PanAm....often !

[@ownerbmw4396]

Just simply the 50's and 70's rocks..!

[@johnerdmann7797]

excellent what a diffrent world

[@QueenE31]

She cost 1.5 million dollars. Boy how the value of money has changed. People may say "yes but it's all relative" but is it? Back then, one income was enough to sustain a full family. Now, 2 incomes only just cuts it.

[@j.a.mccready9273]

strange to think this plane crashed in Manilla about 10 years after the film was made. 1 person killed when it skidded off runway and propelled penetrated the cabin.

[@JohnLockerVegan]

I would have loved to have been a passenger on this aircraft.

[@lrg3834]

Fact is, most of the working class couldn't afford these far flung air vacations of yesteryear whereas today the opposite is true, albeit in cramp seating.

[@jvolstad]

It must have been noisy with those four engines. Two businessmen smoking. I love it.

[@mellotrongirl]

First Officer Jeni Mellotrongirl here! I hope to see you all aboard a Clipper for an enjoyable flight soon!

[@mcdonnell220]

Mellotron, huh? Well lets kick up a little "2,000 Light Years From Home"?!

[@ss_whole]

The best thing about flying back then? The person next to you wasn't 240 pounds with their flabby elbows hanging over the armrest invading your personal space. Also, kids were seen and not heard back then, now a days the pre-flight announcement should be "Hello everyone and welcome aboard Screaming Baby Airlines"

[@rexpositor6741]

Super Kyle right. Babies didn’t cry back then. Ok. 🤣

[@Jessewren1968]

Why do you hate yourself?

[@wholeNwon]

Just 240 would be great. How about 340 or more? Fat people should pay more for tickets. Trucks pay higher road taxes than cars so why not?

[@shahimagesyt]

2:59 There literally was a kid on the plane

[@kristov29]

2:27 On an airline these days the dog in that crate would be considered as flying in Premium Economy and the birds would have to pay for their water.

[@Pontiacman1964]

Yeah, it's very luxurious and everything, but where's the bathroom at?

[@RSMith816]

I couldn't even imagine routine maintenance on a plane like that. Time to change out all 224 spark plugs!! Oh man!

[@MrRobster1234]

RSMith816 How about the B-36 with 6 of those monsters ?

[@EnergeticWaves]

Rob Mackenzie or the hughes h1 with 8

[@CurtisGregoryLTI]

+RSMith816 correct 224 spark plugs + 2 plugs on APU,,,, I have been there/done that many times. If my memory is right, engine overhaul for the R-4360 piston engine was 600 hours in 1958. today turbo jet engines are probably well over 10,000 hours for overhaul. Some peoples comments here are kind of sad, "ugly/slow/noisy/small/unsafe, etc." These were great airplanes, me over 10,000 hours and 100's of ocean crossings without a single major incident.

[@EnergeticWaves]

but i think the turbo ones get more flight hours per overhaul

[@B1970T]

Is that Bob Crane (21:51) moonlight lighting way before the Hogan's Heroes gig? 😊

[@alanhufstutler1770]

That's what I thought "that's Sergeant Carter"

[@Martmns]

A beautiful and amazing airliner but developed and built only with the help of massive U.S. government subsidies and a commercial failure mostly due to it's thirsty and hugely maintenance intensive Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engines.

[@GFSLombardo]

YES, The design of the Boeing STRATOCRUISER was based on the Boeing B-29 bomber which required millions in public $$$$. The USAF also bought them in numbers for various capabilities such as in-flight re-fueling tanker etc. US government has been heavily involved in the aircraft industry ever since WWII. One of the reasons why the post war airlines no longer needed seaplanes is that the airlines were able to use the many airfields built by the military during the war. This practice has gone on to the present day. Many non-US airlines are either government run or also heavily subsidized by their national governments.This is nothing new. Every nation wants airlines and glitzy new airports to demonstrate to the world that they are modern and up to date. Fly 'EMIRATES" lately?

[@MrEjidorie]

The design of Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was based upon B-29 strategic bomber which was a nightmare for Japanese civilians during the Pacific War. Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was a typical example of conversion of military technology to civilian applications. The same goes for Boeing 747 Jumbo jet too.

[@keysontrains538]

What did the 747 develop from? As far as I know the 747 was a completely new design.

[@MrEjidorie]

+KKTrain Springer Boeing 747 Jumbo jet was originally designed as a military transport. But the U.S. military forces decided to adopt Galaxy instead. So Boeing redesigned 747 Jumbo jet as a civilian airplane, and it brought huge profits to Boeing.

[@kdrapertrucker]

KKTrain Springer 747 sprung from the C-5 program, Boeing lost that bid to Lockheed, but when Pan Am asked them for an interim airliner that could cruise at .75 mach and could be easily converted into a freighter when the super sonic transports were launched Boeing took what they'd learned from their C-5 experience. The wide body was designed to fit 2 standard freight cargo pallets side by side, the cockpit was set above to make it possible to add a oversized nose cargo door, the hump behind the cockpit was designed to give the cockpit the area rule streamlining it needed and Pan Am president Juan trip decided that that space should be used, and originally it was a piano lounge.

[@frankus54]

"The pilot's parlor"

[@harveywind2930]

I remember a trip to Hawaii when I was eight, and we were scheduled to take one of these wonderful airliners. Some complication intervened, and we were rescheduled to take what I think was a DC4. I'm not sure tho, cause this was back in '58, I think. Anyway, I hated the trip because of the unpressurised cabin, my ears hurt, and I didn't know why. The thing was noisy as hell too, and I remained scared the whole flight. Still regret not taking the Stratocruiser.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

harvey wind If the aircraft you flew on was unpressurised and had four engines, then there's a good chance it was a Douglas DC-4 Skymaster. What airline flew you to Hawaii on a DC-4 in 1958?

[@harveywind2930]

wish I could remember that, I was around five or six years old.after being promised a new streamlined beauty, it was scary on that old rattletrap. Probably ex-military with many hours.

[@willyboy3581]

+Dan Uscian Hi, Dan: you (and Harvey) might be interested in the following, taken from the 1959-1960 edition of "Fielding's Travel guide to Europe." Icelandic Airlines' "aircraft now in service are single-class DC-4s - the faithful, dependable Skymasters which have crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific more than 40-thouosand times. Two complimentary full-course meals are served; so is free cognac and a free midnight snack. A maximum of 58 passengers is carried, which gives the priceless boon of extra legroom. ... All transatlantic flights touch down at Reykjavik, to give their passengers a dividend peek at Iceland." From New York, "low season, round trip rates are $392.20 to London, $409.40 to Copenhagen, $432.10 to Hamburg ... plus other similar reductions." (HEAVY SIGH.) Those were the days!

[@WAL_DC-6B]

+William Lindesmith Hello Will, wish I could have flown on that DC-4 back in the day! However, I did fly Loftleidir Icelandic Airlines back in July, 1975 from Chicago to Keflavik on one of their stretch DC-8's. We didn't get two meals, only one, but I recall it being pretty tasty for airline food and it also included that glass of cognac. Legroom was just the opposite as Loftleidir really crammed the seats in that "8" to maintain their low airfares to Europe.

[@willyboy3581]

+Dan Uscian Hi, Dan: I don't suppose there's any longer a carrier that offers comfort paired with genuinely low fares. Keeping it mind, it's been close to ten years since I've flown trans-Atlantic, while the seats were small and the legroom almost non-existent (or so it seemed to a man who's 6'1"), at least meals (full meal plus a snack) were still served, and they weren't bad: Air France and Sabena (remember them?) were pretty good; Delta and United, marginal --- but in all cases, at least they were complimentary!

[@emilytheclumsygirl]

Did I see flat beds? That's cool!

[@patriley9449]

Air travel in those days was for the well-off. The average family couldn't afford it. I love those stylish people in the video. Today any slob can fly in those cramped seats in todays jets.

[@sball3273]

I read where the 377's propellers had a tendency to "run away."

[@balboahigh1999]

Dennis Wilson thanks for your response. Flew on the KC-97 while stationed in Newfoundland, and it was always in the back of my mind that props would separate.

[@sball3273]

Dennis Wilson wow. Thanks for the info.

[@TheMacmn]

Sam Nilloonww , the ANG C-97s , I have 2100+ as Pilot in one were converted to Ham Standard from Curtis Electric ones and the runaway props were history. Dennis, the Hams were the Heavy Ones as the CG was moved forward and SAC 97's had a tendency to touchdown nose wheel first. SAC had to have every thing standard, so the pilots were taught to land always with full flaps even though in the Dash One, was a chart with Gross Wt vs Flap Setting. At under 125,000 if you landed with 55% Flaps the plane landed like a normal airplane. I was in the "Hollywood Air Force" Van Nuys Air National Guard 61 -75.

[@bobbypaluga4346]

Now that's quality service. Really flying when people dressed having the self-respect missing today. At LAX, a 30-ish woman wearing a micro skirt and a linen white top, no bra, several buttons undone very high heels, was refused passage on a Southwest flight and was she screaming. The airline didn't cave, the lady threatened to sue everybody. That is today miles from travel shown in this video

[@stevenfromer3806]

Cool film

[@ALSmith-zz4yy]

17:23 "Radiant heating and air conditioning combine to maintain a constant flow of fresh air..." As two guys each light up a cigarette. How times have changed.

[@hertzwave8001]

for the better at least

[@mike89128]

Nov 8,1949. Pan Am Clipper "Westward Ho". London to New York, via Gander. Six years and one day old, unaccompanied. First flight.

[@bienhoa1966]

Beautiful bird, but the 4360 was not a reliable engine. The plugs would foul out regularly, sometimes during taxi from the terminal to the runway. The engineer's panel was a nightmare of dials.

[@wholeNwon]

I haven't looked up the crash/fatality rate for the old piston commercial passenger planes.

[@gcrav]

@@wholeNwon Over 20% of the Stratocruisers were lost to accidents and they had a conspicuously high rate of in-flight emergencies, mostly due to engine and propeller problems. The Stratocruiser left the scene more quickly than did other aircraft of the same vintage because they were a costly maintenance nightmare.

[@howardcod4]

Those "sleeper berths" how cool is that!

[@601themississippigulfcoast7]

Just 2 years before I was born and how times have changed what will the next 60 years bring I guess we will have to wait and see.

[@SIRSMITH08]

them were the days I love the 50s

[@kirstenschafer1719]

Thank you for this video...best regards from Germany...

[@monte61]

Now you can't even get a bag of peanuts ! I was glad I did get a chance to fly on TWA and PSA back in the day.

[@adrianlarkins7259]

Today flying is a nightmare. It may have taken longer but who cares when one is surrounded in luxury and fed food fit for a king. Unless one is stinking rich, such experiences are beyond the reach of most people. The first 747 Jumbos had cocktail bars but that didn't last long. No, these days they pack you in like sardines and it's hell.

[@adrianlarkins7259]

I couldn't agree more. I'm 70 and was lucky to travel both by sea and air between UK and Kenya during the years 1952 to 1984. I had the best of both worlds. Now the the regular passenger liners have gone and air travel is a miserable, stressful experience. That's progress for you.

[@varigdc10]

Adrian Larkins I'm 66 never flew in this one, my first flight was a Constellation, SuperG. I agree with you, as I grow older and approach the twilight of my existence I think about all the technical advances I experienced. One fact I now clearly realize is that the more technologically a nation or people become, the more culturally deprived it becomes. So, I am glad I lived back in my "good old days", I wish I could go to sleep tonight and wake up back about 1955 or so, and re-live all over again the simple old life, I really don't like progress!

[@adrianlarkins7259]

Agreed 100% The only thing I would want is the medical knowledge of today. Give me that and I'd go back even further to ocean travel. How about 6 days, first class, on the Queen Mary?

[@varigdc10]

Adrian Larkins Yes, of course, I once back around1985 or 86 attended a business trade show held in the Queen Mary in Long Beach, grand old lady. Also, at the time I attended a company dinner ( Rockwell International ) in a hangar where the Spruce Goose lived ( Hughe's plane ), remember. The event took place underneath the wings, probably the most memorable moments of my entire life.

[@yomama7984]

Someone's salty. I fly all the time and never feel packed in. That's Southwest Airlines not every airline

[@Sturminfantrist]

Based on the B-29/B-50 , the Stratoclipper/ Boeing 377 was a commercial failure because Douglas and Lockheed built better planes, DC-6/7 and Lockheed Constallation and the brits Comet made them all obsolete , but at least she was famous as C-97/ KC-97 and in our days even AIRBUS used the Guppy based on the stratoclipper , transporting AIRBUS parts between various factorys.

[@bcstechnologylimited896]

Those planes had a poor reliability reputation. In-flight engine failures and thrown prop blades were not at all uncommon.

[@Bruno-hd9qo]

BCS Technology Limited Yet they were made to be able to complete the journey with a single engine working.

[@kdrapertrucker]

BCS Technology Limited yeah, those engines had to work really hard to haul that airframe up to altitude, they had the same problems as the B-29/B-50 and engine fires were fairly common. I am surprised that they hadn't converted the aircraft to turboprops by the early 1950's. They'd have saved a fortune in maintenance costs.

[@leneanderthalien]

@@kdrapertrucker less maintainance, but the turbo props eat twice the fuel from the piston engines...(but 115 octane gas cost twice the kerozene...)

[@eddiecarlcalhoun]

IMAGINE... PLENTY OF LEG ROOM AND A 7 COURSE MEAL...!!!!!!! NOW YOU'RE LUCKY IF YOU GET A BAG OF PEANUTS!!!!!!

[@tomstarzeck7137]

I just flew from New York City to Manila. .round trip on China Eastern 777 300 ER ..it only cost me 753 dollars. .and they served 3 meals and a snack in flight to Shanghai. .15 hours non stop....it was a great experience...and to think 2 engines get that loaded beast up to altitude quickly.

[@lrg8734]

Not your problem, but China Eastern lost money on your particular ticket. Do the fuel calculation on that long 777 return flight, divide by total number of seats, then get back to me. There's not enough money left over to cover maintenance, depreciation and general operation overhead.

[@frankmartin5516]

Brian Barberg n

[@frankmartin5516]

I got to fly the 377 many times as a youngster. Pan Am in its heyday was THE premiere airline. I morn the loss of those romantic days.

[@kdrapertrucker]

Brian Barberg yeah, but the intakes of those 2 engines could swallow a 737 fuselage whole. Big, big engines.

[@TheMacmn]

Nice footage, but the Honeymoon Suites down stairs weren't shown.

[@Bellakelpie]

The downstairs area was used as a lounge bar by all airlines who operated the Strat. Only United Airlines fitted their Stratocruiser's with a Honeymoon Suite and it was located at the very back of the cabin area on the main deck. When BOAC purchased the United Stratocruiser fleet, the Honeymoon suites were removed.

[@dunstun365]

not seen lounges on planes now

[@rudiechinchilla6746]

Hell, it s way back in history haha!!

[@Fay-or3yo]

What is up with the 377's nose? Doesnt it need to be sharp and streamlines?

[@davidhoffman1278]

Subsonic flight and the pressurization issues.

[@fitza9107]

and at that point, they had not seen anything yet! it would be something no passenger would've even dreamed off at that time. they would take a 200 mph leap forward thanx to the next big thing in aviation: the jet engine.

[@hopeless128]

is that Cary Grant at 2:55?

[@MrShobar]

A very nice airplane for the time, with one big problem: It didn't sell.

[@jonathantan2469]

+MrShobar Also, the jet age was coming in...

[@danielshon]

Nota nice haha it was ugly

[@dballer49]

Many people don't realize that Pan Am created the concept of Airports