" FIVE DAYS TO FLIGHT TIME " 1970s UNITED AIRLINES DC-8 JET AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FILM 89954
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- This 1970, color film reviews the maintenance process for a DC-8 jet airliner at the United Airlines maintenance base in San Francisco. It was originally an episode of "Discovery", a kids program that ran on ABC between 1962-1971.
The film shows how the DC-8 undergoes a periodic overhaul that lasts for five full days. We follow the maintenance crews through the detailed process of maintaining these incredible machines. The film opens with a DC-8 jet airplane landing on the tarmac in San Francisco. The DC-8 is in the service dock. Main titles: Five Days to Flight Time. Discovery ’70. With Bill Owen and Virginia Gibson 2:00. Jets on the tarmac outside San Francisco’s International Airport 2:20. Dock 3, one of the huge overhaul hangers at the United Airlines maintenance base 2:52. Each plane in service has its own number and the DC-8 getting serviced here is number 2601. The DC-8 enters Dock 3 3:33. The tow hauls the DC-8 into the hangar with mechanics in the cockpit 4:04. The rudder is tested 4:30. The first mechanical shift is responsible for “unbuttoning” the aircraft 4:59. Bolts and fasteners are removed and put in cloth bags 5:20. Any metals that could be affected by paint are covered 5:35. Many areas need to be cleaned before they can be worked on 5:40. Man removes excess fuel from the tanks 6:12. Three hydraulic jacks will help support the jet while it is in the dock 6:25. The plane is raised so that the landing gear can be worked on 6:36. All the mechanics coordinate their jobs for complete safety 7:01. Red tags say “remove before flight” - these tags are there for safety 7:25. A large scaffold is hand towed into the hangar 7:30. Flop boards drop into place on the scaffold which allows men to work at several different levels on the plane 7:50. Motorized stands move in around the plane 7:55. Services that can be removed on the plane are called cowling and cover surfaces that need to be regularly maintained 8:09. The fixed covering of an aircraft is called “skin” which gets cleaned and polished 8:28. Items labeled “AOG” which stands for “aircraft on ground” take top priority 8:50. The mechanics work quickly but efficiently to maintain their five day schedule 9:35. The rudder is removed and its weight supported in a sling 9:54. The rudder is lifted and then lowered to the dock floor 10:18. The rudder is rolled to the sheet-metal department for review and rebalancing 10:35. The seats are taken out of the cabin to be completely redone 10:50. Bill Owen and Virginia Gibson speak to the camera 11:45. Virginia Gibson speaks to the camera and then enters the plane which is completely stripped down 13:25. The light connections are displayed 13:40. The raw floors will be re-carpeted 13:50. Mechanics work on the wing 14:10. Government inspectors must approve processes and any changes the mechanics make 14:30. Bill Owen talks to us from outside the planning office as employees line up for a shift change 15:00. Mechanical tracking system is shown - this is a manual process 15:34. The rudder of 2601 is maintained, painted and rebalanced 16:05. The rudder is attached to 2 balance stands 17:03. Bill Owen speaks to the camera 17:40. Virginia Gibson speaks to the camera and explains the different signals within the maintenance deck 20:20. Wings are tested for drag and balance 20:35. Navigation lights are tested at the end of the wing 20:50. Static wicks get rid of static electricity that builds up in an aircraft 21:10. Booties must be worn when walking on the wing 21:25. A Gamma Ray projector creates a radiograph of the jet engines 21:40. The flap gate goes up when the jet engine blasts 22:10. Gas tanks are inspected from the inside 22:20. Virginia Gibson stands by new rudder being tested 23:11. The trim tab is measured and is very delicate 23:20. Each job needs to be signed for by the men who works it 23:55. The carpet, the upholstery, the seats - everything is checked from the inside out 24:15. The final check is called a walkaround and it is a final visual check of the aircraft 24:35. Bill Owen and Virginia Gibson speak to the camera from outside the aircraft on the tarmac 25:00. Bill Owen and Virginia Gibson sit in the plane and talk to the camera 27:45. United. The Discovery Production Unit’s Domestic Transportation Arrangements and Promotional Consideration Provided by United Airlines. Executive producer, Jules Power. Written by Mary Dornheim. Directed by Vincent Scarza.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2K. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com
I worked as an apprentice mechanic in1970 in dock 3. We were taught by the WWII guys the ones that kept the planes flying with no parts and crap tools. They knew their shit.
I worked in shipbuilding in the early 2000's and got to work with a few people from "America's Greatest Generation" before they retired. Also we had tooling and machinery from the 1930's & 40's that was still serviceable and in good condition to work with! My uncle was a Flight Engineer for TWA and he loved aviation!
I worked Overhaul for many years at United airlines. Sheet metal repair, fuel tank repair, paint, cargo door rigging, interior, etc. But for last 23 years I’ve worked the Terminals. It really takes a toll on your body and health. It’s hard work and many chemicals.
Thanks for helping keep untold numbers of passengers and air crew safe.
Crawling into those fuel tanks could not be much fun. I wonder if in 1970 they were following the confined space and ventilation safety protocols we use today. Just one last happy thought, that relatively young man and woman in the film are most likely dead now.
@@johnstudd4245 A happy thought that they are dead? What kind of sicko are you?
@@stuart8663 Apparently sarcasm is lost on you.
@reverse thrust Maybe so, but not the first time and prob not the last.
Imagine that: A Discovery program where you learn something. What a concept.
I worked at the "Maintenance Operation Center" in South San Francisco from 1966 until 1980. I got my training in the USAF. I really liked working there, but I didn't recognize any of the folks working in the docks. It was a good place to work back then. I was a "sheetmetal/structural repair mechanic, first in "Plane Overhaul (SFOOV), and then over in the sheetmetal repair shops.
Ahh...the days before management outsourced this work overseas. The days when quality work was done by Americans using American parts.
I'm quite sure all American carriers still maintain their passenger planes here. I could be wrong, but I don't think they would outsource maintenance to other countries.
@@paulschab8152 Peel the onion on this, Paul. It may really surprise you.
@@paulschab8152 there’s a lot of infighting and negotiations in airlines against the unions because the unions want to keep maintenance work done here and airlines like American like to try and send it over to Brazil where they can have the work done for a fraction of the cost. In many union contracts the union has to give up some slack for the company to send some work away while keeping X amount here in the US. It’s a huge mess. If they could get away with maintaining everything in the cheapest shithole they would
@@williamcarnero9595 so we shouldn’t do aircraft maintenance in FAA certified facilities in Brazil but buying Embraer jets made in Brazil is ok ?
yeah, 1970s americana was renowned for its quality.
not
One of the hardest airplanes I've worked on. I always wondered if some Douglas engineers went under witness protection. It took tools, a hammer and a wide variety of obscenities to fix.
United was like family. Dad worked for them for 40 years. Exo O'Hare
He probably knew my uncle Al Ward.
I wish it was still like this and not the 3rd party overhaul nightmare.
I worked the Overhaul Dock for Frontier Airlines in Denver, Colorado back in the mid 60’s. Three 8 hour shifts working seven days a week. The pace was stressful and the toxic fumes we were exposed to are still with me. I have permanent lung damage. Interesting video, though - brought back a lot of memories.
The DC-8 is the most beautiful jetliner IMO.
pilots who flew the 727 seem to insist it was the finest in all respects
@@eddylauterback1312 Apparently, it was the airliner equivalent of a sports car.
No, I vote for the De Havilland Comet. Too bad it had a crashing problem.
Oh wow, I totally forgot about this TV show. I use to watch it, I think it aired on Saturday mornings! And Bill Owen still does voice over work today!
Just think. Probably most if not all of these mechanics have passed away. American quality !
Probably in their 70 and 80s
Cool plane!... we operated them with Air NZ.. thanks from down under 👍🇳🇿
Great informative video.A big fan of the DC-8!
1970 was a good year in this country nn
I waited till the end to see the takeoff, bummer!
I absolutely LOVED that Discovery program! Where are these shows for kids today?
Great video! Never compromise with safety. Hint, 737 Max.
What are the claims to the dead and retirees. :) At that time the planes were falling more than 737 max. Against the background of the accident rate of those times, he would not have been so bad. :)
I had a neighbor who retired from the FAA. He worked thirty five years.
Thanks for memories
My father fly dc 8 outa sfo for flying tigers line during this time.
You've just watched what is known in the aircraft industry as a "C-Check," as the narrator says is every 6,000-8,000 flight hours. United also did D-Checks where the airframe is stripped down the bare metal. Much of this is now off-loaded to third party maintenance firms.
It must have been a partial C check because there’s no way in hell they’re doing a whole one in 5 days. We spend 30 or more days depending on the age of the aircraft to do C checks on 737s
Look how far we've come with regards to lighting and video quality since 1970, yet airliners have hardly changed at all. I think it shows what a great concept Boeing came up with in the 707 (and yes, I know that this film is about a DC-8).
Actually airliners too have come a long way since 1970.
Back then we needed 3 people to operate the plane. Now it's 2. And they will be flying the plane farther than the DC-8 could, carrying more people more cleanly and safely too.
@@tiadaid In the fututre ,it would be a pilot less aircraft.
@@amuxpatch2798 Then it will be passengerl
I'll show you a gauge cluster from the most advanced airliner from 1970 and we will compare it to a small Cessna or Piper with a glass panel today and you will see that obviously isn't true lol
It’s not a maintenance film it’s a program for youngsters shown at school or Tv in the late afternoon
Wow I used to watch the Discovery series on ABC when I was a kid. It's been years since I heard the intro music and the weird intro animation. Strange, I would have remembered this episode since I am a big airplane fan, but I can't scare up the memories.
At 1:20, National the Sunshine Airline out of Miami, FLA. I love seeing these old airliners, long gone but not forgotten.
Great documentary posted. Other destinations the plane would fly to include Newark, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Denver etc.
Very cool video
It so funny how people are "acting" on camera, this has changed dramatically over years.
"Everyone who walks on the wing must wear special booties" except this guy at 17:16.
Two key words I got out of this vid, "Midnight"' and "Sunday"
Imagine a TV show suggesting the reading of BOOKS! Not books to buy, mind you, but borrow them at the library !!! Oh, the humanity ! Sending your audience not only off your channel, but off your medium, and with libraries being free, no chance for affiliate commissions. I can hardly believe this. It is almost as if they were trying to help the viewer learn something. We know better of course, the show must have had a sponsor. Perhaps the airline itself.
Might be worth seeing if Amazon has any of those books for a nostalgia trip
@@sturmovik5448 It looks like "What does an Airline Crew Do?" is available and "Cleared for Takeoff" isn't _currently_ available.
It gets the kids excited thinking they should work for an airline.
It's a recruitment film.
To get idiots to work for this shitty industry.
COVID-19 should have put them all out of business.
Wow, that aircraft lost 6' of wingspan during its visit. Started at 148' and ended at 142'. lol
After the aircraft has been in service for a while the wings stretch a little bit, they correct this when it comes in for maintenance ;)
The DC8 62 and 63 have a wing span of 148 ft...the 61 and standard DC8s had a wingspan of 142ft.
The narrator mixed the two wing spans in the presentation.
United flew both super DC8s and standard DC8s.
Reminds me of my days at JFK main maintenance base at Pan Am Hangar 19 heavy pac service
Worked SFOMM and SFOMF Service Center 60's and 70's
That jet was United’s first dc8; delivered Jan 1960
That groovy intro, man.
1970 in CA.
"Very Groovy" lol
Yep, never thinking about Pandemics or bed bugs.
To think where is 2601 now a days. Sad that such efforts was put in all those years ago and all irrelevant now.
I mean, it flew for 18 years before being scrapped. Considering the advances in technology by the late 70s, I would say it had a very full life, as airliners go.
My Dad did the same for Air Canada
16:35 let me just look directly into the nav light, lol
Bright idea!😄
No big deal.
You mean a candle light!?
Book's....what are they???
Heck, it was a 60's kids show - books were used as an educational tool back in those dark days. Double heck, I was using a slide rule back then, don't ask . . .
Yes, it goes to show how much the dumbing-down agenda has succeeded when you realise this presentation was made for children. Back in those days, children had the intelligence to be able to read educational and informative material - such as books.
Anyone else as gob-smacked as I am by how little video production styles and tonalities had changed between 1955 and 1970? If you showed something from 1985 right up against it, they would look like they came from different planets. And the PBS series "21st Century Jet" was 1994, and it's ... it's like it's a different medium altogether.
"Great activity" - guy with hands in pockets at 13:00.
I'd like to have a look inside Virginia's cabin when it's all stripped down.
Hairy. Very hairy
I wonder what happened with all the parts that were replaced? Were they melted down and reformed into new parts?
Antes si sabían trabajar, ahora puras computadoras
Man check out the gams on Hank there @ 17:07! Rawwwr 🤣🤣
The rudder is not used for "making turns".
"We like to save time taking the engines off by using a fork lift to hold it up, shouldn't hurt the pylon at all" 🙄
That was American, not United. My uncle was a United mechanic in the 70’s and United mechanic instructor in the 80’s and he was very critical of that practice. When 191 went down he wasn’t a bit surprised.
The appreciation of this aircraft comes from inflation of the dollar being taken off the gold standard in 1971, not the maintenance upkeep. Early sheep. 😂
2:41 Looks like they had a bird strike or three.
Oowwee JT8D turbojets expensive as a bitch to feed.
by the 70s, this plane was outdated.
You use ailerons to turn the airplane not the rudder as she said. 🛫🛬🛬✈️
The rudder is used to keep the aircraft coordinated during the turn. So even though the ailerons are used for the turn, the rudder is still necessary.
I thought ailerons were used for rolling around longitudinal axis, and rudder for yaw around vertical axis. So technically she is correct. Pitching is done with the elevator around lateral axis. Turning is something you do on the ground, however in the air it’s called pitch, roll and yaw.