Capital Vickers Viscount Promo Film - 1955 

The acting....A+

I toured with Tom Jones in the 70s as a musician and we used a fine Viscount that had been set up by a California company for touring artists. Sitting in the jump seat with the pilots on occasion got me interested in becoming a pilot. Many years and hours later, I’ve owned and restored several classic GA aircraft and have commercial, multi, instrument ratings. What a classic plane the Viscount is and what great memories I’m blessed to have.

When a Viscount was coming in for a landing a fog would form on the floor in the passenger compartment. When I was 9 or 10 I would start acting real scared and then would whisper loudly "OMG We're on fire". Wasn't I a mean little shit?? My Dad worked for Capital so that's how I knew what was happening.

The takes from the RR engine factory ... in its color and tone .. might also be imagined . by Jules Verne :)

The end of Capital was not pretty. I worked there in '84 or so with a crew of angry white trash jailbirds from the Lavergne / Smyrna, TN (Nashville) area. They were doing contract maintenance on OLD 4 engine jets. The slop crew made doing floor/ airframe work a biohazard by sloshing toilet juice throughout. One day we couldn't get a UPS drop down cargo door to slide into its recess. After recess inspection, we removed a large mass of leafy green packed substance and pitched it over the side. Thinking we had a large clean up job before lunch, we came to the floor to find an unheard of cleanly swept area. Who would have done that ? !!!!

Growing up I had the Dinky Toy models of all the British airplanes. My favourites were the Britannia and the Viscount

My Dad was with Capital and then United. As an A&P master mechanic he kept the viscount flying. We were lucky to travel on many Viscounts.

Used to go to and from Jersey (Channel Islands) on a Viscount in the '60s, '70s and early '80s. Fantastic aeroplane (Yes, AEROPLANE)

Those dart engines were absolute screamers ...great noise porn!

I was blessed to fly on one of these -- Houston to Tucson. I still remember the 'Rolls Royce' logo on the engine nacelles. Continental Airlines operated these in the mid -to-late 60's.

The narrator is none other than Washington broadcasting legend John Batchelder. He also appears in the video as the pilot.

when you could hang around an airport

I loved the Viscount. Powerful, fast and quieter than the recips. Flew into Lansing, MI in 1965 during a snow storm. Blowing snow across the runway and the crew handled it with ease. I liked the big oval windows for a better view.

I remember, as a child, flying from Southern Rhodesia to England in a Viscount - 6000miles, and then some years later in a VC10. Some amazing aircraft have been built in England - the first turbo-prop airliner, the first jet airliner, the first supersonic airliner, the first VTOL fighter, to name just a few.

The most loving and inspirational father I've ever seen with the warmth of a really loving man. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 More like a psychopath with as much personality as a crushed brick.

Many thanks for posting this video. A close friend who worked as a mechanic for Capital, prior to being acquired by United, was very proud to have serviced this magnificent aircraft. “We’d leave Columbus 30 minutes after [the Connie], and arrive in Washington [D. C. ], 30 minutes ahead of them”.

Thank you for posting this one. My late dad routinely flew aboard these Viscounts as a deputy federal marshal while returning home from transporting a prisoner (pre-CONAIR). He told us the Viscount was the smoothest and fastest aircraft he'd traveled aboard. The sound of a Viscount approaching the terminal ramp was unforgettable and absolutely unique. I never got the chance for a Viscount flight but, on one Labor Day weekend, United opened an inactive one up for us locals to walk thru. After seeing Dad getting off that Viscount so many times, it was a thrill to go on board my first aircraft and look around, including a cockpit tour.

They didn't mention is in a two year period .that Capital lost four Viscounts.

Capital Airlines lost my luggage

In an emergency, rescuers could extract passengers individually through the person-sized windows.

A guy is standing beside a machine that is throwing off what looks like shavings at about the 6:00 minute mark of this film, without safety goggles. What am I missing here or isn't this dangerous?

I have always liked the Viscount although it could be quite noisy if you sat at the front near the engines. I have always felt secure on this aircraft. Flew on Viscounts several times, from London to/from the Channel Islands with BEA/BA and also on a number of occasions aboard the Gibair/GB Airways Viscount on the GIB-TNG route, the world's shortest Intercontinental flight, Europe to Africa in 20 minutes or less. Also in 1985 flew on a Viscount LGW-BRU. At that time British Caledonian's Saturday morning flight on this route was operated by a Viscount replacing the normal BAC1-11, although it was not a British Caledonian aircraft. I think the aircraft was provided by BAF British Air Ferries but not 100% sure whose aircraft it was except that it was not BA.

My Dad flew for Capital Airlines and flew the Viscount before he transitioned to United. While not the favorite of his long career, he spoke well of the aircraft. Thanks for posting this video!

Nice Ad just too bad my Mother was one of 48 passengers KILLED when it crashed on 18 Jan 1960 due to pilots Mistakes of NOT Deicing of the plane during Ice conditions while in flight !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was obviously filmed before promo actors memorized their lines, and had to read cue cards, lol

Back when air passengers appreciated turboprops - and not only that, turboprops like this - with four powerplants driving four-bladed propellers that weren't designed for quietness, and not only that, propellers made out of titanium, which absorbs somewhat less vibration than the carbon fiber composite marvels found in all modern turboprops!

Ugh---Dart engines!!! What a whine! Many airline employees lost their hearing working around those screamers (back when wearing ear-muffs wasn't cool).

Huh? Who? What? Say again? Howz that? Sorry... is this ringing in my ears bothering you? I never flew the Viscount, but the time spent in FH-227s and F-27s and Dart engines are remembered fondly. The 'hush kitted' 535s were still loud as hell on the ramp. They were water wagons as well. Water/meth cooled and fuelled for power recovery on takeoff.

My Dad was in the airline business and we took them on Capital all the time in our space available seats in order to get to the KLM gateway of NYC...funny thing about this flick is it smacks a but like "Night of the Living Dead" whenever the humans are doing their lines...CU on Dad is just downright creepy...So gaze out that huge oval window and sit vibration free and enjoy seeing those stubby wings...You are flying in a VISCOUNT...

Nice colour footage of the ol' Viscount, decked out in her Capital Airlines livery!

That father! what a psycho describing the engine

Those windows so large.

Lots of pounding the engine parts into place with the heel of their hands!! LOL

Why were films like this made? Who was the audience and when where would it have been shown? Just curious.

The Spitfire mmmmmm I'm thinking the Mustang, Mosquito, F-38. The Spitfire won the Battle for Britain, it had sweet lines, but the Mustang could go the distance straff like a Jug. The Viscount was a nice transport.

CApital airlines held the record for having two viscount S crashing with in 15 minutes of each other, o/a 1959 as I recall.

Ah the Viscount! Wonderful British aircraft from the era when British aircraft were world beaters. If the politicians and the managers had been up to their jobs like most of the engineers we might yet have 'achieved perfection' as the film states. A wonderful memory from the pre Boeing days.

I wonder how many of these type planes crashed or got hijacked 🤔.

Gisholt was a company in Madison WI.

What's he mean 'Unobstructed View'? The little boy's hands keep getting in the way.

The clown in the car can’t even open his own door

Beautiful aeroplane...travelled many times on the Vicount...large windows for viewing...distinctive Rolls Royce Turbo Dart engine sound....

I flew in one from Teesside to Heathrow in 1984. What a beautiful aircraft.

I flew on the Viscount once, it was a nice airplane.

I love those huge windows! I wish i was there during the 1960s and 70s when Indian Airlines used them for their domestic trunk routes prior to the introduction of another legend, the 737-200!

I remember one of these Viscounts crashing into a factory close to Liverpool Airport U.K. in a big explosion & a ball of flames back in 1965 .The crew & a couple of factory employees were unfortunately killed .It was fortunate that no passengers were on board & the factory decided not to work overtime that evening .I was 11 years of age cycling a couple of hundred yards away .Airlines like Aer Lingus ,British Eagle & Cambrian flew them to & from the old Liverpool Speke airport U.K. at the time .They were usually quite comfortable reliable & safe to fly in ,& most managed to land on the airport runway the right way up in one piece .

tragic that the most footage of the amazing viscount is from the usa. there is no recordings from the country of origin. another golden creation from sir george edwards.

My dad flew the Viscount for Capital Airlines out of Midway airport before transitioning to the 727.

I remember the Viscount, I flew them when growing up in Brazil ( when Brazil was still nice ) in the 50's with VASP, also remember them with United, I think UAL was its only North American operator, perhaps Trans Canada ( Air Canada ) too. It was a good medium range airplane just like the L188 Electra, unfortunately both entered service smack in the beginning of the jet age, and were doomed for extinction as soon as they became available, RIP Viscount and Electra.

When parents didn't smile at their kids. At least I hope he is one of their parents.

Interesting ... I just posted a video of Vickers Viscout 816 now on display in Melbourne.... Pretty cool for a plane almost 70 years old..

Twins but don’t wear same clothes

Viscount, um dos mais confortáveis aviões de passageiros... viajei algumas vezes nele, na extinta VASP, aqui no Brasil. Um avião que realmente, deixou saudades em todos que o conheceram de perto !!! ❤🎉🇧🇷

I remember flying, in a British Airways Viscount. But the engine note , had a unique whine. I am sure the Vickers Engineers, could have stopped it, if they had wanted to.

Enfant 13 ans en 1963 je l'ai vu a Aulnat sur l'aéroport avec mon père et nous avons parlé avec le pilote , bel avion . Jacques

Very very nice !!

The "Veemee" flown by "Cockrill and Brown." Well...close enough I guess.

Actually Capital Airlines was in financial difficulty as the 1960's began. But could not find a buyer! United wanted the Western Division, but not the entire Airline! Finally Capital found another buyer in Allegheny Airlines, who agreed to buy the Eastern Division. While United did grab the biggest share of Capital, Allegheny walked away with the company headquarters building, and main maintenance hanger at Washington National Airport. Later when greater restrictions were placed on the traffic load out of DCA Allegheny was in a perfect position to capitalize on the loads, and for a time, the only "Air Carrier" operators which were permitted into DCA was Allegheny Airlines, and Eastern Airlines. In the late 1960's Allegheny went into an expansion mode, and changed their Logo and Name to U.S. Air. Allegheny over the years had been gradually moving it's HQ from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. Utilizing the beautiful new building that had been built by Capital Airlines. United also got all the Vickers Viscounts!!!