Study of old accidents

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Display name:
Dave Taylor
I did not remember hearing about a DC-6 design flaw which allowed overflow fuel to enter the cabin heater.
 
Interesting. I never knew about the design flaw.

I still love how incredible those machines were in their day. Even incredible by today's standards. One day I might be lucky enough to fly my family around behind a couple of round engine like @Fearless Tower. I just need to make my own luck.
 
That was an interesting read. The DC 6 that had the same problem a few weeks later was the first time they put the pieces back together to find the cause
 
I jump seated on a few DC-6s up north. I was really glad the heater was working.
 
GlennAB1 said:
I'll take a Constellation.
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Arthur Godfrey's short film on flying the Constellation is a nice piece of history. He (not coincidentally :D ) happens upon "Capt. Eddie" (Rickenbacker, CEO of Eastern Airlines) while performing the ramp walkaround.

After they reach cruising altitude, Godfrey and a crewman lit up a couple of Chesterfields. This not so subtle advertisement for cigarettes brought back memories of smoking in flight. Back in the 80s I was a smoker, but I always asked for a seat near the front. When the flight attendant announced smoking altitude had been reached, every person from about Row 20 back let 'er rip. Ugh! ;)

The film is almost an hour long.

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In the early sixties, my great grandmother routinely flew TWA Constellations from Las Vegas to Albuquerque to visit my family. A few years after she died, my first cousin had her lifetime diary published. In it she described her trips in the Connie, including the fare cost. It was usually between $27 and $33. When TWA began running 727-100s on the LAS-ABQ run, she described her excitement at flying in a jet. From then on, there was always the simple notation "jet" on her trip entries.

Just some reminiscing, brought on by Glenn's comment about the magnificent L-1049.

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158495288_07f099f48f_o.jpg
 
3393RP said:
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Arthur Godfrey's short film on flying the Constellation is a nice piece of history. He (not coincidentally :D ) happens upon "Capt. Eddie" (Rickenbacker, CEO of Eastern Airlines) while performing the ramp walkaround.

After they reach cruising altitude, Godfrey and a crewman lit up a couple of Chesterfields. This not so subtle advertisement for cigarettes brought back memories of smoking in flight. Back in the 80s I was a smoker, but I always asked for a seat near the front. When the flight attendant announced smoking altitude had been reached, every person from about Row 20 back let 'er rip. Ugh! ;)

The film is almost an hour long.

.


.

In the early sixties, my great grandmother routinely flew TWA Constellations from Las Vegas to Albuquerque to visit my family. A few years after she died, my first cousin had her lifetime diary published. In it she described her trips in the Connie, including the fare cost. It was usually between $27 and $33. When TWA began running 727-100s on the LAS-ABQ run, she described her excitement at flying in a jet. From then on, there was always the simple notation "jet" on her trip entries.

Just some reminiscing, brought on by Glenn's comment about the magnificent L-1049.

.

158495288_07f099f48f_o.jpg
Click to expand...
I've watched that Connie film more than once. I love his personal airplanes - a Navion and a freaking DC-3. lol

Thanks for including the insight on the fare cost. I was always curious.

I've only done a small bit of searching and have come up empty. How well were the pilots compensated when flying the big radials or early jets of the 50's and 60's?
 
I love the old radials. I did get to work on DHC-2 and DHC-3's for a year. Really enjoyed those old float planes..:)
 
Fearless Tower said:
That accident (Bryce Canyon) was actually mentioned by Gann in Fate is the Hunter.
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Just finished the book - again - yesterday. My third or fourth time through. And just watched Island In The Sky again tonight (Gann's screenplay based on the real-life search for his downed comrade, described in Chapters 11 and 12 of Fate Is The Hunter).

While we're on the subject design flaws in old airplanes, read Chapters 17 and 18 in Fate Is The Hunter. The events in Chapter 18 were the inspiration for The High And The Mighty.
 
3393RP said:
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Arthur Godfrey's short film on flying the Constellation is a nice piece of history.
Click to expand...

That was fun. Hadn't seen that one.

The Connie is gorgeous, as always. Seeing the first pilot to fly a commercial Atlantic crossing was also kinda nifty.

I got a kick out of the cameos of the Navion and DC-3 at the Leesburg Cow Pasture... imagine an airline showing any GA stuff today with glowing recognition...

The "fleets of helicopters" to whisk us all to the airport, "baggage and all" after a quick elevator ride, never developed for the masses, though. A shame. :)

Detail wise, I got a chuckle that there was a special box on the nosegear of the Connie to store the ground crew headset, but they didn't have a place to put the ground pins on board. Logistics can be entertaining when you see that stuff in old movies.

The three engines feathered scene was cute, too.

Thanks for sharing the link to that. Fun stuff.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
I've watched that Connie film more than once. I love his personal airplanes - a Navion and a freaking DC-3. lol
Click to expand...

Godfrey also owned and flew a helicopter. I found this out in a strange connection. General Curtis LeMay was friends with Godfrey and had wanted to go on a safari for years. When LeMay was detached from the 21st Air Force after WWII and named commander of US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), he arranged for an extended leave.

LeMay and Godfrey put together a plan to hunt in Africa for a couple of months. Twenty or thirty friends were invited along. They had planned to use Godfrey's DC-3 to cross the Atlantic and when the trip was extended for the months long period, Godfrey had his helicopter shipped across the Atlantic so they could use it for spotting game.

LeMay's autobiography didn't add much detail about the helicopter's use during the safari, but it was interesting reading about the excursion.
 
Yes the Connie had the best looks of the piston airliners(Howard Hughes claimed he help design it) but the DC7 with the same engines(3350's turbo) was faster. Basically just a stretched DC6 with 3350's instead of 2800's. In an every day race between TWA's constellation and AA DC7 from LA to NYC the DC7 always won - at least by 15 minutes I believe.
 
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