Sweet! My old airline. I worked for Eastern in Kentucky and Georgia from 1979 to 1986. Wonderful airline to work for. My heart vwey when it closed its doors in the early 90's.
This was recorded by my father with a VHS VCR/Camera combo. He carried a portable VCR on one arm, and a camera on the other. The camera was separate and attached to the VCR with a cable.
Ironic story I had an uncle that had the camcorder VCR combo. He would wear it at family functions, he also happened to work at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach where they made this plane!
Wish there were more historical aviation videos like this on RU-vid. Not sure why two people gave a thumbs down to this. Thanks for digitizing and posting.
I noticed the man and woman looking with interest at the video camera, it wasn't as common a thing back then to record home videos as it is today, with everyone able to do it on their phones and then post it to the now billions of RU-vid videos.
Rare recording of the P&W JT8D's original and unique harmonics. The engines have a sound effect of smoothly inhaling the air, rather than the updated JT8D's sound of grinding the air. There's that and other subtle differences as the engines spool up and down. For me, this video captures the way a jet engine is supposed to sound. By the mid-80's this sound was mostly gone, but it's preserved here. Good show.
This video has almost every catalyst that got me into aviation... DC-9's ,727's, Eastern Airlines(hockey sticks everywhere!), Delta Airlines, friendly and professional crew(ground and flight)! This was when it was a pleasure to fly in contrast to todays 'flying city buses!'
Wow! Thank you for preserving the history of aviation. Those were great days to fly. Did anyone notice how decent the passengers dressed while flying. As a kid and as a teenager, my mother made sure I was properly dressed. No shorts, no flip flops, no loose tops as you see now. It’s more like riding on a greyhound bus these days.
Little did we know that flying in those days was a treat for sure. Seeing all those Republic Airlines planes taking off brought back some great memories! And flying on an Eastern DC-9, what I would give to do that just one more time!
ccwalker050 My father always kept his VHS tapes in their sleeve, in a closed door cabinet, away from extreme heat and cold. Once recorded, the tapes were labeled and put away. They were hardly ever viewed until now.
@@candacepost2137 yes, I remember. I flew with my family in the 80s when I was growing up. We flew on Eastern a couple of times, but we flew TWA most often. That's another great airline that's missed. And yes, the good ol' days when we got meals on flights, almost every US domestic flight we went on served them except Kansas city to St. Louis, and that's just because that's just a 30 minute flight
yeah when i was a kid an eastern pilot let me sit on his lap during taxi making it look like i was driving the plane with the cockpit door open then the flight attendant brought me back to my parents before takeoff man have the times have changed in a bad way
Look at that on taxi..the flight deck door is open...also a North Central DC-9 went before him and an Ozark airlines DC-9 taxiing behind him...somebody check me on the Ozark...brings back memories...DC-9s everywhere...
Year 1983,year that I was born,this was really golden times of vintage airplanes as B727,DC9,DC10, earliest B737,B747,A300....... and for this time the most modern and advanced B757 and B767,the old colours of Eastern,Delta,USAir, Continental,United, American,TWA,PANAM...... were so beautiful.Sadly many of them does not exist today,TWA(bought by American in 2001),PANAM(Bankrupted and bought by Delta in 1991),Northwest(merged with Delta in 2008/2009) Continental(merged with United in 2010),US Airways (merged with American in 2013)and new Eastern is not the same.
A300 are no comparison to the others. Because that plane is a European colaboration. The others are pure American! But your information is correct. And the European planes have since flooded the market. Probably and presently surpassing the American models these days. Very sad indeed. For me anyways. Seems like almost everything in the USA is imported nowadays. Even the auto industry was down-sized. America makes hardly nothing of its own anymore. Why? Because politically we let the world thrive on our wealth. All the manufacturing industry goes to everywhere but America. But thankfully, Trump is trying really, really hard to fix that unfair crap. Don't mean to get political; but that's why he will be President for 5 more years. Because he understands more than any other President in history that we are being ripped! Period.
Very good quality for 1983. Your camera must have been HUGE. I remember as a kid riding on ContinentaL and Delta and they would leave the cockpit door open until right before takeoff.
@@robertlashier6272 Yes, before or after the flight, the pilots would welcome a mother bringing her little kid in there, since I was one of them, I remember being shown the cockpit, back in the days when it was 3 men, before they didn't need the navigator anymore
Great video! My mother worked for Eastern for many years, so I was lucky enough to pass ride a lot. Eastern was very generous with employee and family flight privileges. This particular aircraft is a DC-9 series 30…or D9S per the employee schedule. The DC-9 series 30’s had the ship numbers between 916 and 998. The series 50 aircraft carried the 400 numbers. The short bodied series -14 aircraft were numbered 901-915. They were gone from the fleet by 1980.
This whole trip (plus the trip down from Chicago) is great... I lived in MCO around this time and this all looks familiar. This took some effort to produce. Thank you.
Wow..talk about visionary. Family was ahead of the game. Who would have thought of filming back in those days!! And the open flight deck...priceless!!!
This brings back a lot of memories for me. Mom,dad and I would always fly Eastern and sometimes Delta out of Columbus to Orlando often back in the day ( 1968 thru 1983 ) loved the DC-9's Thanks for sharing this great video.
The 1980's to 1990's may have been the greatest time for America! One common theme I read in the comments is how well dressed everyone is and the behavior was in line with a great country!
Absolutely love it. My favorite aircraft the D9S or 30. So many happy memories on AC and this workhorse! Wish there was a meal shown. Those were the days when you got the full meal deal for free in Economy.
You don’t see the cockpit door open anymore... those were the days! Seeing all the old airline skins... some names not around anymore. Great video. Thanks for the post!
I believe this is a DC9 instead of a 727 like mentioned earlier. I worked for EAL from 79-89 and enjoyed it very much. I liked the older seats compared to today's as they were bigger and more comfortable. I also think the flight attendants were better looking. Thanks for this video!!
Sherpaful Probably looked similar to this: i.guim.co.uk/img/static/Guardian/technology/gallery/2008/sep/03/1/Betamovie-1963.jpg?w=700&q=85&auto=format&sharp=10&s=15fdac2be30865cb12e20e99f49e7073
Nice, all those old airplanes! The planes now days are so boring...when they cycle out the 747's there will be only boring 2-engine, anitseptic look-alikes. Check out the United DC-10 at 9:18.
Great video! I loved to fly on the Diesel-9. The sound of a JT8-D going full blast is like music to me. Miss those great airplanes. Thanks for the video!
This video brings back memories! This same week in 1983 I was on my way to the Canary Islands from Sweden in a brand spanking new B-757. First flight for me in a "glass" cockpit aeroplane. Was privelged to fly jump-seat in the cockpit both ways. Thanks for the lovely video.
Those were the good ol' days when you didn't have to wait hours to go through security and people got dressed up to go on a plane. NOTHING like it is today when people dress like they are going to go jogging when they get on. GREAT video. Happy to give it a "like". As Bob Hope said " Thanks for the memories"
john maselli I totally agree with you. Flying was actually part of the “adventure” for my best friend and I. People had a sense of formality and being civil to one another. I am so glad I had the opportunity to experience the TRUE “Friendly Skies”. The last flight I took was I was sitting next to a couple of black men who tried to give the impression of wealth by wearing cheap looking gold chains, rings and watches.During the entire flight, every other word was “fucking” this or that followed by “hey nigga”. I was taught to treat everyone with respect, but when black people call each other “nigga” it clearly is a reflection of their ignorance and lack of any type of social skills. No, I am not a racist, but after a 3 hour flight sitting next to these guys did sway my views somewhat. I am afraid to say that even when flying, this is more of the rule rather than the exception.
What a great video. just went back to my childhood.my 1st Flight to miami from cali colombia was on eastern in '88 Service was top notch, along with PAN AM, Best times in aviation...
My very first flight was on an EA 727 in 1977. I was the only pax on board and was given the royal treatment. I fell in love with the airline industry because of that flight.
The good old days when the cockpit door was open during taxi and closed before takeoff. The sound of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D was music to my ears. Flying is way different now. Quiet airplanes and TSA abusing their power
I was a flight attendant with Eastern for almost 13 years. I went on to work for other air carriers, and ended my career as a corporate flight attendant. My years at Eastern were the best, even though we were serving meals and snacks almost every time the wheels lifted off the runway! This video brings back such sweet memories!
@@georgiapines7906 That's great that you were a flight attendant in the 80s, and that you have many fond memories of it. I remember all the times my family and I flew when I was a kid in the 1980s. We had family everywhere, and took vacations to different places. Which airline we traveled on depended on where we went, and we lived in Kansas city. We flew Eastern when going to Philadelphia (where my grandparents lived), it was a direct flight from K.C. One time though, we flew to Philly Delta via Atlanta. When we went to England (where my other grandparents lived), we flew TWA, to London via Chicago, and then later via St. Louis (when TWA made their hub there). Then we once flew United to Reno via Denver. And once USAir to Pittsburgh. We travelled on many of the different airlines, except I never flew American in the 80s as a kid, or Pan Am
+John Kibbe My father also attained the rank of Captain, but he was not a captain for 35 years, Communicating correct information is critical in air transport. It was a sad day for all of us when EAL shut down.
Then he might have known mine, a captain for Eastern also 35 yrs, flew the L-1011 to S America out of Miami before retirement. They really rode a wave of opportunity.
Love this video! Reminds me of my many flights on the same route. My family moved from Northern Illinois to Orlando back in 1972. My first commercial flight was in 1979 on Eastern Airlines on an L1011. Most of the time that I flew, it was back to Chicago to see family. I would have been on a similar flight end of January in 1983 headed to a family wedding.
Oh how we loved Eastern Airlines!!! The only US airline that had real jet service to Ottawa and a busy ticket office in downtown Ottawa too reliable Eastern MIA - BWI - YOW and that aircraft back the next day connecting 2 North American Capital areas
Oh the good old days before the A320, 737, and regional jets messed everything up. Back then u had DC9's, MD80's, and 727 ' s in all their glory, not to mention all of the Tristar L1011-500's, and DC10's. We used to fly in comfort, now we get crammed into these 737 's and A320 's like sardines to go from Orlando to Los Angeles!!! New York ' s Laguardia was full of 727 ' s and Tristars, now you're lucky if you see a 757 there, all they have are regional jets and a320's, good God I hate that plane, it's destroyed all that is good in flying. Now unless you're flying to Asia or deep into Europe, you can't even get on a 767, 777, or any other heavies, for crying out loud they're starting to use the 737 for transcontinental red-eyes and to go to HAWAII!!!! Even though I was only like 5 back then, I sure do miss the 80's
I hardly recognize MCO. The airport has many more gates and the new control tower is much higher. It’s cool seeing Eastern Airlines again. They were the first airline I flew from New York(Don’t remember if it was JFK or LGA), to visit my grandmother in Ft. Lauderdale.
So many people so nostalgic... As if 1983 were 32 years ago or something...wait...shit, I'm getting old... And in the 80's I thought the 50's were ancient history...
ah yes, back when they used to put logos on the jetways, the cockpit door was open, and you could smoke. Memories are nice, but I'm glad air travel is MUCH safer today (both security wise and technology wise).
The 727 took forever to get airborne and once off the ground they were extremely slow to get up to altitude. Before Eastern went under, I would park on the top deck of Sky Harbor's terminal parking and if I had time before my flight or a pickup, I stood on the edge of the terrace watching aircraft take off. The 757's, the most beautiful bird in the sky by its graceful, elongated shape would grab sky as if it was pulled upward by a puppet string. The Delta and Eastern jets were the opposite, they would mosey upward and given your experience watching the 737-300/400 as well as the 757, you had the thought crossing your mind, that that sucker is going to plow into downtown Tempe, it just isn't gaining altitude. I know all about loads, my buddy and fellow accountancy student at Arizona State, now working for America West would sometimes look at a takeoff and say: "We're losing money on that flight, or that baby is paying the bills" based on the angle of the climbout. I do the same thing now, too steep, the carrier is losing their shirts, a little shallower and We're In The Money, baby.
