The film “The Ten Takes Flight” was produced by Film & Television Communications for the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. It opens with Larry Van Nuys broadcasting live from a mobile unit on August 29, 1970 for the first flight of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 wide-bodied jet from Long Beach airport. Broadcaster Michael Ryan is in the control tower and actor Art Ballinger is at Edwards Air Force Base (:09-43). Overhead shots are shown of the plane, as are its crew, led by test pilot Captain Clifford Stout (:44-1:26). Van Nuys and Ryan stand and provide additional background information (1:27-2:09). As is customary, the plane is rolled out to the public for the first time. Shown are both Vice President Agnew and Governor Ronald Reagan. Agnew pushes the symbolic throttles forward and the plane taxis into views (2:10-3:00). Ballinger talks about the GE CF6 high-bypass turbofan engines on the plane, which are shown up close and in use on test flights mounted on the wing of a B-52 (3:06-4:00). A mockup scene of the passenger cabin is shown, including the roomy seat arrangements and overhead compartments (5:52-5:26). A stewardess with a large bouffant is shown in the lower deck galley kitchen, from which food is sent upstairs in a dumbwaiter (5:27-5:38). The ground crew prepares for the plane’s takeoff as it approaches the end of the runway (5:58-6:10). Ryan interviews Douglas Aircraft Chief Pilot Heimerdinger, who helped designed the cockpit with Stout (6:11-6:50). The tower conversation with the plane is shown and heard just prior to takeoff. The plane passes by a waving crowd and lifts off (7:01-7:39). Views of the DC-10 are shown from a camera chase plane (7:45-8:29). Newscaster Larry Burrell is at the data control center. This is where flight test information is being relayed via cathode ray tube. A TM link telemeters to a station at Frost Peak, which uses a microwave link to the data center (8:30-9:07). The chase plane provides another visual (9:51-10:09). The DC-10 skims the runway and lands at Edwards (10:12-10:40). It taxis in and the crew emerges down the jetway to hugs and handshakes (10:44-11:50). Jackson McGowen, President of Douglas Aircraft is interviewed (11:52-12:33). Van Nuys stands and provides additional information (12:34-13:30).

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com