Song of the Clouds - Air Travel in 1956 | Shell Historical Film Archive

Explore the 1956 world of air travel, a mere five decades after the Wright brothers' first flight in 1903.
Experience the democratization of air travel with regular flights and affordable fares, where passengers soar at over 300 mph on planes like Boeing, Douglas, and Vickers Viscount. Learn about high engine standards, international codes, and advanced technology shaping the industry.
For more information about Shell’s Historic Film Archive please contact: [e-mail]
#Shell #ShellFilmUnit #HistoricFilmArchive #Documentary #History #AirTravel #50s #Airplane
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Shell’s surprising and captivating Historic Film Archive dates from 1934 and covers a rich mix of topics from technology, science and engineering to craftsmanship, motorsport and travelogue.
The Shell Film Unit, responsible for the content, was a highly celebrated part of Britain’s Documentary Movement. Key figures from that movement were involved, including: Jack Beddington, Edgar Anstey, Arthur Elton, John Grierson, Kay Mander, Stuart Legg and Douglas Gordon.
Its films were wide reaching, often screened in cinemas and through the non-theatric film distribution circuit, which brought film to educational establishments and organisations across the UK. While many films covered technological themes related to Shell’s activities, others were entirely unrelated and served purely to educate the general public.
As Shell innovated in technologies that would provide oil and gas products for the world, the Shell Film Unit also innovated in the technological advancement of film, incorporating graphics and different forms of animation as early as the 1930s.
During WW2 the Shell Film Unit was co-opted into war effort, making films for the Ministry of Information’s film division. Its prowess in technological documentary suited the MoI’s need for technical training films.
While the name and the medium has changed many times over the years, the documentary tradition lives on at Shell. Its contemporary film team is part of Shell’s multi-disciplinary in-house agency, Creative Solutions. It continues making award-winning factual content that informs and educates the public, now usually released on social media platforms.

[@shell]

If you enjoyed this video, please check out the full 'Shell Film Unit - Historic Archive' playlist, where you'll find lots more gems! kzbin.info/aero/PLEPIVJVCFQH2hoYONdHiQlVrvYQ-k4Xay

[@itsskip]

I do not know which employees are responsible for posting this, but thank you! I love what you are doing!

[@marstuv5068]

@@itsskip Me TOO

[@yannickletoqueux2381]

Non​@@itsskip

[@itsskip]

I do not know what you are saying. Is that another language?@@yannickletoqueux2381

[@bibhandebiswas1599]

This is amazing.

[@mitchelldakelman7006]

Back in the 1960s when the Shell Oil Company had a lending library of their 16mm films, a school teacher who I knew suggested I see this film. I booked it and it came. We had it several times -- until the film was withdrawn due to its age. In 1970, while still in high school, I wrote a letter to the Shell Film Library asking if I could acquire a copy, along with another film The History of The Helicopter. Then by surprise, in May of that year, they came, and I still have and cherish these films to this day, 53 years later. And it is amazing, that a beautiful film such as this, now can be seen once again. Thanks for posting this!!!!

[@RobertMiller-ye9hm]

I want to go back and live there in that time

[@tvtothepoint]

​ I don't know if I'd so much like to live back then, but a visit to the past for a few days or so would definitely be an eye-opening experience, and perhaps make me more thankful for all of our modern amenities which makes it easier for us to deal with the details of how we travel, and leaves us with more time to enjoy the scenery.

[@tvtothepoint]

It was an amazing time to be alive, for sure. Imagine if giant oil companies would do such things today - helping educate people to be better citizens and more tolerant of the differences between each other, and our individual needs. Insurance companies, oil companies, and giant medical research companies all used to provide great public service and educational films, and other than a mention in the credits, they didn't waste our time with branding and product placement. These were designed to be helpful and highly educational, instead of simply another vehicle for gaining marketing over their competitors. I wonder if Shell (Royal Dutch Shell Oil company) even maintains a publicly accessible film library in 2024? It's probably been reduced to training films for corporate purposes and retired from circulation long ago. The company I currently work for, which is one of the largest construction companies in the United States, still produces their own "in house" training videos, but many of them are branded with logos and cameos from their suppliers and are more about product placement and brand loyalty than they are actually intended to be for the benefit of employee information or training. They definitely wouldn't be shown to any school children for educational purposes. Sadly, those days are long gone.

[@ronald3836]

@@tvtothepoint if we manage to view the scenery through our eyes and not through the display of our smartphone ;-)

[@bipmd7508]

😢

[@mikeguthrie5432]

As I watched this film, I longed for those "days of yesteryear". I used to work for United Air Lines in San Mateo California, at that time, San Francisco International, or SFO. That was in the mid sixties I worked on DC-6s, Convair 340s, Boeing 707s, and DC-8s. In my mind, those are the special treasured moments and days of my life. I'm 82 now, and when I viewed this film, it brought back a longing for those old times. Sadly, we shall never see the likes of that era again. Thank you for the passport back in time!

[@brianmaitai7685]

i wish i lived in that era......

[@johnnynoname7245]

I completely understand you. I too, worked on the DC-6, DC-8's, B 707's in Jeddah. Happy days indeed! A longing for those cherished days and times long gone.

[@mikeguthrie5432]

Amen, and God Bless you Brother!@@johnnynoname7245

[@jaysonb.6669]

Your era (while not perfect) had style, class, respect, and a fearless vision for the future. Sadly, our generation has run that vision into the ground...Just be happy you at least got to experience those times and not had to grow up in the degenerate cesspool of Metropolis living today. Please Lord, heal our lands.

[@mikeguthrie5432]

Amen to that my friend. Meanwhile, indeed we need to pray to the Lord daily, to help heal our hurt and broken land. @@jaysonb.6669

[@rodzilla47]

In September of 1956 when I was 9, we flew from NYC to Frankfurt, Germany in a TWA Lockheed Super G Constellation. We left in the early evening and stopped in Labrador to refuel and then Shannon, Ireland for breakfast. We also stopped in London. The entire trip took 18 hours and the plane had drop down berths to sleep in. It was quite an adventure for me but after almost 70 years, I don't remember much. My Dad was in the Army and we lived in Germany for 4 years which was a great time.

[@Khushwant-Singh]

Glad to hear about your experience. I'm 24, from India. I've always wondered how air travel must've been in those days!

[@allancerf9038]

I lived in Heidelberg for three years - unfortunately the first three. Zero recollections.

[@shantanushekharsjunerft9783]

Thank you for sharing! I am sure you have wonderful memories of your family.

[@derrickwillie4449]

If you don’t remember much, how do you remember it was a great time?

[@adennis200]

Crazy times. I wish I would have experienced this.

[@guitarsingaporeRapture]

Watching this in Jan 2024. Wow, how much the world of aviation has changed since the 1950s. A wonderful piece of history, in colour! Thanks for sharing this! Harpazo! See you in the sky!

[@Andreas1986xyz]

I think it barely changed compared witz the 50 years before

[@derrickwillie4449]

Nothing has changed on the world of commercial aviation since the concorde

[@Andreas1986xyz]

@@derrickwillie4449 true. i also consider the development in this field extremely slow from the invention of the first jets in the 1950s onwards. planes got no faster nor bigger on average, only somewhat more economical and less noisy. But the primary service of aviation has remained basically unchanged for decades. And that after a very rapid development in the first half of the 20th century.

[@user-lt7ne9mv9b]

@@Andreas1986xyz So true. I am now retired and the changes I have seen are barely anything compared to what my parents saw in their lifetimes. All the great advances we were promised when I was a child enormously outweigh what we have achieved. Of what was predicted, only three things we have: hand-held video-phones, a computer the size of a book in every room, and the self-opening door. And they predicted we would have all these things by the mid 1990's at the latest. There would also be more important things: and end to world hunger and end to disease, and world peace. How wrong we were; because we believed in good sense and co-operation instead of personal greed.

[@iant9461]

@@user-lt7ne9mv9b Not much to do with personal greed. Perhaps that’s more of an avoidance for the globalist to pursue such things you mention.

[@johnger850305]

I can't believe the official Shell company channel uploaded this video. Thank to the people who made this video and the people to keep it well-preserved.

[@mclaurinisGODsSon2]

Love how the cinematographer did this movie. Incredibly beautiful to watch.

[@togowack]

Yes first class propoganda introducing the boomers into a world of monopoly and control paying for a nasty dirty method of flight while we used to go for free into the sky minus the noise and pollution using dirigibles in between the airport cities like New York that were designed for docking from the outside and connection to sky scrapers (elevators with masts and stairways ontop)

[@Chris-yt1nu]

The bag of 4 pretzels and water really tasted great on my flight from LA to Chicago.

[@Foxy_ladyYTSL]

😂😂😂

[@StealthFB22]

I love the diversity in cultures in this film. Everyone is so happy, polite and of course, smartly dressed ☺️

[@richardmorris7063]

Stark contrast to what you see now. I'm old enough to have flown in this era ,it was special.

[@Funeeman]

Absolutely wonderful.

[@ralphsanchico2452]

Just goes to show you they didn't need woke DEI or any othe virtue signaling nere do wells back then to promote thier industry.

[@pr3cious193]

​@@ralphsanchico2452 pls stfu you're embarrassing yourself

[@cxyyoutube5270]

Sadly the passengers on today's flights are not as polite

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I once flew "Compania de Aviacion Faucett S.A." in October 1987 from Lima Peru to Cuzco. Only it was on board a Douglas DC-8 jetliner instead of the iconic DC-3 as seen in this film at 24:00. During the flight I showed one of the stewardesses my private pilot's license (U.S.) and asked if I could visit the cockpit. She checked with the captain, received permission for my visit and said I could go up front. Sitting in the jump seat of the DC-8 behind the Faucett Peru, veteran captain we struck up a conversation on flying and I asked him about the types of airliners he flew. He told me he had flown at one time the DC-3, DC-4, and DC-6B. I asked which was his favorite. He responded saying, "Oh, that's easy, the DC-3. That plane could go anywhere!"

[@sharonh2991]

So from when the Wright Brothers took off in 1909 to this, in just over 4 decades, absolutely unbelievable. I flew for the first time on Pan Am when I was about 3 years old around 1965. Flying in those days was exquisite, fancy clothes, excellent food on proper dishware, respect and manners everywhere.

[@shannonquinn8687]

American aviation innovation has been stagnant for the past 40 years. Manners and respect went out the window a long time ago.

[@user-qh1jc1tq6v]

17 december 1903

[@MyBeautifulHealth]

How was the turbulence back then? Do you think it differs from present day?

[@caminhaoeaviao9791]

Desde Santos Dumond né 😊

[@jhonsiders6077]

then deregulation that helped ruin flying ! discount airlines and thugs in tank tops starting fights !

[@Jack-bs6zb]

I miss the optimism which accompanied the world of my childhood in the 1950s.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Well at least today's kids are no longer doing the "duck and cover" drills of the 1950s.

[@Jack-bs6zb]

@@WAL_DC-6B ... i was there (were you?) and I've no recollection of what you refer to. I suppose today's kids must 'duck and cover' when the local trans barges into their changing room.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@Jack-bs6zb "local trans" such as former Republican Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert.

[@ianseddon9347]

@@WAL_DC-6Bwe did air raid drills, but had no understanding of the potential oblivion the Russians had in mind for us in the name of Internatioal Socialism. It was a happy time for children, even most poor working class children like me!

[@Jack-bs6zb]

@@ianseddon9347 ... Don't you mean 'the Soviets'? How times have changed. Now it's the US using Ukraine to poke the Russian bear with 500,000 dead Ukrainians, an illegally sabotaged Nordstream pipeline and Victoria Nuland getting to select Ukraine's cabinet members.

[@lawnjockey7009]

This was about flying in "56 when airplanes are carrying 100 plus, if not more people and crossing the Atlantic non stop.Just nine yrs earlier, in the spring of 1947 we, my mother, myself and two brothers, went from Amsterdam,Holland to Curacao by way of Edinburgh, Scotland to Reikjavik, Iceland to Gander Nfld to NYC to Miami and finally Curacao. My Dad worked for Shell at that time and was send to Curacao, where Shell had a refinery, soon after WW2. He went by sea to NYC then by rail to Miami and again by sea the rest of the way. He was there for about a year and a half before we went The plane was a KLM Lockheed Constellation (The Flying Dutchman) with a capacity for 44 passengers. What a change ! Nowadays KLM flys direct to Curacao with maybe 400 or so folks on board. Amazing to me. So yes all this happened 76 years ago, I was 9 years old, but I still remember it all vividly.

[@ranjittyagi9354]

You are gifted with razor-sharp memory!

[@junjie2525]

Wow, that must have taken days, if not at least a week! Can't imagine how easy travel is these days

[@junjie2525]

Wow, that must have taken days, if not at least a week! Can't imagine how easy travel is these days

[@Lt_Tragg]

I’m a private pilot and own and maintain a vintage single engine aircraft built 6/14 /1946. It’s a joy to fly and takes me back to the simpler times depicted in this wonderful film each and every time I fly it.

[@jorgetoy3807]

What airplane do you own? I own a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser 1946 as well.Great year! :)

[@Lt_Tragg]

@@jorgetoy3807 ‘46 Funk B85C. It follows the ‘46 Taylorcraft B12D.

[@luigicirelli2583]

you're a pilot - we believe you

[@luigicirelli2583]

@@jorgetoy3807 own is a strong word - a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser 1946 owns you as well

[@fabianbauza4448]

Don't lie. Microsoft Flight Simulator doesn't count as having an airplane...

[@mrhoffame]

Back when so many more things had touch of class and appreciation!!! Simply beautiful footage!!!

[@sam510938764]

With a tasty side of 600% higher fatality rates? I'll take modern day flying over whatever this is any time.

[@jcspotter7322]

​@@sam510938764not only higher fatality rates, but also higher fares. People forget with the so-called higher service came with higher fares. Their "golden age" of flying was when all the seats were first class.

[@johnh8705]

Yeaaa they stopped using square windows

[@Nthstar]

The past was alot more classier

[@timwhite8500]

And air travel was not accessible to the average person due to $

[@user-gz8ip6oh4l]

Brings back memories that are still vivid today of my first flight as a five year old on a DC3 operated by Central African Airways from Ndola ( in present day Zambia) to Entebbe Airport in Uganda in 1957. Turned me into an international air traveller in the golden age of air-travel as I grew up flying througout the 1960s - around Africa and across the Indian Ocean from Nairobi to Bombay, return on Boeing 707. The 60 and early 70's were the golden age of travel, in my opinion.

[@normangoldstuck8107]

You are absolutely right. It was wonderful.

[@disboygotdabeat]

Yes, air travel was actually a big feature of the adventure of the excursion. Now, the flight its just considered a necessary hassle in order to get to the destination itself.

[@karljebailey3656]

Thank you Shell for sharing these old films. They are fantastic !!

[@chamade166]

Except for the toxic masculinity that ran rampant at a time so it’s uncomfortable to watch.

[@luigicirelli2583]

@@chamade166 please make a main comment about the rampant toxic masculinity rather than it remaining buried as a reply

[@Spectrolite1]

@@chamade166 It wasn't toxic. It was civil, orderly, classy and clear. Unlike today when some people are so confused sadly, that they don't even know what gender they are!

[@Rotund_Panda_Pants]

@@chamade166 Better to see this than what the toxic feminazis have turned the modern world into. Today’s classless head cases couldn’t hold a candle to the classy ladies of yesteryear. So glad the modern toxic broads don’t reproduce and will be bred out of existence.

[@IntrophyGamer]

​@@Spectrolite1I agree.

[@kellyjohnson9394]

As a kid, I remember in 1963, I would be outside while living in Philadelphia, these four-propeller planes would fly over my house-which was north of Philadelphia International Airport lining up to land at PHL which was 20miles away. I’ll never forget the sound of those loud engines.

[@timngim583]

Ok boomer

[@ranjittyagi9354]

​@@timngim583You would do even better after some much needed therapy. Kindly, seek one.

[@Jack_Russell_Brown]

​@@timngim583 I *do* hope you reap what you sow.

[@willyboy3581]

Wow, such a lot of memories of these airlines, airliners, and airports! Growing up in the 50s, it's wonderful to relive - if only for a few minutes - what it was like flying back then. I'm glad Shell made these films and are now posting them.

[@derrickwillie4449]

Im glad shell created v power to over charge me

[@TomPauls007]

This was well done! Flew the DC6 from Europe to NYC. People dressed well and acted with dignity. What a joy that was. And the planes sounded so cool! Great sound track here.

[@ekop1778]

NOW PEOPLE ARE SUE HAPPY AND POST THINGS ONLINE RUDE AND IDIOTS

[@gulfstream7235]

Hmm..Can't really see a flight crew member of a DC6 saying the word cool when talking about being well dressed and with dignity.

[@SHOVEIT]

He didn't say he was a flight crew member... and why wouldn't a flight crew member say "cool"? I would kind of agree with your statement if he said "The planes sounded so lit!" but "cool" is totally fine. ?!@@gulfstream7235

[@TomPauls007]

@@gulfstream7235 yeah - probably said "far out" but that wasn't in yet...

[@marstuv5068]

@@TomPauls007 Lol

[@cynthiacarter532]

I first flew on a plane from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 1956 with my grandmother. I was 5 years old , all dressed up in a little coat and hat and had my nose glued to the window almost the entire 2 plus hour flight. I loved flying for years after that.

[@asifansari3430]

Yes we were all dressed up

[@peternathan4214]

When I was at school in the late 50s, they showed us this film several times. I loved it. It was my favourite. Great to see it again.

[@ngalahansel6066]

Greetings from Cameroon, West Africa. Just wondering Peter, how old are you now?

[@richardmorris7063]

It feels familiar, it would have been the sixties for me but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't shown to our class.

[@glennabate1708]

Did they show it in color

[@FleetingExpletive]

Didn't expect to love this-- let alone find myself weeping. A lovely respite in a world of cynicism and strife, this one is actually worth a half hour of your life-- particularly if you have a periodic hankering for the elegance and sense of wonder commercial air travel once entailed. Recommended.

[@derrickwillie4449]

Why were you weeping? Is it because everyone in the film except for the baby at 23:12 is probably unalive?

[@CJLinOHIO]

Forget this comment before mine I was weeping also. I found this a fascinating piece of footage and just the fact of Air flight alone to be nothing less than a miracle. Man's achievements are miraculous.

[@derrickwillie4449]

@@CJLinOHIO forget that comment before mine. Why were you weeping? Was it because airline service today isn’t what it used to be?

[@RobertSmith-jl4yw]

@@derrickwillie4449 Weeping for a lost world and a lost way of life, even if idealised in a film, which if you're old enough, one might mourn. Doesn't mean some things (air travel-wise) haven't improved. Fewer accidents for one, and two-days away has become one-day away. I have to fly quite a lot, and still mostly enjoy it. My son (21) watched this with me and said he felt a strange pang of nostalgia even though he was born long after this film was made. The future for ordinary folk looks a ton less optimistic than the future from 1956 expressed in this film. You're evidently un-sentimental, although "weeping" is probably hyperbolic.

[@derrickwillie4449]

@@RobertSmith-jl4yw hindsight is 20/20

[@shanebruce3997]

The diversity depicted here is very different from the myths we are told about the 1950s. What a wonderful piece of history! Thank you !

[@Sashazur]

It was a British movie. They have always been a bit more tolerant of diversity compared to America. Also this is a corporate promotional film not a documentary.

[@shanebruce3997]

Good points@@Sashazur

[@reddwarfer999]

It was about air travel across the world. So of course there is 'diversity'.

[@chrisp3913]

Don’t fall. For liberal propaganda

[@eamador83]

It’s just baffling how different commercial aviation was back then. I remember being able to accompany your family member to the gate before boarding their flight. After 9/11 nothing was the same.

[@Jack_Russell_Brown]

Oh yes, the crowd of people that accompanied me to the gate for my first flight in 1977. Departed San Diego California to Dhahran Saudi Arabia for work. Got used to air travel and even went on a 45 day PanAm trip from Dhahran to Mumbai (then called Bombay), Bangkok, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Vancouver BC, San Diego California, NYC and back to Dhahran.

[@samgunn12]

This is a remarkable window into the state of worldwide aviation 70 years ago. It is comprehensive in its scope and detailed in its examination of the level of technology available at the time. Almost everything shown is obsolete, one might say archaic. In one scene, a navigator uses a mounted sextant! I love it.

[@bernardlouis4629]

The inclusivity and international outlook of this film is amazing for this era. Kudos to the producers of this film.

[@togowack]

Why, how many lies do we have to put up with, airplanes are derived from the undercarriage of dirigibles, and weren't invented by the Wright Brothers. 20th century brainwashing and a huge step backwards into monopoly control for our humanity.

[@franksanz1044]

No trans or non binary - they didn’t exist back then

[@HeyItsPM]

honestly yeah, what happened? why did we need to make the effort to bring back and promote diversity when it seemed effortless and second nature back then?

[@Jake-tt2iv]

This was standard and normal. They didn’t do anything to appease anyone.

[@Jake-tt2iv]

@@HeyItsPMJews and women.

[@ragnu3479]

5:31 and “no smoking till we’re airborne”😂 what a paradise

[@tomstarzeck7137]

I remember ashtrays and lighters built into the armrests of DC 9s and 727s .. usually the last 9 rows or so. Flying on standby in the 70s and 80s ..I remember well folks lighting up lol

[@reddwarfer999]

Not for the non-smokers it wasn't!

[@Heyu7her3]

Less oxygen for everyone

[@sheaoakley7126]

I once had this on VHS as a teenager back in the 1980's. I do not have it anymore and have looked for this film during the last 10 years or so (I thought it was an IATA or ICAO production). A friend of mine just sent me this link. It has been about 35 years since I last watched it and this is a far better quality release. Thank you, Shell!

[@derrickwillie4449]

How did you get the film in the 1980’s?

[@sheaoakley7126]

Someone must have released it on VHS back then. I believe I got it at an airline collectibles show.

[@sarahfulvio]

So nostalgic how people were so polite , respectful and dressed up! Such class! What happened to some of the old times??!!

[@texaswunderkind]

They were so respectful. Unless a black man wanted to eat at a lunch counter. Then...not so much.

[@ranjittyagi9354]

We devolved to become savage heathens. That's all that happened. It's not easy to live these days. And, I am only 47, not a grumpy 90 year old.

[@derrickwillie4449]

A bunch of layoffs, broken families, revolving criminal justic system, and 10 million illegal immigrants happened. Basically no middle class, family unit or law/order.

[@BigChillingGoingDown]

​@@texaswunderkind maybe that was part of the deal.

[@Rotund_Panda_Pants]

@@texaswunderkind Were you around in the mid 1950’s or are you another subject of the modern brainwashing apparatus aimed to cause white people to hate themselves?

[@curlew-3592]

Just look at that aeroplane food!😁 I remember the days when children especially were invited into the cockpit to see the Captain and the flight deck. When I was a child I remember my parents taking our car on the plane (I have a photo👍) from the UK to France for a trip around Europe. It was probably around 1960.🇬🇧

[@upresins]

@Curlew-3592 I once asked the Air hostess whether I could see the cockpit. The air hostess came back smiling and told me that the Captain would be very happy to receive me and then took me to the cockpit. I was immensely excited. After explaining all the myriad dials, switches and flights, and seeing the co-pilot speaking on the radio, the Captain told me to sit on the foldable chair behind the pilot, and I stayed there right until landing. What an experience for a kid!

[@jimlubinski4731]

Both of my parents worked for airlines, my father for Eastern in the '50's and my mother for Allegheny and US Air in the '70's. I eventually worked for Eastern, too. I got to witness much of this firsthand from my early childhood through adulthood. It was wonderful to relive those times and to learn things I had not known.

[@derrickwillie4449]

What did you learn?

[@jimlubinski4731]

@@derrickwillie4449 So much of it was international. Seeing how things were in Europe, Asia and Africa was very interesting.

[@derrickwillie4449]

@@jimlubinski4731 did you have to get shots before going to Africa?

[@jimlubinski4731]

.@@derrickwillie4449 I did not go to Africa. I was only commenting on what I learned from this video, which was how other countries handled air travel in the last century.

[@derrickwillie4449]

@@jimlubinski4731 what you said led me to believe you had traveled to those continents

[@gspkmr]

I wish the babies and kids featured in this video are alive and see this beautiful documentary! That Indian baby sleeping in the cradle is 67-69 years old now!

[@SiddM]

True, are you Indian 🤔

[@HeyItsPM]

​@@SiddM???

[@asifansari3430]

Yes I remember I was 5 years so all dressed up like my parents and Siblings travelling by PIA...

[@davidh9844]

Just wonderful. I'm not a youngster any longer. I grew up on Long Island, 20 minutes upwind from then Idlewild Airport, later JFK. One of the first scenes in the film shows a pretty ancient airport, suddenly I recognized the 3 quonset hut hangers. That's JFK!, Wait, no, that's Idlewild! No, that's Idlewild BEFORE the rebuild to become the Idlewild I remember. Then I DID remember the original! And the tower, and the audio box on the observation deck, along with the telescope I couldn't reach. Oddly, I have no recollection of the old Boeing Stratocruisers - the civilian rebuilt of the B-29s. DC 6s and 7s, yes, Constellations all the time, even the military versions with the radar towers that flew in and out of Mitchell Field (which later became Hofstra University). We flew for the first time in 1961, out west on a 5 stop Northwest flight. I wanted to fly on the new jets, Dad said we couldn't afford them. A lifetime later for a young kid, 1969, my first intercontinental flight, and on my own. Boeing 707, a life's dream. Now, I still love flying (I truly hate what JFK has mutated into, a 3rd world airport to be avoided at any cost), domestically to visit family in California several times a year, or to just hang out in Europe once or twice a year. Amazing film, with wonderful memories.

[@lioii]

Nice memories. By the way, the Boeing Stratocruiser wasn't a rebuilt B-29 but a totally different design. The US military flew it as the C-97.

[@davidh9844]

I'm sure you're right, but if it was a rebuilt, there is no question that the B-29 was it's father. Same with the B-52 unquestionably the B-707's parent design.@@lioii

[@lioii]

Wrong. The Boeing 367-80 from which the Boeing 707 and military derivatives came from was inspired by the the Boeing B-47. @@davidh9844

[@siddrajput1029]

Airports in other countries are world class, not 3rd world. JFK may have become what those airports used to be decades ago.

[@falixxxxx]

Well y'all didn't do anything about the third world immigration to the USA so you sleep on the bed you sowed, sucks for your kids

[@witoldmerkis4101]

My first flight was on a Constellation in June 1957 from Dublin to Montreal via Idlewild (Now Kennedy) in NY. I was 5 years old and we were emigrating to Canada. I actually remember the flight, or at least bits of it. What a memory.

[@mrsoikawa]

I can only imagine what a memory it must be to possess. I hope the immigration worked out well.

[@witoldmerkis4101]

Yes it did, thank you. I have been a proud Canadian ever since. 🎉

[@mrsoikawa]

Glad to hear. My aunt and uncle emigrated to Nova Scotia and it's a beautiful country.@@witoldmerkis4101

[@dc10fomin65]

My first flight was on a VARIG Constellation from Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 18, 1961, I and my family were immigrating to the USA. We landed at Idlewild and promptly transferred to La Guardia for our final destination, Chicago. That flight was also on a Constellation, TWA. I was 12 then, am now 75 and still remember that journey like it was yesterday, best regards to you and happy flying!

[@dc10fomin65]

My first flight was on a VARIG Constellation from Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 18, 1961, I and my family were immigrating to the USA. We landed at Idlewild and promptly transferred to La Guardia for our final destination, Chicago. That flight was also on a Constellation, TWA. I was 12 then, am now 75 and still remember that journey like it was yesterday, best regards to you and happy flying!

[@user-ks1pd2ed3f]

Love how the cinematographer did this movie. Incredibly beautiful to watch.. Thank you Shell for sharing these old films. They are fantastic !!.

[@allancerf9038]

Agree. Incredibly high production values.

[@henrynnajiuba9591]

What a great short film. Fascinating to see how international safety standards have been embedded in aviation for so long. Except the announcement about "No smoking until we're at cruise altitude " which was hilarious 😂. Also that quality of food you'll struggle to find in many 'First Class' cabins nowadays

[@user-dh9ie7qq2y]

What a romantic day of travel, wish we all could go back to that day.

[@MickeyMishra]

Looking back at my own 44 years, I really envy these people in the past. EVERYTHING was new every single day. Sure they had their challenges. But whoa.. WHAT a Time to be alive!

[@fredvh2157]

You say that in the era of internet, drones, antibiotics, anti cancer meds and more? I’m thrilled to be where I am in time 😅

[@sleepmnan22sleepman50]

@@fredvh2157 And they also had a really good education, and they read books and didn’t force Ai to do everything for themselves! Boy, they already had antibiotics back then. This is about education. And also about understanding the word load in the text and extracting meaning. He wrote that back then there were new inventions almost every year! And now we have been marking time for 10 years. And there is no need to list new phone models.

[@timngim583]

Ok Boomer

[@timngim583]

He's a typical Boomer@@fredvh2157

[@unnainconnu9098]

@@fredvh2157 The effectiveness of antibiotics and anti cancer meds has not evolved much for many many years (except hormonal therapy). But Internet surely is a game changer.

[@somutfaydalarpesinde3289]

15:45 for me this is the most interesting part of the documentary ; without computers I cannot imagine how complex it must have been to manage bookings and schedules

[@alexandergleason8237]

Delighted to see these films at last - good quality prints too - please keep them coming

[@ReelTales]

You guys should make a short film on the history of the Shell film unit. Some pretty cool stuff you guys are bringing back alive!

[@m.b.calderhead268]

Absolutely. This film has an anthropological value also. Can we see more?

[@prajullas]

As a kid I used to fly in the 70's and 80's : The golden age of flying. Now it's a nightmare.

[@ce152capt100]

But much, much cheaper. Now, college students can fly home for Thanksgiving.

[@dexadrinepancake]

Did you know how much your parents paid? I you revalued it to today's prices you would see you could fly business class and that is usually very enjoyable.

[@Sashazur]

It’s also much much safer. But I really miss how much easier it was decades ago when there wasn’t all the crazy security and when you didn’t need to go first class to get decent legroom and food.

[@MsJamiewoods]

@@ce152capt100 Because the price of air fares has come down so much, the airlines have to cram as many passengers as they can into coach. Airlines also have to charge all those fees as a result of the lower fares of today. It costs a lot of money to keep a commercial airliner in the air -- labor, fuel, ground support, maintenance and more. Fortunately, air travel has become very safe. I'm a passenger rail buff and I wish Amtrak could bring its safety record to match that of the major domestic commercial airlines.

[@ivanrodriguez268]

it's also very turbulent now from start to finish

[@TrollMeister_]

To a lot of people watching this film - don’t confuse nostalgia with a genuine desire to go back to that era. Feeling nostalgic is normal but you do NOT want to go back to that age. Imagine the people of that era being shown a film on how flying would be like in the 2020s including all the amenities provided by modern technology (eg booking your flight on a little device you carry in your back pocket..etc) Not one of them would elect to fly like they did in their day. Appreciate what we have today !

[@potatopuddin2720]

I'm Lebanese and was shocked to see my country and our national carrier featured in this! In the skyline of Beirut at 9:24, I was able to see the engineering building of my Alma Mater, the American University of Beirut. How cool!

[@HeyItsPM]

❤🇱🇧 they called it the jewel of the Middle East for a reason!

[@potatopuddin2720]

@@HeyItsPM was beautiful then, is beautiful now🇱🇧❤

[@joyamador5992]

Thanks for sharing. I'm an old school Pilot. I love History.

[@phoneticau]

Shell Film unit did so much great films back in the day recalled as a kid watching in primary school

[@Adair9800]

Even the soundtrack is impressive.

[@KandeShack]

I remember when flying was something you got dressed up for. Now it’s like a Greyhound in the sky. My Son is a Pilot for Delta flying internationally. I thank all the Pilots who have gone before him! Whenever I see him in his uniform and cap I am so proud of this 34 year old!✈️👨‍✈️✈️

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Wow! All the airlines that flew the graceful looking, tripled-tailed "Connie" (Lockheed Constellation) as seen here which include QANTAS, Air Ceylon, KLM, Air India, Varig, Air France, Pan American, South African Airways, Easten Airlines, and of course TWA (which had the largest civil Constellation fleet). Love that above-from-behind shot at 25:54 of the Eastern "Connie" coming in to land apparently under instrument conditions. That had to be a difficult shot to make. Thanks for sharing!

[@stephenholland5930]

Yes, a fantastic shot from behind the Connie.

[@psrfpsrf]

I was born in the early 50ties and I am German grew up in Cologne and our house was in the landing zone of Cologne Airport. So we could see the planes on days and hear them on nights. A dream to be in such a plane. But for most of us here in Germany in the after war years flying to somewhere was not possible by private economy. My first enter of a plane was in 1977 with the age of 25. A flight to Canada by an invitation of an uncle of my wife for a marriage of her daughter. The flight to Thunder Bay from Cologne via Frankfurt and Toronto cost at that time the value of about 2,5 month net income of a craftsman salary. I was nearly flashed with the first start in a 737 for the short step to F, when the plane pierced the clouds and I saw the sky in color never seen before. From F to Toronto it was a 707. By random, the flight back was in addition the first experience and adventure when someting is going wrong. The air traffic control in Canada went on strike. So we get from Thunder Bay by phone in contact with Lufthansa and got new tickets with following connections. From Duluth USA close to Thunderbay, means a 4 h trip by car via Green Bay to Chicago. From Chicago the plane, a 747 take a course to the south passing New York air control and then over the ocean to Rome, the Italian air control, for bypassing the Canadion northern air control on strike to Frankfurt and from there to Cologne. In Chicago we had a 9 hour delay for the start. Overall it was nearly a nightmare. Leaving Thunderbay at 5 in the morning and reaching Cologne at 6 on the next days afternoon local time. But overall my first impression and a wish for my life was flying as often I could. And luckily in the last 10 years of my worklife a got a job for supplier service of my company with suppliers all over Europe end nearly every second week I was on a business trip by plane. At the end the privat commercial situation and the drop of costs for flying the last decades dramatically allows me to fly also for vacation and my wife and me where meanwhile at nearly every continent of the world. Thinking back to the childhood days, I had never expected such an development. On my business trips a was at Stansted Airport in the mid 90ties e few times, a small more stand by airport in the east of London for Military and company flights. In 2015 I was there in the new airport at summer holiday season. I made an overhead picture of the central waiting hall. Rearly shocked so full of poeple at every age, from the baby in his carrier to elder ones, nearly like on a pop concert. Times are changed.

[@psrfpsrf]

A bonmot about the cony I red was the notice by the pilots. The Conny is the best 3 engine plane of the world, because one of the four failed of on each flight.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@psrfpsrf Indeed times have changed for the better in terms of affordability for most people wishing to fly both domestically and internationally than when this film was made apparently in the mid 1950s. The tradeoff for these lower airfares is the loss of meal service for most coach domestic flights in the U.S. and the cramped seating on even international flights leading many to comment on "being treated like cattle." We should be thankful that jetliners are twice as fast as the propliners of the past lessoning our time in these cramped cabins unless you can afford 1st class seating.

[@erichanson3961]

The Super Connie was like that, as was the DC-7, and the B-36 bomber too.

[@sparkyobrian6417]

back when people behaved politely to each other

[@reddwarfer999]

Wasn't it great? Back in the 50s everybody was nice to one another and there were no wars or anything. Fantastic!

[@johncoptu5829]

People are still nice to each other. I hate how everyone is saying the good old days were the best. Go to your local grocery store and you'll find lots of polite people. I'm tired of these old school ideology comments. 😅😅😅

[@SCIFIguy64]

@@johncoptu5829 This. Society has gotten better honestly, these folks are just doom scrolling facebook seeing crazy ladies yell at lizard people and are so isolated they believe it to be a common occurrence. Hundreds of thousands of flights happen daily, and once a week may there be anything worth writing down, let alone a news story.

[@kara4941]

@@reddwarfer999 Few years before a 2 Japanese cities were wiped including everyone in them...

[@saivenkatesh7928]

My uncle used to fly a lot in the 1970s and 80s even before the Airbus planes were introduced. he used to come to our house and tell stories of how the plane was inside a Boeing 707. So many times we used to go to the airport to see him off and they go to the gallery area to watch the planes take off. We used to purchase a ticket too for viewing. People on the ground used to wave to the spectators too before taking off and we used to wave from the gallery. Nice memories. I took my first flight at the age of 36 only.

[@gcanyon3114]

Things to consider: 1) air travel was less safe back then, 2) smoking was allowed on planes (gross), and 3) ticket prices were much higher, adjusted for inflation.

[@billpugh58]

Yep, in Europe flying was only for the wealthy and was pretty dangerous.

[@pacz8114]

...and your point is _____?

[@storiestellr]

if you show this to a Spirit Airlines customer today, they’re not going to believe you

[@sheilasembly-crum8447]

You got that right. They will go into shock!

[@Sashazur]

But adjusted for inflation, a ticket on Spirit is probably 90% cheaper

[@waynehentley4332]

Why not?

[@reeniecavallaro330]

I was 5 and my sister was 3 yrs old when we went to California with my mother to visit grandma and grandpa and 2 aunts and uncles in 1955. The American airlines prop flight from NY to lax was 8 hours!!! Luckily , the stewardess that helped us was also an lpn. There was a snack bar and lots of nice people but there was a few times we got a little woozy!!! Since it was the start of the jet age, my father did save on the cost of this trip. Two months later we took American home and the stewardess recognized us!!!

[@livannal.t.9068]

awesome story!!! sounds truly a dreamy time.

[@_helmi]

I love how everyone is dressed up in the very best outfit of their cultures as if they are the ambassadors walking through the airport in style.

[@TRZ99]

​@@danstauffer7572I don't blame them, I wouldn't want to be stuck in cramped economy class accommodations while wearing a suit and tie.

[@UrbanMonkTV]

My father used to be one of those guys putting up weather balloons in order to gather weather information for transatlantic flight. He was stationed as a young navy man in the mid 50s at the base near St. Johns in Newfoundland. I have old 8mm film of him letting the balloons loose. He is now 90 yrs old and living in a veteran's home in North Dakota. He once applied for a job at the US Naval Research Lab to work in meteorology. Somewhere we have Western Union Telegraph note offering him the job signed by Robert Goddard. He didn't take the job, went to the U of Minnesota on the GI Bill and worked in Fargo for IDS selling mutual funds while also serving 34 years in the ND Air National Guard - The Happy Hooligans!

[@adrianburn7178]

A fascinating piece of history. I flew in a BOAC Bristol Britannia from Melbourne to London in 1959 as a child with my family. The journey took over 40 hours with multiple stops for refuelling. How times have changed.

[@Aprilsraven629]

Absolutely brilliant film, amazed at how many people it took for a single passenger to fly...if there ever was a way to go back in time, Id love to fly on every plane to 4 corners of the globe

[@cristaclaire]

Flat-Earther? 😅

[@derrickwillie4449]

What if I told you there was a way?

[@cristaclaire]

@@derrickwillie4449 now that’s intriguing. Go on and tell us

[@tfmg8223]

Now i see why people back in the day were so happy! Everything was evolving with aerospace transportation film work and technology in general everyone had the future to look forward to! I love this film and i just got out of high school! I wish we could have another exiting period of tech again. Thank you for sharing this Shell.

[@tfmg8223]

@@kirang33 I agree it feels like that excitement from back then about these new technologies just doesn’t exist anymore. But I don’t think we reached a dead end, I think we can come up with another tech boom in these coming years that is gonna be really fun again!

[@Bubble-Mix-96]

its more so that family unit was left intact and not so many people were personality disordered because of it.

[@ashishsharma4853]

Food was much much better than today's

[@komrad40]

Nostalgic. Glad that they Included India in the video.

[@user-ft2ym1gh6k]

Why?

[@osulxa]

Man, the 1950s. Air travel was luxurious, everyone dressed well, everyone worked hard, everyone smoked everywhere, everyone drank everywhere. What a time to be alive.

[@maxflight777]

Smoke ? ..Vile

[@raylemus72]

How things have changed. Loved it. Thank you for posting.

[@philiprobins5488]

As a former Naval Aviator I am always drawn to the magic of the airfoil. My fascination with transport airliners began at Wiley Post Airfield Oklahoma City, back in the late 1950s when my cousin from Tulsa flew to visit us on a TWA four-engine prop airliner, as depicted in this video. It seemed so big to a youngster, wide-eyed and amazed. The dress and compartment of air travelers back then is in such contrast to the chaos and rouge behavior we see today in air travel.

[@ednammansfield8553]

Another amazing film from Shell which I have enjoyed watching. I first flew in a Dacota DC3 back in 1959/1960 from Blackpool Airport in the UK to Dublin in Ireland with Silver City Airways. Since that time I joined the RAF and flew in quite a few aircraft overseas on aircraft of the RAF Support Command which included the Bristol Brittania, De Havilland Comet and the Vickers VC10 between RAF Brize Norton and RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus in the early 1970's as well as transport aircraft like the Belfast and Argosy. Happy times.

[@khecke]

I remember flying with a DC6 or DC7 across the Atlantic in the 50s. You were treated like a king.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

And you generally paid "royally" for your airline ticket back then.

[@stephenholland5930]

Today you're treated like cattle.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@stephenholland5930 Well cattle don't get a complimentary small bottle of wine as is often the case with meal service on international flights.

[@Makbaj]

Thanks for posting this now. It's so beautiful to watch an evolution of flight.

[@philipbechtel7651]

I was only 2 years old in 1956. I got a ride on a Piper-Cub when 12 years old, bc I hand-cranked gas to fill the plane. Pilot waited for me to get permission to fly and then took me out over Lake Ontario near Wilson New York and back to the grass airstrip. I gripped the airframe tightly. It was a blast!

[@Tuberuser187]

Just over 10 years before the sound of some of those very engines in flight over your country meant something very different, yet here united for peaceful purposes.

[@marcbeebee6969]

Amen brother. May we stay at peace. Love from Germany

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Could not have had one without the other. Sound and noise and dirt and oil to stave off hunger and misery C54 Berlin Airlift. Thanks.

[@ChatGPT1111]

The British Comet Jet Passenger Plane first flew in 1952, 4 years before this film.

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

@@ChatGPT1111 OK had some teething issues. And

[@ChatGPT1111]

@@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe ...yer a dope 🤣😂🤣

[@stevenamster6686]

I use Aeroshell Ultra Diesel in my Diamond DA40NG. Pilots flying those DC-3s, Boeing 377s, 707s, and other planes in the late 1950s would be astonished of the tech in a modern, small plane. Also, I'm old enough to remember sauntering up to the viewing balcony at KEWR without any security checks and my first commercial flight in a prop plane in 1953.

[@simongray8019]

A superb historical film on the evolution of commercial aviation. So glad Shell made and have preserved this fantastic footage

[@dailyDelhiite]

Without any doubts, these kinds of wonderful documentaries give us a peek into a nostalgic era when many were not yet born and wondering what the world looked like in those golden eras. I love these documentaries. Thanks for uploading them from India.

[@davidcronan4072]

When the first BBC colour transmissions started in the late 60's/early 70's they used to show these Shell colour films in the daytime to demonstrate the service to retailers and potential customers.

[@josephnazarian2144]

Beautiful vintage airplanes, wow.

[@rgarlinyc]

Charming, romantic look at flying mid last century - made my Father smile in fond remembrance.

[@hlr3932]

this is marvelous Shell. Thanks!

[@Sashazur]

What a charming and nostalgic film!

[@mcvidzone5670]

Ahhhh...the good ole days. When people didn't act stupid, cause disruptions or fights, and dressed appropriately while taking a flight to some destination. Great film. Very enjoyable!

[@itsskip]

This is awesome! I found my documentary binging for the beginning of this year!

[@mike.47]

My first ever flight was in 1958 (I was 6 years old) from the U.K. to Aden. My father was posted there for 2 years so all the family went out. I remember landing somewhere in North Africa for refuelling.

[@russwayne2132]

Fantastic! Superior production quality, good camerawork and top-notch editing. It's all in this film by Shell Oil Company, fantastic.

[@johnmagill7714]

Air Travel used to be fun and enjoyable. The seats were roomy. At least more so than today. The flight attendants / stewardess were mostly friendly and very professional. Decent food and drinks. As far as I know the seats weren't over sold. Was a much better experience than today.

[@wolvie041007]

i was born in the 80s but i felt nostalgic watching this film.

[@AFAskygoddess]

I took my first flight in 1960. In 1985, I became a flight attendant, traveling the world for over 35 years. My, how times have changed. Sometimes, I do miss my job. Then I search KZbin for videos of drunken and loco passengers being dragged off planes, and I appreciate my retirement just a little more.

[@derrickwillie4449]

Just be happy you never worked for spirit airlines 🥴

[@anthonyrobinson6590]

Did you notice smoother, less bumpy flights as planes improved over the years?

[@fistsofsteel5]

😅

[@sharad7340]

​@@anthonyrobinson6590how less bumpy?

[@waynehentley4332]

​​@@derrickwillie4449Do you?

[@asdf9890]

What a great film of pre jet engine civilian air travel. Seems it was a pretty luxurious experience for anyone back then.

[@cliffwheeler7357]

Ah! The days when flying was an enjoyable, special experience. When people took pride in their appearance, and passengers didn't want to pick a fight with the flight attendants or another passenger. All seems a long time ago.

[@budhikarya7221]

Thanks for posting this video. Feels like go back in time.

[@yegfreethinker]

Really cool old films. Shell thanks for sharing them

[@maplemanz]

Back then people had good manners.

[@MalcolmRuthven]

My first airline flight was on a Connie (Lockheed Constellation) in 1959, from the St. Louis airport to somewhere in Kentucky. Of course soon after that, the jet airliners (Boeing 707) started flying.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

The only city in Kentucky that TWA flew to in 1959 was Louisville.

[@ChatGPT1111]

The British Comet jet flew years before the 707

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@ChatGPT1111 First flight was in 1949 for the Comet and 1954 for the 707.

[@dc10fomin65]

Yes, unfortunately it had numerous technical problems that made it very un-reliable and early demise. The first " reasonably OK pure jets" were the 707, DC-8 and the Convair 880, after these 3, numerous other types followed!@@ChatGPT1111

[@johndavenport5754]

I have always thought the Constellation was the most beautiful, graceful airliner!

[@bossdeman]

What a precious beautiful film. The nostalgia .....

[@marlenejoy6938]

Watching. Thank you for this.

[@bryansmith2649]

I am told that everyone wore their best clothes when flying back then because it was such a big deal. My grandmother used to bring me her wing pins when she would visit by air.

[@cliffwheeler7357]

Now you have men wearing a singlet without a shirt, girls in ripped jeans, what ever happened to standards?

[@lisaschuster686]

“It could be anywhere, but it’s miles from anywhere.” :-) I wouldn’t look for such an integrated film from the U.S. back then!

[@anupreetborkar9174]

Beautiful documentary. Brought back lovely memories. Graceful script. 🙂👍👏👏👌

[@craigcanoe3]

I took my first airplane ride in 1954 or 1955 from Los Angeles to Chicago with my sister. I was four and she was seven and we travled alone. We were on our way to see our mother who lived in Indinapolis. At the time Indianpolis had no airport big enough for a DC-6, so an aunt and uncle meet us and drove us the rest of the way. In those days people dressed in there best Sunday clothes to travel.

[@iant9461]

Proper times. ❤

[@ericwhitehead6451]

Love seeing those airplanes. The sad reality is, air travel was not as safe as it is today.

[@amazer747]

So interesting for the aviation enthusiast. The quality of digital enhancement of a very old film was exceptionally good. I identify with the Japanese student my first commmercial flight, in a newly purchased suit, was from Australia to London on a South African Airways 707 and that flight had me hooked on aviation.

[@bunny1271]

Indeed a gift for those fond of knowing about aviation, full of emotions