Why Do Lockheed L-188 Electras Still Fly in Canada?

The Lockheed L-188 Electra has found a niche for itself decades after it first entered passenger service, and more than 50 years after the type first flew, there are actually quite a few still around in Canada!

With many thanks to @MarkBrandonAviation and Conair's media team!

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Conair Media Team (Thank you!)

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© Alex Praglowski Aviation 2021

This video is the property of Alex Praglowski Aviation and may not be used for any purpose without prior permission. Contact me at the email in the "About" section of my channel for usage.

[CuratedPile]

I am lucky enough to see Electras every time I go to my home airport, Red Deer, Alberta. It is the maintenance base for Electras for both Buffalo and Air Spray so almost every flying Electra finds itself in Red Deer at some point. There are also a large number of retired airframes stored here. Definitely your one stop shop if you want to see these beautiful planes.

[barryervin]

When I was in the Navy in the mid 1960s and would fly home on leave it was always a jet between Philly and Atlanta but an Electra between Atlanta and Pensacola, with a stop or two in Alabama. I loved the Electra. Unlike the "gradually picking up speed" of an early jet on takeoff, the Electra would shove you back in your seat and leap off the runway. They had a long career as the P-3 Orion, too. A great airplane!

[DarkpawTheWolf]

I remember Buffalo Joe having a great one-liner on the Electra: "It turns jet fuel into black smoke."
They're still cool.

[robm]

Hands down… one of my all time favorite aircraft.. Had the chance to fly many of them.

[howardthrongard]

Thanks. I flew an Electra from Minneapolis to San Diego in 1966 when I joined the Navy, and later flew a military version, the EP-3, in the Navy. Great memories.

[Slonge]

In 1962 we visited the grandparents in Indiana. We flew from Los Angeles to St Louis and changed planes for the flight to Indiana.

While waiting to board the connecting flight, my dad looks out the window and says “Oh, that’s a Lockheed Electra, they had problems with the engines falling off.” My mom turned to him and said “as long as it’s not the DC-3 we flew in two years ago, I don’t care!”

(Same trip in 1960, we flew a TWA Super Connie from LA to St Louis then a DC-3 to Indiana. It was awesome, I was five.)

Thanks for the great video.

[adrianwilliams]

Remember as a kid in 1965 flying in an Electra from Sydney Australia to Auckland NZ. Was operated by TEAL, fore runner of Air New Zealand.

[johntrauger]

I was an electrician on these in the 70's. VP-40 Moffett Field, Ca.

[bobuncle]

These are a beautiful plane. Love Buffalo air. Miss the show

[rogerlloyd]

Back in the 60s I would drive out to the Madison, WI airport for the sole purpose of listening to an Electra start it's engines. Loved that sound!!

[sonnenhausebay]

Thanks for the information about Electras in these days. I was a fan of the L-188 for many years and enjoyed a few flights as a passenger. TAME in Ecuador, VARIG on their shuttle between SDU and CGH, PSA between SFO and Lake Tahoe, several flights on Northwest Territorial between Edmonton and YZF and from YZF via Rankin Inlet to Winnipeg. The most exciting flight was in spring 1990 in the cockpit on Reeve Aleutian from ANC to Cold Bay and further to St.Paul Island with its gravel runway. Unforgettable.

[billlarrabee]

I loved the Electra when I flew on Eastern Airlines to get where I had to go. Just feeling the power on takeoff and the stopping ability after landing was a real rush. As a pilot in training I always had hoped to fly one but that didn't happen. God bless Canada for keeping a great bird in the air.

[gastonmartintripodi]

wonderfula lad you rock with that video, ,,,long life to the lockeed from argentina

[kurohone]

My did flew Aurora's from their service entry until his retirement in '86... then he flew Electra's for NWT Air for a few years. Love this plane.

[calcrappie]

A lot of hours in Electra's, Caribou's and Huey's when assigned to Kwajalein Missile Range. Loved all three of them.

[itchyvet]

During my military service, I was required to fly from one side of Australia, right across the nation to North Qld on an annual basis. The flights in the Electra compared to jets was simply awesome. For starters, the seating was just TWO seats side by side with plenty of ROOM for arms, elbows you name it, AND you could actually stretch your legs without moving the seat backwards of forwards, the space had be seen to be believed. The climb rate was also un-noticable, nothing like the jets, which go practicly straight up and cause pressure on your ear drums. Noise in the cabin was nice and quiet unlike jets. Coming in to land, again, very smooth and decent hardly noticeable. All in all, very sorry to see them go as passenger planes.

[crushingvanessa]

Love the old Lockheed birds. Connies, Electras, etc. Great video with accurate history.

[sgdk]

As a young teen in the early 60's I was lucky enough to fly in an Electra a number of times from LA area (Burbank I think) to Oakland Ca. and back with either Western or PSA, don't remember which. Great airplane, great times! Thanks for making this video!

[auburn]

I flew on an Eastern Airlines Electra back in the 60's. Quiet and smooth and I was just a little kid, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

[a-a-ron]

I loved flying on the Electra. Reeve Aleutian Airways was the only airline that flew to my hometown in Alaska up until the year 2000. That startup sound was music to my ears 👍