C-97 Landing and Taxi at Hagerstown Regional Airport
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- čas přidán 20. 11. 2018
- November 20, 2018 The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation's Boeing C-97 flew from Reading, PA to Hagerstown, MD where it will spend the winter parked next to the Hagerstown Aviation Museum's Fairchild C-82 and C-119 Flying Boxcars.
These used to fly right over my house when the Arizona air guard had them. They still flew them until 1977. It was beautiful music hearing those every day.
I was an engine mech when I was in the Air Force back in '62 to '66.
Worked on HC-54's(R-2000), HC-97's(R4360) and HH-19 choppers(R-1300)
Those 4360's where a bear to work on but they were pretty damn good engine.
it looks like the number 3 engine was making metal
@@Ford_Raptor_R_720hp_V8 Yeah really smoking. He feathered it so he must have noticed something on the gauges. On the takeoff video he started it first and it still really smoked but must have been acceptable...
Yeah, and maybe 56 spark plugs to replace if they oiled up - radial's curse!
I remember as a kid listening to the big Globemaster IIs taking off from Christchurch Airport (New Zealand) in the late 1950s. They were part of the US Airforce's Operation Deep Freeze. They had the same 28 cylinder behemoths and produced the same awesome sound, heard from halfway across Christchurch City when it was blowing NW.
Looks like number three has a blown ring somewhere. Smoking pretty heavy...
This beautifully restored C-97 is absolutely beautiful.
Wow that was awesome to hear and see, a big thanks to all involved in the restoration of this plane. I saw one in the Pima Air Museum in Tuscon a decade ago and was so impressed with the size and look of it.
My father and I got to fly a KC-97 from McGhee Tyson AB to Anchorage, Alaska, when we were both in the Air Force. He was a WO-04 and I was a two stripper. It was fun but it was loud and slow. My son is a boom operator at the same base on KC-135's.
Terrific video of the flyby, landing, taxi and shutdown of this C-97. Nice that you included a bit of the cockpit and cabin. Too bad she can't be stored indoors for the winter. Thanks for sharing!
That C-97 must be restored and kept in flight worthy condition.
its the only left of its type that is flight ready...… it needs to remain flying so at least there is one example. its a treasure
Lindsey Allison Westhaven you have amazing eyes.
Quite so ! I could smell the avgas !!
Yeah like me, born the same year...
Looks like a fat b29
Absolutely stunning and so great to see (and hear!) a legend like this taking to the air again! I'm not too much into the C-97 variant but rather a 377 Stratocruiser buff - but then again it's pretty much the same thing... So when watching these videos I just imagine it to be a Northwest Stratocruiser and then I'm happy for having the opportunity to watch this brute drone into the sky! Amazing stuff and great work all of you guys at BAHV! Thanks for sharing this video! Like having a time machine... :-)
My dad flew them for NWA. A year after he flew the last one (#706) to its retirement in LAX, he was killed in the crash of Flight 706 (Electra) at O'Hare. Odd coincidence. Search N137US.
Fantastic video John! Thanks for sharing!
I didn’t think there would be any C-97s still flying today. But this one looks like it rolled off the assembly line in 1950, it’s so new. Fantastic!
Most Vietnam soldiers never new that Air National Guard C97g aircraft flew many cargo missions to Vietnam . 100 hundred hour trip from my home state in Delaware. Usually a 10 day trip unless you had maintenance problems. Old 97 engineer, it was a great A/C
Yeah, it could fly!
She's a beauty! Great video!
Now that is a rare sight to see. Thanks for catching this, great footage
and subscribed
Excellent video thanks for sharing great to see these old birds flying👍
Awesome piece of history! What a great aircraft.
This reminded me that we don't hear large piston engines anymore - God I miss the sound of runaway turbo compounds in the morning!
All we have to do is close our eyes . . . and remember
@@leebaker2588 true, but my snorring won't shake the house like a runaway engine on a 7C!!
I used to live under the lane out from Copenhagen Airport. (Named Kastrup).
@@leifvejby8023 well said!
You'll just have to get by with your wife telling you to take out the trash, her bark should be close to anything Pratt or Allison put out there.
The C-97 used R-4360 Wasp Majors, which were not Turbo Compound motors. You may be thinking the Wright R3350 on the B-29, which were indeed, Turbo Compounds and was the inspiration for the C-97. Pratt experimented with TC Recovery but Jets Ruled at that point. On another note, not sure why they were so smoky on startup and thrust reverse unless they have greater than 'normal' oil consumption. The wasp majors were notorious for oil consumption. IIRC the B-36 installations had something like a 100 gallon oil tank to get through an all day flight and IT was fillable in-flight. :-)
In the early eighties I was stationed at Fort Wainwright and they had c97 use there by the Bureau of Land Management got to fly in one of them wants it was a real treat from the UH-1's I used to fly around in.
Hell of a job Tim ! 👌👍
This is awesome. Great upload, better sound! And as fascinated with jet engines as i am; (and they r indeed ) - - I'm still left in "awe" of the propellor in general, its this seemingly simple concept, - highly adaptable with the strength and rigidity towards move high volumes of air,-
And with that, i contend ☝️(imho) , "that the propellor has to be the unsung hero of the mechanical world, - when you really think about the process as a whole - what a propeller does is simply mind-boggling! Anyways thanks again for the upload👊✈✈
To your point about jet engines and this aircraft.
Aug 1965 Converted to KC-97L (Two General Electric J-47 jet engines installed under outboard wings, so the aircraft could refuel the fast jets.)
www.spiritoffreedom.org/c97.html
My brother had some familiarity with the C-97 in the 1950s. Said it was called the "Boeing Tri-Motor" in honor of all of the times it would return with one engine not turning.
I flew once on a Trans Texas Airlines DC-3, got on board, glanced out the window at the wings and said to one of the stewardesses, "When did they last change the oil on the wings?" She gave me a dirty look.
Those recip engines ended up using a lot of oil, both burning and leaking, and left a nasty dark brown stain wherever it hit on the airframe. They did that because the engines safely went a lot of hours between expensive overhauls and oil was cheeeep. They should have had them pretty well all figured out during WWII.
The CHT in #1 and #3 must have been off-scale high...those 4360's did not like hot weather, reverse thrust nor extended ground taxi. Spent 4 wonderful years in the USAF in a refueling wing flying in KC-97's. Good solid aircraft.
I have liked C-97s since I was a kid. The shape of the fuselage always tripped me out because it is such a unique shape.
Hi, nice video, lovely to see this aircraft flying, I remember pan am and boac strats flying into heathrow, from the northen holding pattern which in the fifties was watford or Garston, of course you always had the strat smoke on start and taxi
Made a lot flights on the KC 97 version when I was in Sac from 1959-62 as an assn't crew chief. Loved to run all four engines on ground checks.
My dad was lemay and Butch Griswold's flight engeneer from 49 to61
This was my first aircraft when I joined the USAF in 1970. I flew in the HC-97 (modified for ARRS service) version with the 303rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery squadron at March AFB in Calif. They were a beautiful aircraft to fly in. The pilots called them a "Cadillac airplane".
In the Air Force, this was the late '60's, I was in POL, and when one of these would come in for refueling we took jet fuel out ( some KC-97's had retro-fitted jet engines installed), then we would come back and get the Avgas truck and go out, and then come back in and get the ADI truck and take that out, while we were doing that we had started the oil truck and started warming up the oil so it would flow, especially important in the winter because that oil was thick as sludge, but oftentimes the heater wouldn't work, the oil trucks were Korean war vintage, take the oil truck out, fill each engine and if memory serves there was an aux oil tank inside the fuselage that was filled as well. It wasn't too bad if there were plenty of drivers but if you were short you could end up getting the whole job done by yourself and that took hours.....that oil truck was the worst because you would invariably get covered in that thick oil as it slimed everything, I can't remember but I think it was 50 weight. The C-124's were the same way, minus the jet engines......
March AFB was my dad's last duty station before he retired.
the refueling version KC-97's were stationed at Dow Field, Bangor Maine in the early fifties used to watch them coming and going, one landed short one day and burnt up
Flew in one from Chateauroux AFB, France in 1966 to Lajes AFB, Azores and then after crew rest to McGuire AFB, New Jersey. A long but memorable flight. New Hampshire Air National Guard C-97.
Good to see videos for the airlift crowd!
As a student pilot in the late 70s I use to fly into HGR and get a sandwich and watch the A-10s fly around doing touch-n-goes. And later was at T S Alphins maintenance shop as my grandmother Florence Parlett was having her flight school planes painted there. Big airport with that small airport feel, definitely one of my favorites to fly into.
The A-10's were assembled at the Fairchild plant from parts that were trucked in.
Great old aircraft, good to see one still flying
"Sir, how much oil will you be needing for your aircraft today?"
"Yes."
A little extra on No. 3, please :)
Oh no, these are Diesel engines....
@@mca1960 no they arent
Avgas, 115 octane, P&W 4360 28 cylinder engines, each cylinder has 2 spark plugs.
When you say "I need 5 in No. 3", that's 5 "gallons"....
My respect goes to all those men that flew these sophisticated machines amidst noise.
The C-97G used to fly into Van Nuys Airport during the 1960s. I lived in the flight pattern of the airport at that time when I was a boy. The airplanes landed over our house but when the Santa Ana Winds blew, they would take off over our house. I loved the sound of those Pratt and Whitney twin Wasp radial engines.
Nice restoration job. Looks like there may be some engine work to do over the winter. Too bad she's not inside.
I joined the USAF in 1968 and was POL specialist, refueling C-97's, C-133's, C-119's and many more of these old babies.
I think the airport went IFR after that arrival
There is something magical about the roaring power of four big recip engines in a flyover. Nothing compares to it.
Maybe, but at the local WW-2 weekend , every year a B-29 comes in and gives rides for only $900.00 and flies around a lot. If you stand in the right area, you'll get it right over head a handful of times. That also is pretty awesome .
@@rabinski Another beauty! I had the privilege of being a USAF aircraft mechanic and worked on EC-121D Super Connies at McClellan AFB in California. A plane I actually worked on, tail #555 , or 'Triple Nickel" as we called it currently resides in Dayton OH at the USAF National Museum.
The sound of those 4360's are unique! Heard the sounds of the tanker version of this plane the KC-97 and also the KB-50, the C-124 and the B-36 at S.A.C. bases back in the 50's till late 60's.
My dad was a engeneer for lemay and butch griswold till 61 at sac.
I used to refuel from a KC-97.
This plane started life as a KC in 1952, and delivered to the USAF in 1954.
KC-97G 52-2718, "Angel of Deliverance", currently flown by Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation as YC-97A 45-59595.
The tanks were yanked and she was repainted as a tribute aircraft to the Berlin airlift.
@ Ed Burns thank you for the information. Heard so much about the Berlin Airlift but never studied it. We made amazing airplanes which helped maintain peace, performed rescue missions and flew supplies to disaster areas.
Хорошая старая авиация!Интересный самолёт,большое спасибо за видео!
Я думаю что это так!
There was never any doubt that a 97 was moving on the flight line. Remember that break squeal so well. Worked KC-97 recovery at Mt. Home AFB Idaho back in 64-65. Our shift was 16 hrs. on, 32 hrs. off. Retired AF MSG.
Saw one at Dallas Love field 1954. Couldn’t believe how big it was.
The Tennessee ANG was a KC-97 refueling squadron based out of Memphis Airport. These things would fly right on final approach landing height and my teeth rattled. I thought about wanting to be a USAF pilot when I got through university but after seeing these big pigs, I changed my mind and said I preferred the Navy and becoming a submariner.
Beautiful!
Caught a hop in Anderson AFB's "Yokota Flyer" from Yokota AFB (Japan) to Guam back in the '70's ... nice bird ... smooth ride ...
And to think their sister commercial aeroplane used to fly across the Atlantic on scheduled night services from New York to London via Gander/Prestwick or Shannon with BOAC & Pan Am. Scandinavian (SAS) had them too. Often they'd turn back with an engine conked out.
SAS never used Stratocruiser
The best part of the video was hiding the touch down behind the building. That was a nice touch.
The aircraft blew an engine on arrival at Airshow in Reading PA this past summer. Mr Chope who owns this and a Berlin Airlift C54 is trying to get one (rare these days) flown in....expectation was that it would remain on static display at the warbird museum there until he finds one...
Covington aircraft in Okmugee Oklahoma rebuilds them.
OKMULGEE OKLAHOMA.
I see this plane and think of that Clive Cussler novel "Vixen 03". The first of his novels I ever read.
That's one Impressive Beast that cockpit looks cool
Instead of buying a new/rebuilt engine, would it be cost effective to rebuild the one from the plane? Such a beautiful aircraft belongs in the skies!
I'm a retired Marine Corps maintenance officer and though I was not on the Aviation side, the process is the generally the same; that is, engines have allowed operating hours on them where they're considered less reliable once they hit their rebuild limit. A bit different for the "ground side", there's not a huge downside to a truck engine running roughly or developing a leak. An airplane is a different matter, you would agree.
The owners of this airplane do not have the technical expertise or the facilities or resources to reliably rebuild one of these "compound engines". So they buy "rebuilds" from a company that all they do, is rebuild radial piston engines. The rebuild company's Reliability factor is much, much, much better (higher) than the aircraft owner's mechanics ability to rebuild the engine.
Yea, it all comes down to money and safety and flight certification.
What a beauty.
the sound of those brakes always meant to me the guys are home now
Nice looking aircraft had a lot of uses even passenger
From a historic point. The Air Force operated the C 97 for just one week before it crashed. BERLIN airports could barely handle the C 54.
You say that the AF operated THE C-97 for one week before it crashed. Are you saying they only had one C-97? Then you immediately follow that statement with a statement that Berlin airports could hardly handle the C-54, as if the C-97 had crashed trying to land in Berlin. When I checked a list of all crashes of the C-97, there was no mention of Berlin.....so what exactly were you trying to say?
There was only (1) C-97 that participated in the Berlin Airlift,
(YC-97A 45-59595, the only C-97 to participate in the Berlin Airlift.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_C-97_Stratofreighter
It suffered a landing gear accident at Gatow and by the time it was repaired, the Soviet Blockade was lifted.
It arrived at Rhein-Main, Germany, on May 2nd, 1949, along with one SAC aircrew, seven maintenance personnel, and over ten tons of specialized parts. Later, additional maintenance personnel and enough people to make up three full crews arrived. Service tests of the YC-97A proved somewhat anticlimactic. Initial assessment of the aircraft showed several problems, including the length of the fuselage, which caused both fatigue and confusion for loaders, and the difference in height between trucks and the aircraft’s deck, which necessitated borrowing a conveyor belt from a German company. The Stratofreighter flew twenty three missions, delivering 444.8 tons of cargo to Berlin. It also experienced problems. On May 24, engine problems forced the YC-97A to make an emergency landing in Berlin during which the giant aircraft blew four tires and caused enough damage to close Gatow’s runway for over seven hours. The plane remained at the British base until three new engines arrived on June 17, after which it returned to the United States. The use of both the YC-97A and one C-74 proved the heavy lift concept to the US Air Force, which prompted the development of larger, better heavy lift transports.
www.spiritoffreedom.org/yc97a.html
An awesome video, and yes...can we just imagine the labor costs now a days to maintain these beasts, along with RR steam engines? Thanks.
One Engine is off as of now😢 l love this plane!!❤❤❤
Thank you so much for the 377 video. I flew a KC-97G, tail #52932, 1955-58 and grew to love the bird. It's roomy cockpit, bathroom and pressurization placed it a cut above most military planes of that era, insofar as crew comfort.
Flew in a C-119 back in the 60's and that smoke is the thing I remember most other than taking off with the ramp down, lol maybe that one on the tarmac was the one I flew in.
As I used to call Hagerstown Airport when I would have to start my cross country trips by taking a U.S. Air shuttle to Pittsburgh and catch a bigger plane, I always referred to this airport as Hagerstown International Airport and BarB-Q joint. The only smaller airport I had to go in and out of when I was recruited by another government agency was Clarksburg W.Va. Regional Airport and Car Wash.
Que hermoso aeroplano!
Damn that thing is going through the oil!!! I was worried he'd run out of engines to taxi in!!!! WOW!!!
Quarts per hour, not hours per quart!!
Heard those screeching brakes Rhein Main Germany, March '75... KC-97s.
Beautiful plane
I know I'm late to the party here, but...what was the deal with #3 on the landing rollout? Both #3 and #1 looked like they were either running rich or burning straight oil there for a bit...
In 1975 I saw one land at NAS Dallas Hensley Field with the # 3 engine out and feathered prop. He couldn't quite make it to Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth.
Cuando aterriza parece el perla negra de los aires. Con todo el humo.. Hermoso avión
yikes...did they leave the oil scraper rings out of the 'to do' list at the engine restoration workshop? That was a very smokey engine on touch down.... having said that...the action on that crew hatch...smooth as glass!
Thats Tim Chope in the C97 hat...great guy, he and his family fly two Berlin Airlift era a/c (this C97 was not THE single example the AF flew during the blockade...but restored in the style) Mr C was a friend of my father, who dabbled in old recipes (Connies etc) down in South Florida back in the 70s and 80s
Tim would like to know your father's name. Thanks
steve canyon LOL ...just tell him it was “The Colonel” he’ll get it! And likely make him laugh....He knows my brother David C from the air show circuit...he flies Yankee Lady B17 a bit. He used to watch me as tiny kid crawling around old aircraft (and warehouses) down in MIA. I hope I wasn’t to presumptuous just thought I fill in a blank or two for the readers/posters...I just met up with Dave this past week and he got me up to speed on the C54 damage etc...very sorry to hear...sending good vibes, crossing fingers and such in hopes Mr Chope and family can get a replacement back up and running...horrible as it is it’s interesting to follow the process. Even finding the replacement C97 engine is a wonder to me...anyways cheers, Michael C
@@rickdeckard7549 yep, Tim remembers him and your brother. In fact I met your brother and his wife last year when we flew to Ft. Myers. He says they are good people!!
Love this plain
Espetacular
What it like to fly on this plane??? 😊
I wish I could fly in an old plane like that.
I used to see these fly over the house everyday when they flew for the National Guard out of Van Nuys airport California
Why did 3rd engine stop after landing? Or why did the other 3 keep running? And why were all 3 engines at different rpm?
I bet those guys heaved a sigh of relief when they touched down.
Did it….sure didn't see it. Awful camera placement.
There were two vintage C-19s, flying boxcar , on the tarmac.
one c-119, one c-82
A lot of oil burning after touchdown. Is that normal for these engines?
And could they at least used the original military block font for the markings,instead of Arial?
wow incredible THANKYOU
I've viewed two recent videos of this aircraft and also compared videos of other big radials (CAF B29) and even after reaching operating temperatures, this C97 seems to be consuming oil a bit more than expecting? Hope there isn't a problem.
bfmcarparts Last I was a mechanic in a squadron of C-97s in the early sixties. They guzzled oil and burned 145 octane aviation fuel. Very useful and tough airplane
An operator of radial engined water bombers once said that oil was the cheapest aircraft part you could buy..........
X X that’s terrible. But unfortunately par for the course with this machine. The engines were forever trouble as were the props. I’d contribute to a fund to keep her flying !!
100LL average cost per gallon; somewhere between $4 and $5.50. C-97 can hold several thousand gallons.
100 gal/engine @ cruise...
Great video!
Why was number 3 smoking extra heavy and ultimately turned off soon after they were on the ground?
The engine simply stalled coming out of reverse. Not uncommon. The smoking is also not uncommon.
Probably some unburned av gas built up in the cylinders, what a beautiful old C97. Love these old warhorses.
Radials often stall after reverse thrust on landing, not that unusual, theybshould have fired it back up to allow it to cool down but maybe it wasn't that hot. Those engines also just use oil, planes back then with some hours on the engines often had to make stops on long flights just to fill the oil sumps back up, it's nothing new.
What was all that blackish/blue smoke coming out during/after the landing? Seemed like the propeller reversal was causing problems.
What are the chances that this might make the Air Show circuit? I would love to see up close and in person.
I suspect that it would never go on such an arduous schedule unless its engines were in much better condition that they appeared to be in this video. The owner would most likely need to obtain at least four rebuilt engines, plus a couple of spares, plus support truck(s) and staff to follow it around the country. Seems that for the ferry flight shown ending in this video, the owner has minimal resources and staff, but that is just a guess.
Oil? Standard ramp load after landing was 4,000 gallons of fuel, 400 gallons of oil.
I rode in 1958 a C-119 from our air base near Karamursel, Turkey to Izmir for customs and then to Athens, then was boarded a plane to Evreau in France.
Hi, C-119 also used the same R4360 engines ? I've seen it flying just one time at late '60s over my home town...
Evreux Fauville AB . France . Now C130 Hercules and a few C160 Transall and A330 for our ...président 🖕Macron
wow what a great landing!!! you could see everything !!!
Why was the starboard inside engine shut off after landing? That’s the #3 engine, correct? Was there some issue with it?
Did the #3 fail on the runway, or was it a precautionary shutdown?
Is that thing running on flyspray?
Well.....half of the engines made the entire trip.......hope it will fly again soon.......
What happened to your number 3 engine?
That is quite something❤
Wow! Did that engine seize up? :-O
Why did they shut down #3 so quickly? Low oil pressure warning maybe?
I would love to fly this airplane! Is there an application process? I imagine you basically have to buy your way into the pilot seat along with a bunch of rich doctors and dentists.
unless you have 4,000 hours of mutli-engine radial time and are PIC rated for a 337, not gonna happen. And there are No doctors or dentists on this team! just your everyday guy who is willing to make this a high priority in their life. Everyone is welcome, but you have to earn your keep, not buy it!
@@stevecanyon5022 Hello Steve. I'm very attached to the C-97L/G as well as the KC-97. I'd really love the opportunity to support your mission and seeing the '97 staying alive and well. I probably have something in the area of 6000+/- hours, spending many hours as and Instructor Pilot. I flew the C-97 for 4 years out of Wiesbaden, Germany through the Berlin Corridors and the German ADIZ with the 7405th. After getting off active duty, I secured a spot with the UTAH ANG out of SLC flying the KC model. I do have Commercial rating in the B-377 as well. I went on to fly the water wagon KC-135 while becoming a UAL pilot retiring off of the B747-400. If my experience could ever be of value, please let me know. This is only the 2nd or 3rd time I've ever wrote a comment on-line so I don't know how you can get a hold of me. I guess you can "reply" here and I will watch periodically for your suggested means of contact. Best wishes, JeffL
Looks like it lost more oil than the Exxon Valdez 😳
Number 1 and 3 engines rings or turbo’s
Why did they shut down #3 so early, was it running rough or warm?
Engine issues noted in the #3 and it had to be shut down due to oil issues on it.
Why stop only one inner ??
it dies , as did the left outer later on in the video
is it me or did the #3 die on landing?