BOARDING & DEPLANING AIRLINERS - The Story of Stairs, Jetways, Mobile Lounges, and More!
Vložit
- čas přidán 6. 08. 2023
- How do passengers board airliners today compared to flying in the piston era? A detailed look at ground handling methods, terminal design, and 100 years of progress in commercial aviation.
Want exciting never-before-seen aviation images emailed to you twice a month? Then sign-up for our VIP Newsletter! You'll also be the first to know when new and exclusive paid premium content becomes available: www.celebratingaviation.com/vip
Someday Mike will cover all the different ways people got arrested and kicked off an airliner during the past century.
That history will start with the arrival of the low-fare airlines…
Funny, But ...Oooh so true.
On my last flight to Phoenix, a middle-aged couple were taken off the flight at the last minute - on the jetway itself. TSA agents came and took them away. Ziptied wrists.
I'd love to know what that was all about.
Only if he has amusing stories or changes to paint schemes because of those situations, I’m betting
The livestock photo reminds me of going through Atlanta late one Friday afternoon in the mid-90s. I was in a pack of a few hundred folks jammed around one of the escalators slowly making our way down down to the intra-terminal trains. There wasn’t much talking as everyone shuffled towards the escalator. Suddenly, someone somewhere in the middle started mooing. Next thing I know, other folks started doing the same and everyone started laughing.
Great story, thanks!
Oh, my gosh! I used Dulles' mobile lounges back in 1966. I was so young that I sometimes wondered to this day if I'd simply imagined those crazy-looking "airplane buses." Mahalo for bringing proof that I wasn't just a confused toddler!
Dollars wasn’t the only airport to use mobile lounges, they were used in the new International Airport built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the 1980s. They were quite comfortable and air-conditioned so you didn’t feel the heat until you stepped outside the airport.
Apologies for the mis-spelling of Dulles
I did too. I lived in northern Virginia for a long time beginning in 1966. The lounges persisted into the hub-and-spoke era despite their inefficiency under the new transportation model. The new United midfield terminal was present for quite awhile before the underground rail line was completed. I think one still can take a mobile lounge to the main terminal. Man that Saarinen terminal was glorious in its heyday!
Worked as a mechanic for Northwest Airlines and I remember us removing all the internal airstairs from DC-9s in order to save weight and of course because they were no longer used. I've also enjoyed flights to Key West because they still used airstairs rolled up to the aircraft.
It brings back wonderful memories, I retired from Avianca Colombia as pilot in 2019 after 40 years with the company. I had the privilege to fly this icon of the jet age as a copilot of the Boeing 707-359B, HK 1402, CN/SN 19741/681 delivered new by Boeing on March 7 1968, with four Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B for 2 years between 1986 and 1988.
Wonderful comment and thanks for watching!
Thanks, Mike, for tackling a somewhat mundane subject and making it totally fascinating and informative. As a child in 1962, I remember how excited my family was taking my dad to fly out of the new and futuristic Dulles International Airport. He was flying a non-stop transcontinental TWA flight to LAX. When he returned home he brought "pilot's wings" for me and my brothers and "stewardess wings" for my sisters(it wasn't considered sexist or demeaning at that time). He was a non-smoker but brought back small packs of complimentary cigarettes for his smoking friends. Your photo of JFK and Jackie brought back memories of the "glamor and style" that even as a young boy impressed me. I remember seeing a photo of JFK and Jackie boarding Air Force One in Bogata, Colombia after they had just left a state dinner given for them by the Colombian president and first lady. They were waving goodbye from the top of the stairs in their evening clothes. (I think it was in U.S. News and Reports). It illustrates the charisma, elegance and optimism of that era. Do you happen to know of that photo or can you find it in your library? Take care, and have a great week. P.S. just found it. Photo by Marion S. Trikosko for USN&WR.
Wonderful comment and story, thanks! I haven't seen the photo you mentioned, but yes, it was a very different world than today.
Just edited comment. It was leaving Bogata, Colombia not Caracas. What an iconic photo.
Thumbsup for finding photos of the sketchy boarding setup on the Tu-114. I'd read about this, but never seen a photo.
I can remember deplaning a republic 727 via the airstair (DB Cooper door) and going up the stiars on the neighboring jetbridge to board our connecting flight. They do not do ramp transfers much anymore.
When visiting major airports as a kid, I was mesmerized by the fleets of futuristic looking specialized vehicles buzzing around and then, having reached the gleaming airplane that just arrived, suddenly deploying their special functionality, like transformer robots.
I admit, after having watched this again wonderful episode, I watched it again and paused it at every picture, somewhat reliving the excitement I felt in my wonder years.
This didn't look promising from the title, but it was beautiful and fascinating.
Thanks, Mike - your channel is a true gem.
My memorable experience was leaving from Kotoka in Ghana, on a Piper Seminole. Out of the window, a mechanic carrying a toolbox in one hand and a huge ghetto-blaster in the other (playing Iron Maiden, IIRC) opened the engine cowling, then reached into his toolbox and pulled out a six-pack of beer. He drained a can, then started messing with things on the engine.
There was a sharp CRACK, and smoke started pouring out of the engine. He retrieved another can of beer, shook it up, then opened the tab and sprayed beer all over the fire.
Then he closed the cowling, walked around to the front and banged on the side of the cockpit.
The pilot started up the engines, and we were rolling ...
Interesting story, and thanks for watching!
How cool that Mike heard Khrushchev's Tupelov Tu-114 fly overhead. One of the most exciting plane designs ever, and it sounds awesome in CZcams videos. But I can well imagine that sound would become exhausting if heard during a long flight.
Agreed!
What a glorious compendium of stills. Your library is solid gold!
Many thanks!
In the early 1960's, I flew from Philly to Dulles specifically to board one of those mobile lounges. Definitely big!
I remember riding the mobile lounge at Mirabel Airport in Quebec. Funny memory for sure.
Can you imagine people walking on the ramps with all the ground equipment running around. As a child and teenager I remember walking out to board a TWA connie at lax. And remember getting off a TWA 727 in St Louis going out the aft door and melting from the heat and humidity. Way better these days.
Nice idea for a video Mike! I am afraid to say that I have tried many of these equipment, including the Caravelle and 727 rear stairs, when I was a kid. Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks Gustavo! Always enjoy your nice comments.
Another great one Mike. I believe the Khrushchev plane was a modified TU-95 bomber. The aircraft is so tall that earthen berms were raised to the height of the a/c so when it was backed in to its parking pad the only way the tail gunner could get in was to walk off the berm into the tail hatch.
The Tupolev Tu-114's wings and massive 14,000+ HP Kuznetsov turboprop engines were the same as the Tu-95 "Bear" strategic bomber, except mounted lower on a new fully-pressurized fuselage for it's passengers. While rather fast at 500+mph, and luxurious for a Soviet airliner of the late '50's, it's very loud engine noise was disrupting to it's passengers. Also, due to the turboprops, it's speed and overall efficiency could never compete with turbojet and later, turbofan powered designs like the Boeing 707, Vickers VC-10, Il-62 "Candid", etc.
@@charlestaylor253 Thanks for that…was always under the assumption of a modified-95. Still a remarkable and interesting design on both.
Nice trip back in time.
We had the "joy" of being diverted from Denver to Fort Collins because of severe wind shear. We were on an Airbus 320. Fort Collins has the runway length to support smaller commercial jets and has jet fuel for the business jets that it normally serves but no terminal and almost no airstairs. They had to take a pickup truck out to Home Depot to get a 12 folding ladder to reach the refueling ports on the plane. It was funny to see the three other similar Frontier airliners lined up on the apron waiting (three hours) for the weather to clear so we could get back to Denver.
My first few flights (and several since) were into and out of Wood County "International" Airport in Williamstown, WV. Some tract houses were larger than its terminal, back in the 'Sixties. I well remember using the rear Air Stair on the old Piedmont Martin 404. My first experience with a Jetway was at Pittsburgh in 1973. That was also my first trip on a jet, an Allegheny BAC 111 to Philadelphia, then a balsa wood kit plane to Trenton, NJ. Fifty freakin' years ago. Great video!
As always, a delightful look into the history of commercial aviation - and a unique topic to boot!
Another interesting way to board airliners was via a self-contained air stair in the belly of the airplane. Lockheed L-1011s for P.S.A. and L.T.U. had these. In fact, the passengers would enter a beautiful lounge in what was normally the cargo area and climb to the main passenger deck by a stairway. The military E-4Bs and VC-25Bs have them, though without the lounges. And the Soviet Ilyushin Il-86 featured these lower-level air stairs. That arrangement, however, was less glamourous than what was found on the L-1011s. Passengers carried their baggage aboard, stowed that and climbed a utilitarian straight staircase to the austere cabin. Still, a neat idea!
I am always happy with I see a new installment of "Celebrating Aviation"!
I don't know about the other airlines, but TWA removed the forward retractable stairs from their MD-80s to save weight, presumably so they could cram one more row of passenger seats into the already overcrowded cabins. (Yes, the photo of the cows at the beginning was very appropriate, as we did call them "cattle cars.") The stairs were stored on shelves in the Kansas City maintenance base. The older DC-9-30s & -50s retained theirs.
The inside controls for the rear airstairs were either disabled or removed. The only way they could be opened was outside from the ground. (Of course there was the emergency exit slide, but that required jettisoning the tail cone.)
Great comment, thanks!
Please do an episode on the evolution of the airport terminal. Just love the 1960's Northwest livery!
Great video and fantastic photos. With the prevalence of jetways these days, it's always a welcome change to deplane via stairs onto the tarmac, you can't beat it for the smells and sounds!
Agreed!
My trip last year from Dulles to MNL was terminated with the ending from the gate to the arrival building just that same way with the "Plane Mate" design, as our flights passengers transiting from the Saudia 777-300 we returned upon.😊
Another great job presenting an underappreciated "mode" of travel!
Living in the Washington DC area, I find it both funny and annoying they still use the mobile lounges to transfer passengers from the main terminal to two of the midfield terminals at Dulles. They also are still used some to to move passengers from arriving international flights to the customs hall. Every time, I use Dulles, I think we’reback in the 60s. Of course, I think I’m back in the 50s anytime I fly to St. Thomas where boarding and deplaning takes place on mobile stairways.
Mobile lounges are a unique experience, glad I got to do it!
Still board with a ramp at TTN :)
Thanks Mr M, this was another great video. You really pour yourself into each of these and it shows 😊
Appreciate the comment, thanks Barbara!
Oh boy, do we have some stories about those things.
I recall seeing the builder's plate on a "jetway" that indicated it was manufactured by the St Louis Car Co. of St Louis, MO. This was the same company that built rail passenger cars, electric streetcars, interurban cars and subway cars going back to the turn of the last century. Thanks for an interesting history of boarding airliners!
Thanks for the info!
Lovely video Mike once again, you going to do a history of airports, terminals in how they changed due to the changing aircraft types over the years ?
Hi Sarah-Jane, and we actually covered that very topic in our videos on LAX in Los Angeles and New York's JFK. Thanks for watching!
Fabulous presentation
Many thanks!
Great as always Mike. I always enjoy these.
Mike, you didn't mention that in the early days of jetways, planes still taxied up to stop parallel to the terminal and jetways would connect to both front and rear loading doors (as shown several times in your video), but when more gates were needed, the procedure was changed to taxi the aircraft perpendicular to the terminal and only load at the front. Even with A380s, the planes still park perpendicular and all the jetways still load near the front of the airplane. I liked the fact that 757s often loaded at the second door, not at the first, which made deplaning from coach that much faster.
@1:18 Hahaha - love it. Good stuff Mike. Great presentation.
Many thanks!
Brilliant video. The explosion at the end 🤩
I love it! Thanks Mike and keep em coming.
I remember getting off the airliner at SAN (Sept. 1972) enroute to Marine Corps Boot Camp at about 0300am. It was cold (california was cold?) and walking across the tarmac to the terminal. One of the guys was really nervous and lit a cigarette. One of the Stewardness? came rushing up. "Sir you can't smoke out here." Even I could smell the fuel.
I only got to use the tail stairs once when I was coming back to Iowa after Boot Camp on an Ozark DC-9.
I remember someone telling me how to tell a 707 apart from a DC-8 back then - the 707 had that pitot tube at the top of the fin. One of those things you don't forget, even if it was so long ago.
As always another great group of photos that your team has put together an interesting video. Great work.
On behalf of my entire Production Crew and all the Photo Team members, many thanks!
Great idea for an in depth and very well done video. Love all the fantastic photos too. Appreciate all your effort Mike in putting these fun to watch presentations together.
Many thanks!
In the 1960s we flew frequently between IDL/JFK and San Juan, P.R. Idlewild got jetways after a few years, but San Juan still hadn't by the time we left in 1968, so we were very used to walking out on the ramp and climbing stairs to get into Pan Am 707s or Eastern DC-8s. Since Pan Am put their aircraft names near the forward door, that's how I knew that a flight from San Juan on Thanksgiving Day 1966 was, very coincidentally, on the Jet Clipper Mayflower!
A great episode as always Mr. Machat! I remember as a little kid in New Orleans the first time I saw those jetway tunnels that they swung out to the plane. So neat I thought! First time my Omi (grandmother) flew on a jet to Germany. I think the time before that she was on a Connie! I was 3 or 4, maybe 5, but it was soooo cool. I've loved aviation like my dad since childhood. By the way, you are the beat! Love the channel. As always God bless you and your family. Thanks for everything you do! Take care always Sir.
A cornucopia of information. Thank you.
What a wonderful video! Fabulous job! I envy you got to hear the TU 114
You spoke of how they deactivated the rear stairs on the 727s, but that device was quite simple, and was called the Cooper Lock.
Thats very interesting unique about those airliners. Very nice.
Very interesting episode Mike! I love the "stretch" 1959 Chevy at 3:05.
Good catch!
Have a look at the Ilyushin Il-86. There you entered through the "basement" via integrated stairs. Rather clever for austere airfields, but unusual for a widebody.
Finally a picture of Rob always said a cattle truck with wings
I love this; history you never knew you wanted to know :D My personal favorite is rear airstairs like on the 727, DC9, Yak-40 etc. Shame those are pretty much gone.
Very nice! One interesting aspect that could have been added is airports that are equipped with jet bridges that can reach OVER the winds of a big airplane to board and deplane via the front and rear exits at the same time. Amsterdam has (had?) these on a number of gates and KLM used then all the time for their 747s.
As of 2005 Hosea Kutako airport in Windhoek, Namibia still used the rolling stairways for getting on and off airplanes.
This episode was quite wonderful!
p.s.: I flew in an Eastern 720.
Very cool and historical.
Great Dokumentations always.!.thanks for all your dedicated work in the Airplaine World. BR, AF Switzerland
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Another great show, Mike. Thanks!
Great episode Mike!!! Very interesting and nostalgic!!! I remember at SFO, the busy manner the on ramps (AOA) we're experiencing before and after flights...
Southwest still uses stairs to board the front and back of the plane at Burbank.
The spiral stairs on the Tu-114 at 3:50 is a type specially built to the sill height of the Tu-104. The ladder on top of it is an emergency ladder which was carried on board of the aircraft for use after a wheels up landing. This contraption was set up because no airstairs big enough for this aircraft existed yet. The picture is one of a series by Mikó Läszló, shot at Budapest airport.
Great information, thanks!
13:33 my white trousers were blackened by some melting matter when I rode one of those mobile lounges on July 4th, 1985 after flying SEA - IAD on a NW DC-10. Seriously melted black matter that you could scrape off with a butterknife. Funnily enough, being a total avgeek, I have no memory of noticing the Saarinen designed main terminal at IAD.
i think it is worth mentioning that the mobile lounges method is or was (i am not sure if it still exists..) also used at paris CDG airport. i had the opportunity to use these a couple of times and they are really nice when you don't have a jetway .. much better than a regular bus!
Love the stories man, and the history. Bravo
Many thanks!
My first time on a jetway was at LAX in 1978. I was flying home with my aunt and uncle and I was just following them and next thing I knew I was on the plane.
If you listen carefully to the words in theme song to the wonderful old TV series, "Car 54 - Where Are You", it has an unique reference to Idlewild Airport.
Yes, I remember that!
👋🤠 Greetings from Missouri !
🤔 @2:53 a Super-G Connie with no tip tanks?
@3:05 8-door '59 Chevy 🙂
Thanks again, Mr. Machat! 663👍 ✌
This was enjoyable to watch Mike! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
You have the best videos on CZcams. Happy to be a subscriber!
Appreciate the comment, thanks, and great to have you aboard!
DB Cooper is a hero
Woa... the old Long Beach terminal building used to be beige? Had no idea!
Outstanding, Mike.
Many thanks!
It should be noted that some new-build 737's still have built-in stairways that retract into the plane. Many 737's built for Ryanair in Europe have such an airstair, even (I believe) on the latest 737 MAX 8-200 models. Reason: why Ryanair chose this: many of their airports they serve don't even have airstair vehicles at the airport.
They have them to save money so they don’t have to pay airports for the use of jet bridges or mobile stairs
An outstanding video, once again Mike! The collection of photos is incredible, and most are nostalgia-inducing. Your narration was masterful. FYI, I'll take deplaning steps over a tunnel any day.
Very interesting Mike. Thanks. 😊
Awesome- a new CAWMM video. Xlnt.
Many thanks!
Dang!
You got some awesome stories~
Subscribed!
Thanks and welcome aboard!
Mike. Love your videos--all of them. If my memory serves correctly, only one TU-114 was built or put in to service, and it was based on the TU-95 (?).
Thanks, and there were actually 33 Tu-114s in Aeroflot's fleet beginning in 1957. And yes, a derivation of the Tu-95 bomber.
I stand corrected. I might have been thinking of Khrushchev's plane that flew him to the US. If recall that it was a one-time knock-off of the TU-95 (or TU-114?).@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782
In the late 80’s-early 90’s I went to Jamaica a few times on vacation. The Montego Bay airport didn’t have jetways at first, and we got to use stairs. The airport also had the worst food known to mankind- don’t know why.
[1:18] No wonder Wagyu beef is so expensive, Them thar Dogies is flyin' first class!
Love it!
About 20 years ago, I was beside a Virgin Airways 747 on the airside. It had every hold door open, and a "Just how big is that aircraft". The hold was empty, and I could see from front to back of the jet. I thought, "This thing flies across the world non-stop, and it has 4 massive engines burning fuel like it was going out of fashion and ... the wings don't look that deep. Don't tell me that all the fuel is in the wings because I don't believe you. These massive aircraft must fly on mystery and magic ... Shirley, Capt Over.
Another great video Mr. Machat. The only times I flew I had to walk out to the plane on the tarmac and climb up the stairs. Do not forget the real old time boarding method..... climb on to the wing and haul yourself up into the cockpit.😊
Love it!
Have you made or contemplated making a similar video about boarding military airplanes? Years ago at the New England Air Museum I nearly lost my balance while climbing up a skinny ladder to their F-100 Super Sabre. The museum docent gave me a nasty look. They now have a safer set of stairs to get to the cockpit.
I see a Concord SST at 19:20....... What a enjoyable watch and packed with great information. At 20:26 Is that the same Airforce One that's at the Reagan Library????
Thanks again mike for another fine watch.
The airplane in the photo of President Kennedy is S/N 26000, now in the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, OH. Ship 27000 is at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for information........@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782
Those planes with stairs were much closer to the ground than planes today.
You forgot to mention the self-contained boarding stairs on the belly of Air Force One which presidents sometimes use.
The Pan Am promo shot, isn’t that a Goose behind and under the left horizontal stab? Do you suppose that’s a Catalina Airlines Goose getting ready to go over to the island? I’ll bet it is!!
Good catch - you're absolutely correct!
Are the engines on the DC-8 at 11:45 hush-kitted?
That's actually a bone-stock ten-year-old United DC-8-21 with its thrust-reverser rings slid full-aft on the pylon rails. Sending you some photos to show both positions. Those also served to reduce noise on takeoff - but not by much. Thanks for watching!
Mike, was the Dash 80 FUSELAGE the template for the KC-135 Airframe?
Yes, that is correct. The 707 airliner, however, was widened above the floor line to accommodate six-abreast seating instead of the originally planned five across. Thanks for watching!
We had elevators to the forth floor of our college. Everytime I got on them, someone let out a "mooo".
That Russian "airliner" was just a TU-95 Bear bomber used as propaganda.
Which terminal is that at JFK? The one the Tower eventually used?? Jam packed!
Yes, that's the British Airways terminal at JFK, with many charter and non-scheds as well. Thanks for watching!
As a 7th grader I used to get to go down to PHL every Saturday. I seem to remember folding stairs on Eastern's and National's L-188 Electras.
Is my memory correct?
Yes, the forward door had the self-contained boarding stairs for quick turnarounds on the ramp. Thanks for watching!
Concorde @IAD
Had no idea the first 707's were water wagons. Were the first DC-8's water wagons also? Have talked with USAF B-47 pilots who said the system was "iffy".
Yes, both the first 707s and DC-8s had Pratt & Whitney JT3C (J57) turbojets that used water injection on takeoff. Thanks for watching!
720-100's too.
Don’t forget the cattle prods
5:13
Pics of Vickers Viking RR Nene showing
Me : please... please... say that it is [NEEN]
Him : well, the Rolls-Royce [NEEN] powered Vickers Viking..
Me : 🥳🎉
*MM: **_"I still do that today at Burbank. Drives my kids nuts."_*
🤭🤭🤭
17:08 isn't that an MD80?
Yes, that cutaway is a DC-9-80 or DC-9 Super 80. The "MD80" designation was a marketing term coined in 1982 by McDonnell Douglas to get rid of the "DC" (Douglas Commercial) brand. Thanks for watching!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 rightt I forgot that MD-80s are still classified as DC-9s technically
🛫🛬✈️🛩️🗿🧳💺🪂❤😊🎉🤩☺️😁
Name the planes at 19:25
From left: Airbus A300B4, Douglas DC-8-63, DC-8-63CF, Lockheed L-1011, BA Concorde, Boeing 747-200 (3). Thanks for watching!
Thanks Mike! I'm 5 for 5 without the dashes. Your Amazing.🛫
Great video but.....Well there is a whole new era today, its called DELAY DELAY IF YOUR LUCKY AND NOT CANCELLED!!!!!!!!!
Agreed - a friend's recent three-hour Chicago-Los Angeles flight on American wound-up taking a day-and-a-half!
Yes for sure....Mike in his videos many times talks about the golden age of travel...Must have been nice because the airline industry and flying today is a disaster And on top of it, you get to pay twice as much for less than 1/2 the service.....just another example of the failed actions of our once great country.....
Yes… Air travel today can be described in three words: sucks
Agreed, and thanks for watching.