Eastern Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation Promo Film - 1953 

"Now it's time for a Chesterfield"

I've been a pilot for 46 years. That was one hell of an advertisement for Eastern Airlines, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation and Chesterfield cigarettes! 😀👍

Amazing - he mentions the B-52 in 1953 and they are still flying in military service in 2019.

The Lockheed Connie is probably the most beautiful aircraft ever to take wing.....Howard Hughes wrote the specifications - and the short interview with Eddie Rickenbacker in a Spad is history. I was 4 years old when this film was made - and I remember Arthur Godfrey on the radio at my grandparents...... it was a very different world back then.

For classic airliners enthusiasts, movies like this one are better than gold. Thank you so much for sharing this!!!

The first time I ever flew I was 6 years old and flew on an Eastern Connie from Chicago Midway to Tampa International. I got airsick and knew I never wanted to fly again. Today I am retired airline captain from a major airlines with over 25,000 hours of flight time. It all started with the Super Connie.

My father, Captain Joe Kelley was flying at this time for EAL. Dick Merrill was his mentor and Eddie Rickenbacher remained a friend for the rest of his life. How well I remember being in the car ready to go on a trip when the message would come, "call crew schedule". That meant our trip was cancelled! Dad started flying in 1931 with the Army Signal corps. in open cockpit bi wing bombers. He was stationed in Kelly and Randolph fields. He loved what he did!

I'm a child of the '50's and '60's and ALL these years I never knew Arthur Godfrey was a pilot...let alone such a highly experienced and certified one..

I was impressed about film. To hear Capt Eddie's voice was something. I have a copy of Rickenbacker's autobiography, signed!

For all those wondering if this aircraft is still around, The only flying one is at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society in NSW Australia. It's so good and lots to take in! It's also sadly the only flying Connie in the world to this day :cry:

When this was filmed Arthur Godfrey was 49. He could've passed for 65.

I knew it could fly on any two engines, but when he put it on number four only, I was really impressed!

Time for a Chesterfield... My goodness, times have changed indeed

How can 90 people dislike such an amazing video? The narration was so informative and interesting. The Super Connie is one of the best looking airliners ever built. This video is gold

Loved seeing the ILS and approach radar in 1953! That was awesome.

Absolutely great video. Aviation was an adventure at that time. The great Arthur Godfrey. Would like, I could smoke a "Chesterfield" with him. I'm keeping an old Curtiss-Wright R-3350 running. The pinnacle of American piston engine development. A really masterpiece, chapeau. Regards from Germany.

I wish I could jump back in time and fly the ole Connie. Life was so much simpler back then. Look at where this country has ended up today.

My first ever flight was on a Connie from London to Paris. During flight in pure Connie fashion the number 3 engine caught on fire. I was pretty young then but I remember an unease in the cabin and the flight attendants started going about the cabin with big silver trays of hard candies and letting you have as many as you liked. When we returned from Paris a few days later the plane was still under repairs and my family had to stay in the airport till it was ready. My mother, with four kids all under 12, poor woman.

WOW! Did you see the DINNER those passengers were served?! In modern-day... passengers are "lucky" to get a stale (very SMALL) packet of peanuts, practically thrown at them!!

What a stunning, fantastic, historical documentary of earlier flight! I was utterly riveted the whole time! Thanks for posting!

Wow! I'd long forgotten Arthur Godfrey, and never knew till now that he was a flier. Neat!

Arthur Goffery just loved flying you could see it in his demeanor what a sale person for Eastern.

"Boy oh boy". I love these old films. Don't know why anyone dislikes this film.

I can’t believe they light up and smoke in the cockpit, I remember smoking on the plane!!

WOW !!!!!!! no chicken or Pasta , but REAL dinner !!!!!!!!

Wonderful to see and hear Captain Eddie Rickenbacker! Incredible piece of history. Thanks for posting this! As close to a time machine as possible.

Thanks for this. My interest in Eddie Rickenbacker was piqued. Now I have grasp of the immense achievement he made, and his unparalleled courage and determination. A rare individual.

it's also great to see Eddie Rickenbacker in a movie, especially if you keep in mind he barely survived in 1941 (February the 26th) when flying in one of the Eastern DC-3s that crashed in a CFIT accident leaving 8 dead and the boss himself with nearly each and every single of his bones broken (Flight 21 from NYC to Brownsville, TX).

I remember when I was about 10-12 I was on the back of my parents house and a Connie flew over. I told my parents that I wanted to fly in that one day. My mother said that would be a scary ride. I never got on the Connie. But I flew on 707s, c121, c130(best acft in the Air), c54(dc6), etc. one helicopter called the Pedro, one glider and a bunch of smaller passenger planes.

impressive knowledge of the Captain Arthur Godfrey, and his Crew-with a powerful good looking aircraft - Eastern Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation ! thank you all for allowing us to enjoy flying on a safe manner! God Bless all!

Thank you for thanking the great aircraft mechanics for doing a great job.

Men of vision, courage ,intelligence, and the strongest moral fiber. Great job my Friends, keep 'em flying! Bill B.

Rickenbacker was a legend, and it was just awesome seeing him role up in his SPAD. That was a time of true men

That brought back a lot of memories. Author Godfrey was very popular then. It was good to see him again. The idea of the helicopters bringing passengers to the airport was promoted right through the early 60's. My father's friend was an attorney that invested heavily in developing a heliport, but it was never built. Kennedy's assassination, Viet Nam, and the civil unrest of the mid-late 60's ended the optimism of the post war period. The time when this film was made was the high point in America.

Back when the chrome was thick & the women were straight! The "Connie" was the most beautiful piston-engine transport ever designed.

Used to see Connies flying over New Mexico - my father was an Air Traffic controller, so we saw and knew a lot as kids about the aircraft flying over us. Especially the B-58 that made a climb over the airport. What a kick in the ass that was!

Now that was a great corporate promo film! Complete with Eddie Rickenbacker and a recruiting pitch. Loved it.

I love how he says “aeroplane” instead of “airplane.”

Really enjoyed that, my first airline flight was an Eastern flight to JFK from Norfolk Regional in 1966.I remember how impressed I was that the plane had four engines and how big it was. My younger brother and I were brought to the cockpit and introduced to the captain who showed us the controls and instruments. When we got to New York I saw my first jet airliner, a brand new 727 parked by the terminal and I remember thinking how much I wished we had flown on one of those. Looking back I am so glad I got to fly on those last, big four engine propeller airliners when flying was a big deal.

Coolest, relaxed host I have ever seen

Just stumbled across this video. Wow, that takes me back. Super Connies were the best looking birds in the sky in their day. Thanks for posting this video.

It was nice to see off of Godfrey again he was our hero still is my hero but I didn't know he had such excellent aeronautical credentials and to see Eddie Rickenbacker was quite a treat this footage is a great piece of History done so well by Arthur Godfrey a toast to these wonderful chaps great Americans

A great story and so well told. The Constellation was a beautiful aeroplane, even when on the ground. Alan. U.K.

What a beautiful airplane was the Connie! Thanks for posting this documentary.

Ah, the good old days of firing up cigarettes in the cockpit with a classic flip-top lighter. 21:00 minute mark.

Capt.Eddie Rickenbacker! I just read his book, what a true hero. In fact all of those Hat in the Ring gang were heroes. Thanks for sharing these videos!

I really enjoyed watching this amazing old film, thank you so much for posting it. The Conny is truly a classic old bird and probably the most beautiful aircraft ever built.

Absolutely fascinating, great film, very classy. Wish Eastern was still in the air, I flew as a passenger a few times, excellent personnel. Would still be giving Delta run for money if still in business.

That look the pilot gave the co-pilot when he said "I don't smoke"

This reminds me of a time when men were professional and we did things with much thought ! I would have loved to have been born earlier so I could have grown up in the earlier times and maybe I could have been a pilot, and maybe I could have flown the blackbird in 1964 ! I was born in 62 ! So thanks for the video , I loved it !

That was a great movie, I enjoyed every minute of it

I love the navy styled uniforms the pilots are wearing here. I could use a suit like that. Anyway, too bad delta is the only U.S. airline remaining with these types of uniforms for their pilots.

Why in the hell would you give this the thumbs down?? ...just asking the questions.

Thoroughly enjoyed this film. I flew aboard a connie a couple of times as a youngster and was even allowed into the cockpit. Brought back some great memories. Thanks Alan

I flew on Eastern Connies when I was a kid,and it was a thrill to last a lifetime ( and it's still going)! No, not better, not worse, just different, mostly for the better now, but that depends on what area of life you're talking about. Back then, there was a plane crash a month, now it's once a year.

I had the luck to witness the final-departure of the 'Concorde' from McCarran in Las Vegas...I was about 5-miles away, and still the sky was rolling with thunder from that magnificent 'other-Worldly' ship...what a sight! To see it with the 'nose' still 'down' as it rose up and up...like a gigantic bird-of-prey.To think human minds and hands built this ship in less than a hundred years from nothing! The only thought that came into my mind to describe it? 'Majestic' is the only rightful one.******************************************************The Lockheed 'Constellation' reminds me of this...the 'swoop' of the fuselage, as if it's gathering strength to leap from the ground...!The last of the 'great airships' from the past...when speed and comfort and luxury actually were expected! (I personally wouldn't fly over the Oceans of the World unless it's a '747'...I just don't feel 'safe' in the latest generations of 'fast box-cars' w/two engines! NO and still more NO!I want to see 'two and two' or it's 'no go' for me. (I intrinsically know this is absurd on my part...but to depend on TWO ENGINES in the center of the Pacific? Or Atlantic? It gives me internal 'shudders' just thinking about it)

This Was Just a Joy to Watch

Nowadays' jets will be faster, more technologically advanced, more fuel efficient and longer-ranged... but these late piston-propeller planes still put in awe! The noise they make, the effort these engines had to make (and you can clearly feel it) to drag forward these enormous behemots, the sheer dimension of the powerplant and the "end-of-an-era" feeling, everything in these planes makes them a forceful sight to behold. Still, the "Connie" had such a modern-looking appearence and aerodynamic, I'd have liked to see it in a jet-powered version: I think in that trim it might have given some purposely-built crafts runs-for-their-money...

Super Connie on one engine! Wow.

Great video. Love the sound of those big radials. The pilot lighting up a cigarette lol.

This has to be my favorite aviation film of all time. Thanks so much for sharing!

I flew in a Connie in September of 1966 from Anchorage to Fairbanks, and it was a treat that I will never forget. They had to change an engine before we took off and then we flew to Fairbanks at about 12,000 feet, somehow going around the mountains there.

That's when three course meals were served!!

I flew these aircraft as a child with my mother in the early 50´s. I think they are a beautifully painted aircraft and only matched by the TWA connie. Have about 14 different models of the plane from 1/500 scale through 1/45. Great memories for a 72 years old. But my favorite of all was the Electra with the same paint scheme just a couple of year later...

You gotta love an old Connie!!

at 20:30 Arthur pulling out the Chesterfields when offered to his co-pilot who said he does not smoke Arthur sarcastically mocks him with "he don't smoke". in 1959 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and was very lucky to have survived that- bye chestys.

I love the attitude of the Captain, relaxed and confident, not the paranoid nonsense of today. That was a different America back then.

it really seems that these ex-WWII pilots enjoyed their post-war occupation...

In January 1954, Godfrey buzzed the control tower of Teterboro Airport in his DC-3. His certificate was suspended for six months. Godfrey claimed the windy conditions that day required him to turn immediately after takeoff, but in fact he was peeved with the tower because they would not give him the runway he requested. He later recorded a satirical song about the incident, "Teterboro Tower," roughly to the tune of "Wabash Cannonball".

If we could bring this era forward and add today's technology, I would be happy.

"It takes a special breed of cat to fly these things... this can't be done by no namby pamby..." 😂😂😂

Just super. Thanks for posting. How great it is to see flying in this country when it was something special!

Love it! Probably part of the inspiration that got me into aviation in the first place (when Uncle Sam called), aside from admiring those beautiful, glistening Connie's from our home near the final approach to SFO as a kid. Thanks for taking the time to post these, for a true glimpse into the budding years of commercial aviation, product placement, recruitment messages, and all!

What a beautiful bird the elegant Connie was. she flew with great pride alongside her military and civilian jet driven counterparts. I have fond memories of her as an AF officer;s brat and as a airmen when I served in the USAF in the early 1970's.

This is fantastic for showing how to simulate a flight in the Connie in a simulator using old time navigation. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world. And what a beautiful aircraft it was.

Wow nice video! I was 3yrs old when this film was made. @ 6yrs I used to watch planes coming into Newark field. 4 engine planes. Most all silver. Pretty impressive for a kid at the time. Thank you!.

absolutely brilliant, thanks.

In the early 1950's, Arthur Godfrey was one of the biggest personalities on television. He actually had three shows at once: A five-days-a-week talk/variety show in the morning (which would be heard on radio prior to and after it's TV run), a Monday-night prime-time talent show, and a Wednesday-night prime-time variety hour. All of them were quite popular. The daytime show was for several years in the 1950's the most popular daytime program on network TV; while his two prime-time shows were both among the ten most popular prime-time programs at various times in the 'Fifties.

"Power is safety"

My dad listened to him on the radio. My Mom always said do you want some Arthur Godfrey soup.. I guess it was one of his sponsors.

20,000 feet, that's nuts.

I would have loved to have this Captain as my flight instructor. He is/was great!

Excellent! I love Connies! Thank you.

Get video!! Loved seeing and hearing Eddie Rickenbacker. Thanks for sharing this slice of our culture.

Awesome video loved every minute of it

good times, good times. this film is amazing, look at all those names. tony levier.. yeesh. just packed with legends.

Over 4 years later, and I still enjoy seeing the fun in flying, like this amazing beauty. They do not make them like the Super Connie, anymore!!! Research the body design of this classic, and you will learn it wasn't all about aerodynamics!!!!

What a beautiful Film!!!!!!!!!! I really like this! ;-)

My grand parents lived in Burbank, CA not far from the runways at Lockheed (now Hollywood/ Burbank/Glendale). Lockheed was building these planes...and, along with other commercial aircraft...they took to the air coming low over the house. The Connie could rattle the entire house, disrupt the TV reception, and sound like the hubs of hell rolling over us.

Great movie, great era in America and the Connie was the most beautiful airplane ever built.

Fantastic film. The Connie was amazing and had such a crazy amount of power. I've seen video of it landing and powering back that it came to a stop and started to reverse on its own. Wow. The cultural differences is interesting to see on this film as well. From the smoking and the way people dressed especially for such an event as flying. Also nothing but Caucasians everywhere. Overall I liked this little film. Thanks for uploading.

Thanks so much for this, Great film, Love these old American films of flying.

The most beatiful plan ever!

I took my first flight in a Eastern Airline Connie just like this one from Recife Brazil to Miami in 1960. As a side note I never knew Godfrey was a accomplished pilot and could fly a Super Constellation. Cool.

Great video !! I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Incredible camera work. No tiny GoPros back then....

Getting to and from the airport is still an interesting experience. Some cities do have rail links - but most do not.

Great captain Godfrey!

Now its time for a Chesterfield - the good ole days - I used to light up in the 707

Eddie Rickenbacker. What a vintage flick.