Flying the DC-4 Skymaster in South Africa

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
  • Step aboard an era when flying was an elegant affair...
    Powered by four Pratt & Whitney R2000 radial piston engines, ZS-AUB is one of the very few passenger-licensed Douglas DC-4 Skymasters operating in the world today.
    Join me on a flight from Waterkloof AFB to Johannesburg Rand Airport in South Africa onboard this vintage plane.
    Footage include a spectacular 200 feet above ground fly pass over Waterkloof AFB and cockpit takeoff and landing footage.
    For full story:
    samchui.com/201...

Komentáře • 88

  • @TheAvenstar
    @TheAvenstar Před 4 lety +21

    I was a passenger on one of these old birds in 1966 from Bogota to Cali, Columbia. Non-pressurized -- we skimmed the Andes. There was no cockpit door - and it was only a two man crew, not three. Holding a commercial license myself (I fly small stuff) I stood in the doorway of the cockpit for quite a while. The captain, fully reclined, held a stick about 2 feet long which he used to twitch-control his heading on the first generation flight director which was mounted about dead center in the instrument panel directly behind the throttles console. This thing rattled like an old jalopy -- and the stewardess (wearing the dirtiest outfit I've ever seen) had secured the rear entry door with a coat hangar because the closing/locking mechanism was broken (or non-existent.) I'm not making this up. I had arrived in Bogota on a DC 8 flown by Panagra (Pan American Grace Airways (anybody remember them?) out of Miami with a stopover in Panama. I flew back home on a Braniff Airlines Boeing 707 which incorporated the longest take-off roll I've ever experienced. (It was a hot day -- density altitutde kills lift; Bogota is 8,600 feet ASL! It was a hot day -- for a few nail biting seconds I didn't think we'd ever get airborne! The airline flying the DC 4, by the way, was Avianca.

    • @davidmann4533
      @davidmann4533 Před 2 lety +2

      Remember the Avianca crash by Kennedy airport but he is back down in Queens

    • @Liberator74
      @Liberator74 Před rokem

      What an experience!

  • @charleskelly5672
    @charleskelly5672 Před 2 lety +1

    Grand old Douglas. But boy, the guy in the right seat was all over the place!! Thanks for sharing. "Mike" Kelly "Old School" Aviator and "round" engine pilot.

  • @MsLizziepants
    @MsLizziepants Před 8 lety +7

    We took my daughter on the DC3 as her first flight. The flight was done by the same company Springbok Air. They do historical flights over Johannesburg. It was a great experience! Thanks for coming to South Africa Sam! :) hope you enjoyed it.

  • @dewantaable
    @dewantaable Před 7 lety +9

    Nice Sound Of Piston Engines ... 😎😎😎 👍👍👍 The Old Plane Is Never Die ... 👏👏👏💟💟💟

  • @n0peable
    @n0peable Před 8 lety +12

    Ive seen such old planes in museums and its unbelievable how they managed flying or even reaching the moon without digital technology at all. Incredible.

    • @angusbull1078
      @angusbull1078 Před 4 lety +1

      They were better engineers without digital technology, esp that these aircraft relied on so many moving parts in radial engines.
      As footnote, I now question whether they actually got to the moon, after NASA claimed they “lost” the technology to do so!

    • @skyfacer9626
      @skyfacer9626 Před 4 lety

      @@angusbull1078 Yep. That got out to the Moon NINE times including SIX landings down on it's surface. A spectacular part of Modern History.

  • @weskohler
    @weskohler Před 8 lety +12

    It was great to have you here in South Africa, I hope to meet you next time you are in Johannesburg!

  • @artist92543
    @artist92543 Před 4 lety +1

    This was fantastic. Brought back alot of memories form fire bomber days at Hemet Ryan Flying Service (Hemet, California) in the 1980's. Yup, I'm old.

  • @mikezinn7212
    @mikezinn7212 Před 6 lety +1

    Wonderful footage. My first flight was a DC4 from Cape Town to Windhoek, stopping at Alexander Bay. Crew gave you sweets for altitude issues. Did visit the cabin but have no particular recollection. must have been circa 1967. Maybe this plane!!!

  • @claudio743
    @claudio743 Před 7 lety +22

    Outstanding video Sam,thanks for not spoiingl it by adding any music.

  • @robbalboni4179
    @robbalboni4179 Před 7 lety +2

    a super video of this classic early propliner! nice flight all around and its great that some of these birds are still flying in all their glory. love seeing these old planes still going! rob

  • @TheodoreAndor
    @TheodoreAndor Před 4 lety +2

    Just look at that beautiful SAL colours...

  • @richardschindler8822
    @richardschindler8822 Před 8 lety +1

    Very cool video. I may just have to watch it again. Now I want to go to Africa to go for a ride. 14000 hours of flying under my belt and I'd give anything to just ride in one of these.

  • @Ka9radio_Mobile9
    @Ka9radio_Mobile9 Před 4 lety +1

    You really need the third person to fly the great plane. Nice work!

  • @mikea6977
    @mikea6977 Před 6 lety +2

    Love to fly'em and turn a wrench on them...like tinkering with a classic car on the weekend...my way of relaxing...

  • @jonbryn4
    @jonbryn4 Před 6 lety +1

    Wow, thats one busy crew.

  • @milesbrown8016
    @milesbrown8016 Před 2 lety

    Thank you guys…..

  • @guerry4690
    @guerry4690 Před 8 lety +1

    Wow! This is so fantastically awesome. Thank-you so much for posting this, Sam. I am a hugely nostalgic guy. I often think of how wonderful it would be if we could go back in time and take videos from the days of piston driven airliners and the early jets. Without doing further research, I am guessing there was a charge for the flight. By all means, I would have forked over the cash for such an opportunity. Sir, thank-you again, and keep up the good work.

  • @indian2003
    @indian2003 Před 4 lety +1

    I flew on one in 1970. Afghan Airlines DC-4 from Amritsar to Kabul.

  • @jameswest8280
    @jameswest8280 Před 5 lety +1

    Nice to see these old girls take to the sky.

  • @Terraxox
    @Terraxox Před 8 lety +5

    My home country !

  • @mikeday62
    @mikeday62 Před 5 lety +3

    Oh I get it...you start the engines BEFORE takeoff. Now I see where I messed up.

  • @coastercrafter1productions300

    The DC4 Is my favorite aircraft and represents me so much

  • @rp6122
    @rp6122 Před 4 lety

    ive flown in this bird a few times. gotta love the morning mimosas

  •  Před 6 lety +1

    Such a beauty

  • @okhan5087
    @okhan5087 Před 8 lety

    Such a classic!

  • @Tsiniastje
    @Tsiniastje Před 5 lety +1

    "Starting the engines before take off": good idea!

    • @MegaPeedee
      @MegaPeedee Před 5 lety

      I had a chuckle, too.

    • @pauljohansson7697
      @pauljohansson7697 Před 5 lety

      How can you take off without the engines running,lol.

    • @geoffreybradford
      @geoffreybradford Před 2 lety

      @@pauljohansson7697 I don't know but my God, think of the fuel savings!

  • @Bad_Karma1968
    @Bad_Karma1968 Před 4 lety

    Great vlog Sam as always
    Fantastic classic aircraft !

  • @zthde
    @zthde Před 8 lety

    Great footage Sam
    Thank you

  • @pblount340
    @pblount340 Před 7 lety +1

    What a legend for a plane

  • @airlinetraveller
    @airlinetraveller Před 6 lety

    Awesome video! =D

  • @MMM-bu7xu
    @MMM-bu7xu Před 3 lety

    Beautiful!!!!!

  • @telsport
    @telsport Před 5 lety +3

    Pop flew these as c 54's in the Air Transport Command WW II

    • @lsmith6378
      @lsmith6378 Před 4 lety +1

      My only brush with a DC 4 was when i came back from Cyprus In the early sixties. When i looked down out of a widow i could see the oil coming out of the engines on the tarmac and the rivets rattling when it was started up. When flying through the alps i was looking up the mountains instead of down and there was a lot of praying that we would see tomorrow. I was in the army at the time and the plane was part of Eagle Airways. Boy was i glad to depart that plane.

    • @telsport
      @telsport Před 4 lety +1

      @@lsmith6378 seems as though you got a tired one. Lucky you !!

    • @lsmith6378
      @lsmith6378 Před 4 lety +1

      @@telsport Those were the days NOT.

  • @appleguy133
    @appleguy133 Před 7 lety

    Sam, you should do a flight video of WestJet based here in Canada.

  • @williamdixon1992
    @williamdixon1992 Před 2 lety

    I e enjoyed watching this. Can someone tell me what was the red strap for that the engineer used right after they landed?

  • @punman5392
    @punman5392 Před 5 lety

    That interior looks modern. As if she never went out of service

  • @rtwk1
    @rtwk1 Před 4 lety

    Lovely!

  • @pauljohansson7697
    @pauljohansson7697 Před 5 lety

    Sam you lucky dog.

  • @craigpennington1251
    @craigpennington1251 Před 6 lety

    Great video.Yeah, what was the red strap for? The old gal flew pretty well. I did notice some thumping sounds on take off, I hope it wasn't engine backfire.

  • @NoTaboos
    @NoTaboos Před 4 lety +2

    "Starting the engine before takeoff." Really? What a good idea...

    • @aviationlba747
      @aviationlba747 Před 4 lety +1

      Yeah lol, seems quite obvious.

    • @geoffreybradford
      @geoffreybradford Před 2 lety

      Yes. Research has shown that starting the engines -before- takeoff greatly increases the chances of achieving the airspeed necessary to become airborne.

  • @joseantoniomartinsdovale4856

    I SAW THIS AIRPLANE LAND IN MAPUTO AIRPORT AND TAXI TO PARK IN1995

  • @Glidescube
    @Glidescube Před 2 lety

    Its the stretch limo version of the DC-3

  • @claudio743
    @claudio743 Před 7 lety

    I Wanted to say "spoiling",greets from Chile.

  • @crushingvanessa3277
    @crushingvanessa3277 Před 4 lety

    What is the red strip the engineer pulled down after they landed?

  • @WAL_DC-6B
    @WAL_DC-6B Před 3 lety

    Isn't this Douglas DC-4 a real one and not a C-54 Skymaster conversion? I believe only about eighty DC-4s were built versus around twelve hundred C-54s.

  • @truthful3777
    @truthful3777 Před 2 lety

    Why no show cabin footage?

  • @myteam94
    @myteam94 Před 8 lety +1

    got cabin footage?

  • @FourSeasonsHD
    @FourSeasonsHD Před 6 lety

    As some Internet commentator already pointed out, the cockpit looked a bit busy (=nervous). Will this ease with more hours and more experience?

  • @perrooceaniko2005
    @perrooceaniko2005 Před 7 lety

    you are a lucky dog man !! lucky dog !!!

  • @opados13
    @opados13 Před 3 lety

    Did tou travel to Africa or 1954?

  • @hadrianopolis1968
    @hadrianopolis1968 Před 6 lety

    200 ft with pax onboard...is this legal ?

  • @BullBosphorus
    @BullBosphorus Před 8 lety +1

    Liked

  • @Mervy79
    @Mervy79 Před 3 lety

    So I've been doing it wrong, I've been starting the engines after take-off

  • @gabrielagarate9533
    @gabrielagarate9533 Před 4 lety

    yo quiero saber si este avion lleva pasajeros o carga o que. ... si es de pasajeros quiero saber como se sienten en ese avion...porque es muy monotono estar viendo nomas la cabina de los pilotos

  • @blueocean8446
    @blueocean8446 Před 8 lety

    looks like the cockpit is really vintage,how did you get in during flight?

    • @MrLockCaps
      @MrLockCaps Před 8 lety +1

      denis sanjaya think you answered your own question

    • @blueocean8446
      @blueocean8446 Před 8 lety

      i mean how did he get in to the cockpit,because in some old fashioned aircraft flight,the pilot doesn't allowed other people to get in to the cockpit,only crew member and authorised crew had the allowance

    • @wa2nchannel
      @wa2nchannel Před 8 lety +1

      yes but i bet it costs more...charter flight costs more than regular ticket

  • @SuperScratch1
    @SuperScratch1 Před 4 lety

    I want the names and addresses of the 43 who did not like this !! They need to be spoken to !!

  • @WorkSmarter__
    @WorkSmarter__ Před 2 lety

    How old is that?

  • @abdullahsajid2170
    @abdullahsajid2170 Před 8 lety

    niceee

  • @Twilightsparklefan-ny2cu

    Hello dc 4 And dc 3

  • @montiraruba2831
    @montiraruba2831 Před 6 lety

    In the beginning of the video, You start the engine after take-off.

    • @myZisfantastic
      @myZisfantastic Před 5 lety +1

      Generally speaking it's better to start engines before take off!

    • @geoffreybradford
      @geoffreybradford Před 2 lety

      @@myZisfantastic Our ancient ancestors knew this lol

  • @billybobjoe9010
    @billybobjoe9010 Před 8 lety

    Airline name?

  • @badezimmertv1457
    @badezimmertv1457 Před 7 lety

    Sou lucky guy.

  • @arielcampagnola1328
    @arielcampagnola1328 Před rokem

    👍👍👍👍👍👋👋👋👋

  • @LeifDjurfeldt
    @LeifDjurfeldt Před 7 lety

    How can this have 10 DISlikes.... ????

    • @mikezinn7212
      @mikezinn7212 Před 6 lety

      agreed... WHY?? some wanky Americans who cant cope without HD! wouldn't surprise me.

  • @CLAPPII242
    @CLAPPII242 Před 8 lety

    first