TWA Flight Center and Lockheed Constellation
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- In this video we explore the TWA Flight Center, which is now a Hotel/Museum and I'll discuss and climb aboard a Lockheed Constellation.
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Once again Greg does not disappoint. I would have never sought this out on my own and I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I saw the video title. Boy was I wrong. I totally loved watching this video. Gregs knowledge about all things mechanical is astounding. Thanks Greg.
Thanks Brian, the new video will be a WW2 airplane video. I'm not sure which one as I have a few in the works.
I traveled on a prop airliner in 1979 on my way to Fort Knox for basic training. I caught the prop from Florence SC. to Atlanta GA. On the way back 4 months later it was a jet, I asked the flight attendant where the prop was, she said they where all retired. I had one of the last piston prop flights for Piedmont Airlines. I'll never forget seeing those flames coming out of the engines.
That's really something, you witnessed some history there. It was normal for those engine to belch fire and smoke on start up.
If it was a Piedmont flight in 1979, it was a YS11 with RR Dart prop jet engines. All the piston Martin 404s were retired in 1970.
Sounds like Lynyrd Skynyrd airlines.
When we'd fly from Kansas City to Manhattan Kansas, which is where Kansas State University is, to get to Ft Riley in the 80's it'd be on a "vomit comet", they were anything from a 6 seat(counting the pilots and copilots) piston engine plane to about 12 seat turbo props.
And believe it or not they actually managed to lose my luggage one time, how that was possible going from Kansas City to Manhattan Kansas eludes me to this day, I was stuck at the Manhattan Kansas Airport (I'm using the word airport rather loosely here) until about 2 in the morning when the very last flight in had my bags.
Then try to find a taxi at the Manhattan Kansas Airport at 2 in the morning, what a good time I had that night.
@@bobvicki I thought it was all Piedmont but then it was 43 years ago. I went from Florence to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Louisville KY., then reverse on the way back. But the first leg was a piston prop. It took off from Myrtle Beach, stopped in Florence, then on to Atlanta.
@@robertcardon5402 Must have been Southern Airways. They operated Martin 404s well into the '70s. Here's a cute youtube video about the Southern 404's:
czcams.com/video/21EHAATQp-8/video.html
Great video. I flew a Lufthansa Super Constellation to Europe as a kid in 1957. We took off from Chicago and refueled in Montreal, then Gander and landed in Shannon where we go off while the plane refueled and went on to Frankfort. I remember taxing out to the end of the runway where the crew would do a mag check on each of the four engines, then go to take off power on all four engines with the brakes on. It was very impressive sitting there shaking and roaring till they released the brakes and you trundled down the runway. Not at all like modern jets. A few years ago, I saw a Lufthansa Super Coney on display at the Munich airport and was amazed at how small it looked.
The first DC8 and the first 707 weren't that much bigger, but the 747 realky dwarfed it.
Mate, it's the PARIS Café. The rude service makes it authentically Parisien! A few years ago I got to check out a restored, flying Super Constellation in southern New South Wales. Really cool to see it fly in.
Back in 1964, my first year in college, most airlines had a 50% off deal for students, as I was from Boston and went to school in the Midwest so I went through this terminal at least four times a year, and often in later years. Flying a prop plane (not a Connie) from New York to Boston was a bit grueling, and TWA employees were very rude to students, but that terminal was gorgeous and made me want to fly TWA. I met my first husband in that sunken lounge.
To me, the Constellation was the most beautiful commercial aircraft ever, never mind it's functionality.
I know you're an airplane guy, not an architect, but I think you give Eero Saarinen short shrift. He was a great architect and designer. Certainly the TWA building was a milestone in his career, and TWA gained respect just for being associated with him.
Don't forget the micro car from Messerschmitt, it had a canopy/door/roof that was reminiscent of WW2 fighters.
Wow that's a great story, meeting your husband in the sunken lounge! I'm not sure how much more I should have talked about Earo Saarinen. I mentioned he was the designer, showed his office and some of his plans. If there would have been a Messer in the building I would have covered it. I'm not sure if those cars are permanent exhibits or if they rotate in and out.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles I apologize if I came across as critical, didn't mean to be, I genuinely enjoyed the vid. Sometimes when you get an old person reminiscing they don't know when to stop. I think you did a great job.
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis also designed by Eero Saarinen. St. Louis was a big TWA hub until its sale to AA, and has an innovative terminal building designed in the 50s ( not by Saarinen though).
Thanks Greg for another fine video. That Constellation was a very popular aircraft, as shown by this true tale which I hope I'll be forgiven for sharing. Forty years back, I had lunch with a senior US lawyer who'd flow PBYs over the Pacific in WW2. After this, and wanting to see the world, he'd become a US Federal Messenger, taking often secret stuff all over the place. On an internal flight - NY to LA - he sat next to a Queen's Messenger, his British equivalent. They chatted the stuff of their trade - hotels etc - and at a stopover (Chicago?) the Brit left his pouch with my guy and shot out to phone his girlfriend from the tower. He did not return. The plane went on to LA, and my guy felt he had to keep the UK pouch safe, so took it to his hotel, to find a raft of hysterical messages waiting for him. The Brit had shot into the tower thinking only of his girlfriend - true love conquers all - and emerged at the last minute to face 8 or 10 Connies, with no idea which was his. Things like that would stay with you!
Wow, that's a great story, thanks Stephen, and thanks for watching.
I stayed at the TWA hotel in summer of 2020, it was the coolest hotel I've ever stayed at by far and it's great to learn a little more history of it.
Thanks Jake. I'm glad you watched the video.
If you've never stayed on The Queen Mary hotel in Long Beach, CA, and if it's back in service, put it at the top of a Bucket List.
That Lockheed Constellation flight engineer station reminded me of the flight engineer station on a B-29. From what I've heard being a flight engineer on a B-29 was a very challenging and responsible position.
A great vid once again!! My dad was a jet engine mechanic for TWA, he started work there in 1967 when he got back from Vietnam. He was at the overhaul base in Kansas City, MO. When i was a kid we got to tour the overhaul base and I still remember it. He said that after Howard Hughes died the airline really changed for the worse until it was finally sold to American Airlines in 2001. He finally retired in 2009 after 42 years working for TWA and American at KCI.
The Connie is one of my favorite vintage aircraft. It was one of those sleek superprop aircraft that came right at the end of the era before the advent of jet aircraft. It's also a beautiful plane.
Brought back fond memories. My dad was an FE for TWA based out of Kennedy. Although he flew from the prop era to the 747's, his favorite was the "Connie". Your understanding of how the flight engineer system worked is a little off, but it hardly matters anymore in today's age of aviation. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Not being a pilot or former flight engineer I wouldn't know what was off but one thing I read about the flight engineers station was that it had a "scope" that could be switched from one engine to the next, having started working in garages back when they had a tune up station (the size of a vending machine) in them with an oscilloscope that enabled us to read what the coil, each spark plug, each spark plug wire and and the ignition condenser were doing while the engine was running, I'd love to be able to look at the scope on one of those engines when it's running if for no other reason just to see what it looks like compared to the ones we used, I'd be curious to see if the information on them looked the same as ours, ×2.25 as many readings of course.
Robert, thanks for your post. I was a flight engineer, so I have some knowledge of this. I assume what you think was a little off is the upgrade to the pilot seat. Not all flight engineers do that, so I assume that's what you meant. However at TWA and most airlines they eventually went to using junior pilots as flight engineers instead of mechanics, and those usually moved into the pilot seat when seniority allowed. I covered a lot of stuff in this video, the downside of doing that is I can't cover any of it in full detail so I have to gloss over some stuff.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles Thanks for the kind reply. I hope you didn't think that I was trying to be overly critical. It was just an off hand remark on how things have changed. My dad bought bought a J-3 cub, and I would take my high school sweetheart to the Hampton's on Long Island and land on the beach for a nice picnic. Can't even imagine doing something like that these days.I guess I'm just rambling on about a bygone era, and want to thank you for the great videos that I enjoy so much.
This has been an AMAZING video! It was completely unexpected in it's subject matter and candor but I love this video soooo much for the immersion of historical content and emotion behind it. Thank you and great work.
Big fan of your work, but this video was something special. Really appreciate the effort you put into allowing us to join you in exploring the TWA terminal and the romantic golden age of commercial aviation in the 1960s.
Oh boy, such memories. We lived in the NYC area from '71 on and I remember this terminal and even the Pan Am one. Seemed so much cooler than either LGA or EWR designs. We had a '63 21 window Bus and then a '69. Loved those sunroofs. Someone in our immediate family owned a VW Bus until '08 when I sold my '67 Camper. You're right about the brakes on those things, made me the biggest defensive driver ever. With the advent of anti-lock brakes it was quite a horror to have someone pass you and then slam their 4 wheels disks to turn while I was praying not to rear end them. I drove that '67 all over the country back in 89-90. Easy and CHEAP to fix (Mexican/Brazilian parts) and got 23 MPG hwy loaded up. Wow, thanks for the trip down memory lane!
When we were kids, a friend and I had lunch at the PARIS CAFÉ in the TWA terminal in late 1962 just after it opened. We rode our bicycles to "Idlewild Airport" (later JFK), a distance of maybe 10 miles from home, and we spent the day exploring each of the terminals. TWA 's was the best of all and seems to be what "The Future" would look like. It didn't disappoint.
We had a fascinating day and were "busted" by security when we were closely looking at the parked general aviation airplanes on one of the tarmacs. They let us stay, but cautioned us not to touch or to get too close to any of the airplanes. It was a different and more innocent time.
Oh, I had a Sandwich au Jambon (a ham sandwich) there. I remember that it was just fine.
Wonderful!!! I was born in 1946, and seventy six years I would unhesitatingly choose the early mid-50s thru the early mid-60s as the best ten year period I'll ever see. My dad, who first flew commercially for TWA, after the war became a captain for Pacific Northern Airlines, the biggest carrier to and within Alaska, piloting DC-3s, DC-4s, and L749A Connies. He later flew jets, but the golden age of aviation ended the the jet age, utterly boring. Cars from the last several decades are all just as unappealing. I grumble now, but feel very lucky to have experienced what I saw as an early Boomer. So I appreciate your virtual time machine.
I never got to fly on a Connie, but for many years we did have one right down the road from me mounted above a restaurant and used as the cocktail lounge. When they took it down and hauled it away I went and said goodbye to it as it laid in a parking lot with the wings removed. It's now been restored to display condition at the museum at Dover (Delaware) AFB. I did get to fly from Virginia Beach to San Juan, PR on a C-54 (DC-4), and flew many times on the old Lockheed Electra turboprops. There's just something reassuring about looking out the window and seeing 4 big propellers spinning. I had a 72 VW Microbus, a horrible vehicle really, but fun to drive.
Those penny tiles typically came in one foot square sheets. The matting was strings on about 1/8" centers. I don't any longer recall what material was used, perhaps sisal. The letters on that activity game were indeed vinyl. Vinyl was a pretty new "space age" material back then, and didn't really feel like any other material you were likely to encounter, at least in the soft floppy form used by the letters, so it was pretty cool for both kids and adults.
The matting on the back is a sort of dense woven string/rope material; porous so it engages the grout that you affix it with onto the base material.
Thank you so much for this content. When I was a kid in the late 60s and 70s my father would take the family to Europe every year, inevitably through Kennedy with either PanAm or TWA. Those terminals were something else. I especially remember the TWA terminal because I spent so much time in it as I grew into an adult. I would just hang out in that main terminal for hours waiting for connecting flights. All that curvy architecture extended outside to sidewalk where I would wait for cabs. I had no idea that terminal sat empty for so long after TWA folded, or that it subsequently become the hotel. It's nice that those curved tunnels are still there. They seemed so loooong to walk through, with no windows I think. Entering them was like stepping onto the set of a futuristic science fiction film.
5:10 - Those kids (under 40), are going to have a hell of a time operating those dial phones.
21:40 - Looks a lot like the drafting table, I used to work on, before CAD became common. Still use 1990s version of OrCAD for PCB design.
Right now in university I still have to use OrCAD, though this is for circuit simulation. The computers in there even run them in a WinXP VM!
My dad was a Continental pilot, so I was in many airports in the late 60s, though not JFK. What is missing is the scream of turbojets and low bypass ratio turbofans, and cigarette smoke.
“Winston tastes good like a cigarette should”
@@stoneylonesome4062
L.S.M.F.T.
Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco
Never set foot on a Constellation, but in 1960 or 61 I was bought an Airfix kit which was lovingly assembled and was the flagship of my model fleet, proudly displayed to visiting relatives. It was a very beautiful thing, the Constellation. Nobody cared about crumple zones in 1960, for a start nobody had seat belts so you'd die hitting the dash before the front got anywhere near you. In the bubble cars defence, it was very easy to park in the spaces for motorbikes, and it had a cute factor from the day it came out - it's not just nostalgia, they were regarded affectionately back then. Pit with a bell - sounds like a luxury version, the box in the picture is the one I had. Thanks for the nostalgia trip, looks like they've made a good job of it all.
36:40 turbo compounding has been continuously developed up until the modern day for heavy truck diesel applications. It may have stopped in aircraft but development has not ceased.
Really neat video. I love the aesthetics of that era.
Most enjoyable. Good to see this bit of history preserved in this way.
When I was a kid, I flew at least 24,000 miles on B707s, various airlines including Lufthansa, BOAC and Qantas. I just thought before each meal: "Oh here comes the prawn cocktail and Chicken a la King or fillet steak again". We don't realise or forget that *all* jet travel was luxurious in the early days of international flights, there were no "cheap airlines".
So if a "average" salary guy could save up a bit could he fly?
Was it out of reach for a common guy?
@@1joshjosh1 Of course not. It was just more expensive than today.
Through dedication and perseverance the enthusiasts, pilots and engineering staff of the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society over here in Australia have bought back the Constellation (named Connie)to the sky which flies regularly at displays and airshows. The effect it has on the crowd is hypnotic with dead silence and dropped jaws as she majestically soars past like a giant bird, engines growling and exhausts flaming.
Great video.
Here is a link to the HARS museum collection:
czcams.com/video/KZE7wj-27OQ/video.html
Looks like America owe's you guy another thanks, first AC/DC then Max Rockatansky and now a flying Constellation.
Thanks Australia, we'll done 👏👏👏
Oh man I would love to see that!
@@peterconnan5631 the more impressive sight is when they do a formation fly by with the collections rare Tracker(only one flying)Catalina,Drover(only one flying) Neptune(only one flying) and Caribou in multiple pairs. HARS museum is one of the best flying museums in the world.
@@rodneypayne4827 those are all interesting aircraft, but of the whole bunch, it's the Cat wnd the Connie that interest me...
I got to walk aboard in Merimbula a few years ago. The volunteer insisted my girlfriend pay the 'under 18 rate'. She's 32!
The world was more beautiful back then.
I wonder if it's because we were more optimistic then. Making something ordinary interesting, so we can all enjoy it.
What a fantastic video Greg, a bit different from your usual content, but I'm not complaining, it was fascinating from start to finish. What beautiful and cool looking buildings we used to build and they've done a great job on the decor to give us a flavour of life in the 60's.
I can remember the clack of updating departure boards!
Honestly more enjoyable to watch this than the majority of professionaly produced documentaries, thanks.
Greg - I thoroughly enjoyed this video. As a child, I was lucky enough to fly to Ireland out of JFK three times, in 1969, 1971, and in 1973. Once was on a Pan Am 707, then on an Aer Lingus 707, and then on an Aer Lingus 747. I remember being led to the flight deck each time to talk to the crew and get a miniature set of wings.
Just last October, I was again flying to Ireland out of JFK, again on Aer Lingus. I'm sure you realize they use the Jet Blue Terminal, as Immigration control between Ireland and the USA is handled in Ireland these days. Anyway, I found myself transfixed by the Constellation just across the way. I plan on spending a few nights in that hotel with my wife before long. So thanks for the very timely tour.
By the way, I thought I was the only guy with a Pilot Certificate that would be seen in public wearing two different flannel shirts at the same time. I bet Mrs. Greg just loves that look.
Hi Jay. Funny story, one of my flight attendants told me I'm not supposed to wear plaid on plaid. When I was talking to the fashion coordinator I met at the Constellation I asked her about it, and she said it's just fine. Of course the reality of packing for a 17 day trip in two carry on bags means that fashion takes a back seat to practicality.
Hello there!! First of all thanks for this video! Unconditional lover of airplanes, arquitecture, and history, I could not love this much!! And the Lockheed Constellation was one of our falg aircompany here in Portugal, when I came to this world too. The company is still here, despite of being more a worry rather then a profitable one, but this is Portugal. Be wellcome!
Cool, nostalgic stuff there Greg! As a child of the 60's this brought back a few memories. Your description of the driver of a VW bus as being "the crumple zone" was spot-on. They really were crap vehicles that could never pass our contemporary safety regs, but they had their niche and we just weren't so obsessed with trying to live totally hazard-free lives back in those days, were we?
Life was different back then. Do you remember the playgrounds back in the late 60's and early 70's. Safety was a much lower priority then.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles When I was in the second grade in the 1950s, we all got a safety lecture one afternoon at school. It seems someone in another class had been trying to see how high he could swing without hands. Swings in those days were two chains with a wide leather strap for a seat, no safety belts or third safety chain or the like. He succeeded in swinging so high that at the top he rotated out of the seat backwards and landed head first on a large rock on the ground near the swings. From the safety lecture, this was apparently fatal. We were told not to do that, as it would probably be fatal for us too. So what was done to make the swing safer? Nothing. The swing was still two chains and a leather strap. The rocks were still there. The safety lecture was sufficient. In fairness, I never got another of those while still at that school, so I guess the one lecture everyone got was sufficient. Not the way things are done today.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles Indeed I do - I played on them! It just seems like we've gone too far in the direction of "safety" in some regards. Not all, but too many.
We didn't know any other way to make a van.
Great video, Greg! There is so much more to aviation history than the aircraft themselves, such as airlines that no longer exist. It's a real shame that someone couldn't do something like this with the Pan Am building.
Another great video-ticks a lot of boxes too, interesting cars, airplanes, and architecture. I haven’t been to the TWA terminal, but since I’m nearby in New Jersey I will make a point to visit.
Sixties air travel is before my time, but I do remember as late as the ‘80s as a kid getting all sorts of games, coloring books, playing cards etc., when I flew with my parents. I also got to visit the cockpit during flight on several occasions, which for obvious reasons would never happen today.
A brief aside, NJTransit’s Secaucus Junction station, which was opened in 2003 has Solari/split flap signs in active use.
Thanks Alexander. Just to be clear, you can still visit the cockpit as long as the engines are not running. Just ask a flight attendant. Few people do it, on my flights it happens about once a year at the most.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles interesting, didn’t know that!
Hi Greg nice to see your channel! Thanks for all, was a pleasure to meet you!
Hi Susy, it was a joy to talk to you. Say hi to Clovis for me.
There's a Connie permanently parked at my old hometown airport. Loved going in and looking at that plane.
Thanks Greg, not the usual, but full of interesting information.
Great video, as an Air Force brat in the early 60s this brought back many memories of air travel at a time when mostly only the wealthy could afford it.
Reminds me of Dad driving us to the Albany (NY) Airport. We would park at the South end of runway 1 on a summer's evening and watch the Convairs of Mohawk Airlines come and go. Magical. Thanks for the nudge down Memory Lane Greg.
I love your comments and the humor. The Paris Loynge and the uniforms. I remember all the contemporary 1960’s and 1970’s details. I have followed your videos for a while now, especially views backed by facts that challenge normally accepted views.
Oh, I have two coming up that challenge what seem to be normally accepted views. You may like them. Thanks for your kind words.
Thanks Greg, now I have to go back to carrying an old style hard flight bag. It will be good for my kit model road builds. Challenge accepted.
Max, I thought you were retired from flying.
My uncle (born '45 in Ahrensburg, near Hamburg, Germany) told me, when the first men returned from war captivity in the 50s, there were only a few car brands on the road, such like Goggomobil, Messerschmidt Kabinenroller (Cabin-Cruiser), Borgward Isabella and BMW Isettas.
Some Airports I do visit regular, have or had those 50's/60's architecture elements, that is CDG in Paris and GIG in Rio De Janeiro. Also a big fan of Oskar Niemeyer
Your story telling are heavenly smooth Greg, thanks for making videos. As a young car and plane enthusiast, i'm really happy to found your channel. Greetings from Indonesia 🍻
Yes! Finally a mention of Turbo-compounding.
Dude, I didn't even know this place existed. Gonna add it to my vacation wishlist.
Thanks for the tour! As a military brat in the 1960's and 1970's, this tour brought back so many memories. I love the architecture from that time. Also, my dad used to maintain Constellations in the USAF (the EC-121 and C-121 versions) and he told me about those unique power recovery turbines in the engines, which I found amazing. I'll have to make a point to visit this hotel if I'm in NYC sometime.
Brings back a lot of memories when I and my parents flew commercial for the first time in 1973. I was 7 at the time.
1987 I cashed a ton of TWA frequent flyer miles for two first class round trip anywhere I wanted to go tickets for my wife and my honeymoon. LAX to Boston to Heathrow and back. Great flight with great service, Ambassador lounges preflight. No TSA to deal with. Back when flying was FUN! Haven't looked forward to a flight since 9/11, would rather have a colonoscopy!
Stewardess uniforms to citreon transaxles to penny tile in 3 minutes flat. Nice work Greg!
Thanks Rob.
And to add to the room motif-the ceiling to floor lamp post. It seems every 1960s living room had one.
This is a great video, Thanks! I enjoy your technical videos, but this was different and very enjoyable.
I was amazed by how how low the BSFC on the turbo compond engine is, .38. That is great for gasoline even on today's engines.
What a truly marvelous and highly informative video, and I thank you for producing it. I am nearly 70 years old started air traveling to Asia and Europe in 1957. So your video is a real blast from the past. The Super-Connie was one of the first planes I ever flew on, the DC-3 the other. I hope you may do more of these videos in the future as opportunity grants you the means. Again, thank you ever so much.
I got to stay in the TWA hotel on a company overnight. It has become my favorite overnight despite the small rooms. I did a video on it. The best part of course is the Connie parked outside.
Thanks for watching. I do watch your channel, but somehow missed your video on the hotel. I'll have to go and find it now.
Nice tour. All my JFK trips and I never went through the place. I grew up in Kansas City and many of my dad's friends were TWA pilots or maintenance. I blame them for my 40 year airline career. I well remember sitting on the observation deck at Kansas City Municipal and watching Connie's start engines with flames, smoke and all. Thanks for the video.
really loved the 60s styles thank you this was very interesting
Super cool building. Like watching 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Thank you for another great informative video! What a wonderful hotel! Would to visit that place! Salute!
Another great video! Thanks so much. I enjoyed your tour of this hotel/museum.(TWA Flight Center).
Yeah - the 440, maybe retrofitted with a set of Woodward disks would be very cool. My wife's mom, a war bride from Britain, came to the USA on a TWA Connie. I'm pretty sure it was a L-049.
Wow what a great video. I remember so many of these things. Really a sad thing they tore down the Pan Am building.
Another great video Greg, a pleasure to watch.
I caught the very end of that era in the early 1980s working at an airport as a lineman. That's when Providence Boston airlines was still flying dc-3s. Hundreds of gallons of fuel and tens of gallons of oil!
The airline industry to me is just as interesting or maybe more so than the military stuff, especially aircraft like the HP 42, Brabazon, SR Princess and many others. The fact that these amazing airplanes lived or died not necessarily according to performance but according to profitability and market forces is to me very interesting.
More videos on the commercial end of things please sir!
Served in the Army Reserve with a PBA pilot in the late 80's-90's. He would spend 6 mo in the En and then back to Miami for the winter.
That Was fun. brings back lots of memories. I flew a Connie from LA to New York as a lad in the 50’s, though I do not remember what year. I do recall that I wore a necktie. One certainly did not travel by air in a T shirt and cut offs in those days.
Fantastic! Another terrific video. A' course, I love the airplane videos but your "off topic" videos are sometimes even better Cowboy, keep doin' em. This was the first terminal I departed from to go "over seas". This was in 1988 when I moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as a flight instructor for Saudia. This was on a Saudia 747 because they used the TWA terminal. TWA was the company that advised Saudia on it's operations, a "clone" so to speak. Good stuff!
A few videos back you asked why people thought you were a military pilot. And you rightly stated that you never were and have never made any statement to that effect and you don't know why people thought you were.
The answer is very simple, Gravitas.
I believe people assume you are retired military pilot that has an airline job. They belive this because of how you carry yourself. You carry yourself like any competent and professinal Naval or Air Force officer would. Your level of knowledge and experience shows in every video you create and people fill in the blanks on their own. I assumed you were retired military myself. I filled in the blanks just like everyone else. This a channel about airplanes and cars, not about you personally and your life should be private. Hence we all fill in the blanks on our own.
An observation that I have made is that you fly with prior active, guard and reserve military pilots. The conversations that they have with you about aircraft are because they feel comfortable with you. I'm sure they know your not military but they see you at the same place, level, that they are. They wouldnt talk if they weren't comfortable. Again, gravitas.
I hope I'm correct about my observation. If not, I apologize upfront.
Thanks Andrew.
Great video! Thanks a lot for this one, it showed bunches of interesting stuff, as well as bringing back a lot of memories. I was never in the TWA terminal, or ever flew on a TWA airplane. I did get to go through the PanAm terminal in NY several times when I was in Army in the seventies, I think the terminal was there then, getting sent to Germany and coming back for leave, and finally coming back for good. It was truly impressive. My dad worked for PanAm, called PAA until I was ten or so. So while we would fly back to the States for vacation every year on PanAm - I remember the sleeper berths on the B-377 going across the pacific - we did get to fly other airlines to get to 'home' and visit relatives, since PanAm didn't fly into the interior of the US. But I don't remember being on TWA Lots of flights on Western, United, Frontier, Continental, American, Air West etc. I've probably still got all kinds of airline maps from the fifties and sixties stored in a box somewhere. Things have changed a lot since then. A lot.
And, yes, please, do a Super Connie video... or several. Turbo-compound engines are INTERESTING. :)
If I had an unlimited budget but had to have a piston aeroplane, this would be it. (And a good crew of round engine mechanics!)
Only 7 minutes in, not your usual subject matter... Really a cool video Sir!
I'd certainly enjoy learning about other terminals and airports, as your style is always so no nonsense and informative... I miss the bluntness/directness I grew up with in Chicago.
I always joke I've been to a lot of airports but not a lot of cities... CDG looks exactly like Taken 1 lol...
Hows the new airport in Berlin? Finally opened... Sprinkler systems, right?
Sorry, for my musings but these videos are always such a pleasure!
A brilliant and different video Greg. Thank you.
Thanks Mark, It hasn't been too popular in terms of views, but the people who have watched it seem to like it.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles well after being a full time podcast producer for more than a decade, the one thing I have learnt is just to produce what you love to produce. That way, your enthusiasm can be heard and it always makes a show more engaging. So you keep producing what you want to do & more power to you my friend.
Hi Greg, a brilliant documentary, similar age to u and bought back many childhood memories. The chatter of the schedule boards, the whole architecture, and while I’m not normally interested in fashion, really enjoyed the vid on the uniforms. Even wall mounted rotary phones. Times change so inexorably, that it is very easy to forget a lived history. Look back in from 200 years time and this is all weird stuff - like hey mum, why did they make candy cigarettes, who’d want those? fixed phones etc etc. while I normally look to ur vids for stats, etc I do enjoy the little snippets u often finish ur vids with. I thoroughly applaud and congratulate u on you work. Mark C.
Great video Greg! We transited through this terminal back in 73 on our way to and from Chicago. We flew Bcal 707 LWG to New York and TWA to Chicago in a 727 and the same in reverse for our return journey. We had to get a taxi from whichever terminal the BCal flight terminated at and the taxi driver was proud to show us the TWA flight centre as it came into view. In 73 it looked like it came from another world😮. So glad it has been preserved 🙂
When having alot of intertes and expernce pays off! Great comprehisive video never knew of this place although I have vaguely heard of the back story of the airport before thanks for sharing this!
Blast from the past! I never traveled through NYC as a boy, but remember those flippy arrival/departure boards quite well in other airports. That place would have been a wonder for a kid like me! And yeah the food on the planes was good and if I remember correctly on nearly any flight that went through the meal hours. And I would love it if you did a in depth video series on the Constellation especially the engines.
Wow thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this. By the way now I have also a face that I can connect with you're voice.
Greetings from Germany.
Thanks. I'm in Germany at the moment as well. Landstuhl layover.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles I'm living in Frankfurt am Main. Ironically working exactly next to the airport here. Wish you a good time here.
Excellent video Greg .... as a guy who got out of HS in '62 there were a lot of memories stirred (including models and photography) ....... just sayin'
I think this is the first photo we've seen of Greg. Neat. Lots of interesting artefacts here. I'll be sure to visit if I'm at Idlewild, er JFK.
The BMW Isetta was a 4-Stroke BMW R25 Engine and good for almost 100mpg. And with closer to 15hp it added a lot more power to go with 3-Wheeler Handling.
The Isetta 300 has a four stroke, most of Isetta variants have a two stroke. As I said, there were many versions of this thing, I couldn't cover all of them so I just gave a brief overview of each car, with a bit extra on the Newport for the reasons I explained.
Thoroughly enjoyed this video Greg !
Well, time to start saving for a trip to NYC and a stay in the TWA hotel!
Had one domestic flight on a Connie. Loved it, better than the usual DC3 and later turbine powered prop planes. Perhaps it was the climb up to that plane (I was a kid) it just seemed so tall and sleek.
This might qualify as technical help, but a geology professor at Central Washington (state) University makes frequent videos of geology-related hikes he takes in the mountains of Washington, and they're virtually bounce-free. I have no idea what the name is of the device he uses, but he shoots his videos with an iPhone, and the quality is excellent, so it might be worthwhile to do a Google search for video platforms, or contact the professor (Nicolaus Zentner) at Central Washington University and ask him what equipment he's using. I never shoot video, so I have no experience with devices like that. I still have one of those hard-sided Samsonite suitcases in gray, and have used it from time to time. My family and I (at the time I was 12) flew to New York from St. Louis (and back) in 1956 aboard a TWA Constellation as the first and last legs of our lone European summer. We took an Italian Line ocean liner from New York Harbor across the Atlantic, into the Mediterranean, spent about a month in Italy and Switzerland, and then came back to New York on a different ocean liner. All about a decade before what's in this video, but it has the same feel - at least in my aging memory. Saarinen was also the designer/architect for the Gateway Arch on the riverfront in downtown St. Louis as well as the TWA Travel Center. Excellent video, Greg - a nice nostalgia tour!
Probably uses a gimbal camera stabiliser
@@Joetechlincolns That's my guess, too.
I was in the Biltmore mansion and about five feet over the velvet rope was a nice chess set and marble board. On it was a sign stating that the set once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte and by his request upon his death his heart had been removed and lain on his chess set for a bit of time.
I was astonished it was so close to the visitors and had no security cover over it.
The next time I went I looked for it in the house and didn't see it so asked a few guides till I found it had been moved into another building where the arms and armor among other things like cars was being displayed. When I finally found it it was quite obvious that one of the red pieces was _not_ ivory, was _not_ the same ocher red, and most definitely *_not_* carved to the same standard as the other pieces. One of the curators was close by so I asked her if that was a replacement piece and she said it was.
I imagine she may have been a bit curious how I knew so I told her about the first time I seen that artifact and how unsecured it was. I then shook my head and said what a disgrace it was to steal something like that that the thief could never sell and could never brag about having without worrying over the consequences. I then informed her that I hope they hang the thief if they ever caught the selfish bastage.
And no I do not have that piece. I literally would buy the rope...😠
Anytime you find such a place or object that is part of aviation, automobelia, or motor driven cycles and you want to knock out a video like this know that we do appreciate it Greg!
I would love to have you go through the Wheels Thru Time and Glen Curtis museum just to see what you would find most interesting!
In ‘58 I rode a 4 prop from LAX to Willow Run, the DTW of its day. Only remember several stops, noise.
Great video Greg, intriguing as always. Must be your own fashion sense and dark good looks attracting those fashion models.
I recall an episode of MadMen used the lobby as a set - perhaps more than once. . . great video Greg!
Good vid greg, keep making more of these!
I grew up in the area of Kennedy airport and my father would always take me to the area airports to watch the planes and this brought back some great memories I live in Joplin MO now and dont see places like this anymore so thank you for the great video ps my step brother was a TWA airframe mechanic now he’s an American pilot flying the Airbus
Well, THAT was a fun little trek down memory lane! And, gee -- I'll BET you enjoyed hanging out with a Brazilian fashion model! 😆
That was great. A nice change of pace.
In Norway we had Tab Xtra soda, we were the last country to sell them for some reason. In 2020 Coca Cola stopped the production for good.
😢 I liked Tab.
Plus you could buy a six pack, toss it in the fridge at work and when you came back there would still be six of them!😂
At Alaska airlines we still use a newer type of the electric tug which looks very similar to the one in this video. We use them in the bagwell to run late checked bags to the gate
Thanks, That's quite interesting. I do still see electric tugs around, but not too often, and these days a Noland Electric is quite rare.
Love your channel Greg! Mike Machat (aviation artist) has a nostalgic video of Idlewild too that people interested in this might like too, and his art and history are really great too.
Whoops - forgot the link: czcams.com/video/IQ7j8n3D6xU/video.html
Thanks I just watched it. I found it very enjoyable.
Great one, Greg! Thanks for this, love the big jet stories.
Great video on a really obscure yet fascinating building and hotel. Most of us on this channel are probably the only ones who would want to fly out there just to stay a night or two and check it out.
Based on the price of that burger, I’m genuinely frightened to look up how much a room costs. 🤣
By New York standards, the cost of the room wasn't too bad. Honestly, if the burger had been epic, I would have said it was worth the 26 bucks, I'm sad it wasn't. Next time I'm there, I'm stay in the food court with the hotties.
Thanks, Greg. This brings back a lot of memories. by the way, your Coke machine was ten cents. The one I used was only a nickel, although it was a six ounce glass bottle.
it's hard not to think of TWA and Howard
My dad used to work for TWA as a mechanic and missed his only chance to fly in the Connie. He still regrets not taking that opportunity to this day.
Hi, Greg. I'm really enjoying your channel, both the aeromotive and automotive content. Your comments about the Isetta and 500 prompt me to ask if you've considered an episode on microcars? Definitely would be on the other end of the spectrum from your series on 60's muscle cars! On a somewhat related note, have you ever visited the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville? One of my all-time favorite car museums, and one I highly recommend if you've not been there.
Hi Bruce, I haven't been there, but would like to go. I don't think there is much interest in micro cars, but maybe.
@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles But think how many you can cover in the same space! Hope you get to the Lane.
Fascinating video thanks!
Yes do a video on the power recovery system please
I thought about that. It's a nearly magic thing and would make an interesting video.
Thanks for sharing this with us. Very cool.