Hell’s Angels and the Sikorsky S-29-A

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When the movie “Hell’s Angels” hit the screen, audiences got to see a host of authentic WW1 aircraft.  This isn’t one of them.  It is the post-war (and one-off) Sikorsky S-29 done up like a German Gotha bomber.  Eh, close enough.  This was not the aircraft’s first “acting” job. In its pre-Hollywood days, the S-29 had been fitted out as a bomber in the hopes of attracting the attention of the Air Corps. It did nothing of the sort.

In fact, the S-29 never had much luck finding its niche, this despite the aircraft’s solid performance. The first twin-engine aircraft able to maintain altitude on one motor, this power was also utilized to haul baby grand pianos. (I dunno, was that also a first?). The list goes on (first plane to operate as a flying radio station, etc.). But, it never met with success in its intended role of a passenger plane.  Sold off by Sikorsky, it continued to perform a variety of roles (flying cigar store – maybe another first?) before ending up in Hollywood.

Unfortunately, the aircraft came apart during the filming of Hell’s Angels, the pilot parachuting to safety.

1962: DC-8 Visits Troutdale Airport

892On August 12th, 1962, UAL flight 861 had the misfortune of mistaking Portland International for the more provincial airport at Troutdale, just up the Columbia River.  Committed to his approach, the pilot landed. Getting in was one thing; getting out was another. Troutdale’s runway was only about 4,600 feet in length, thus requiring the mishap airliner to lose some weight to ensure a safe takeoff. The DC-8 was stripped of everything, the flight engineer crunched the numbers, and the crew departed without too much trouble.

This photo is from a Christmas card sent to my dad from a fellow UAL captain – the pilot of the DC-8.  If he could make a card out of it, he must have had a sense of humor.  Interestingly, the pilot mentions they toyed with using a JATO-type device to get the plane out of Troutdale.