Airliner DVD's

[Turbine777 13]

Hey guys, I've always liked to get inside the cockpits with DVD's since for me, that might be the closest I will get in seeing real world ops. I have read a few interesting threads here and there about individual choices but thought I would start this thread for people to maybe list what they have and recommend. Also maybe the strong points of why they might like one over the other. I have have a few DVD's for the MD-11 and 747-400 that show real world operations and close looks at the systems. I was thinking about getting ready for the 737 release and wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a good 737 DVD? Oh, and also maybe a good 777 DVD as well.Currently I have these in my "DVD" collection (some much older 744's on VHS and BETA not listed):

• 747-400:
  • Boeing 747-400 Cathay Pacific: Great indepth look at systems and very indepth on engine start procedures for the RR211.
  • Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400: Probably my favorite since it seems to cover each system better and video quality is better (newer).
  • Oasis Hong Kong Boeing 747-400: Will have this later today, being delivered as I type.

  [*]MD-11:

  • Martainair Boeing MD-11: Great look at the systems, it was nice to see how much I knew while watching this due to how accurately modeled the PMDG really is.
  • Swiss Douglas MD11: Also being delivered today but from what I've read in a more specific thread on the MD-11 DVD's is the one to have so looking forward to UPS getting here :(

I have my eye on a few 737 and 777 DVD's but figured I would see what the rest of you might suggest before I order anything specific.I don't even know if any DVD's are still being made and if any even cover the newer models, but thought this thread could enlighten us all looking to add to our collection.

[Flamin_Squirrel 71]

I imagine ITVV are where you got some of those. The Go Airlines 737 DVD from them is good, the 777 not so much. I prefer the 777 DVD from world air routes.I would also recomend their Concorde DVD, especially with ConcordeX coming out. It's 14 years old, but 5 hours long and very in depth!

[Chock 17,769]

Two that I have which I'd particularly recommend are these:http://www.aviationaudiovisual.com/store/p...7-800-DVD-.htmland this one:http://www.worldairroutes.com/MNG.htmlI'm not necessarily recommending you buy from those places (you may find them cheaper elsewhere, it was just the first place Google kicked up).The reason I'd recommend the Helios one (an airline now no longer in existence following the tragic crash of Helios Flight 522 , which was enough to finish the airline off), is that the cockpit footage of the 737s is excellent and there are plenty of good explanations about the systems as well as briefings and all that stuff. Also, the aircraft fly from quite diverse locations, such as from the UK to Greece, which means you get to see take offs and landings in both decent and crappy weather. It is all very good stuff if you want to see a typical flight in a glass cockpit 737 and who does what on such a flight. There are plenty of flights on it too, so you get a lot of bang for your bucks. Certainly worth having if you like modern 737s and want to know exactly what systems the pilots use. Note that neither the aircraft involved in the tragic crash of Flight 522, or, as far as I'm aware, any of the crew involved in that accident are on this DVD, so it is not in the least bit ghoulish to watch it, which is nice to know.The MNG DVD is good because it features an original (steam gauge) A300-B4 with an INS nav system, rather than an FMC, but the DVD also features the more modern B737 (400 series) as well, so you get the best of both worlds in terms of different avionics, although the focus of most flights on this DVD is the old Airbus A300. It is certainly interesting to see a crew flying a three-man flight-engineer-equipped cockpit in modern times, and the fact that it is a freighter means there is also some interesting footage of how they load the things up. You get a very good briefing of all the panels too. There's also a look at the company's heavy maintenance facility at Ataturk Airport as well, which gives us a good peek at the A300 when it is having its in depth airworthiness checks carried out. As someone else pointed out, the well known BA Concorde DVD is indeed well worth having, as it is a great insight into this classic aircraft and the production values on that film are really very high indeed, certainly a cut above the average flight deck DVD. It has excellent briefings by all the crew and a good insight into exactly what the flight engineer did on the Concorde. No aviation buff should be without that one.Al

[ricky76 46]

I have the World Air Routes Westjet 737 700 dvd. It is about 3 hours of flights. CYYC-KSFO, CYYC-CYYZ + 6 or 7 more. The World Air Routes Air Canada 777 is also a good one!http://www.worldairroutes.com/AirCanada777.htmlhttp://www.worldairroutes.com/Westjet.html

[Rickie Welsh 27]

hi all, its all down to preference, but i feel the air canada 777-300ER is a stand out video, closely followe by the air atlanta iceland 747-400F and westjet 737-600 wwhich has a bit of humour thrown in, all from just planes. richard welsh

[Turbine777 13]

Thanks guys, I ended up spending a pretty large portion of the day checking out quite a few titles. I got a few. They weren't that expen$ive and found a dealer in my own state even.Here's what I ordered:Helios Airways B737-800 (DVD) TUIfly B737-700 & B737-800 (DVD) Air Canada 777-300ER (DVD) Emergency Landing (DVD) Ok the last one is about a 747, not a movie but not much to read about. It was only $14 so why not :(Also Al, I did a fair amount of research on that 522 crash. Pretty amazing. This of course led to hours of video browsing on youtube watching other crash stories. Not sure why, but I find crash stories incredibly interesting, very sad of course but something draws you to them. That being said and having touched that interest of mine, I also ordered some DVD's on Amazon:Ground Control - Heard it was terrible, but wanted to see an ATC flick, I don't care if it's unrealistic like the reviewers I read haha.Pushing Tin - ATC movie. Had this once, funny flick but not for the realism die hard.NOVA: The Deadliest Plane Crash - collision of two 747's in 1977Mayday: Air Disasters - The 2003 season, pretty cheap in price so, eh okie dokes.Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 - For under $8 and of course it has Cheryl Ladd in it ;-)One Six Right - This actually fell off of a list in DVD's I've wanted to get for a while. Great for anyone, especially private pilots or those wanting to be one! Show it to those that wonder why you enjoy flying or want to so much. Of course don't just take my word for it, check it out here.Since I was adding so many movies to my library, I was sad to not find "1000 Heroes" on DVD for NTSC format. Only for PAL. I have recently seen it so am good to go, but a great movie for DC-10 fans.

[Chock 17,769]

What is especially sad about Helios Flight 522, is that the chain of events which led to the accident were in fact set in motion by the cabin crew actually being vigilant and reporting a potential fault on one of the doors, which the flight deck crew, to their credit, followed up on, requesting that the aircraft undergo a pressurisation check. This of course brought about the situation where the overhead switch was changed to a setting requiring a manual adjustment that the crew did not perform on its next flight, because the aircraft had been pressurised on the ground by maintenance people, in order to check that door seal.As tragically ironic as that is, you might be interested to know that the passengers and crew who perished in Flight 522 may be said to have not died completely in vain. Sadly, as with many other air accidents, lessons are learned sometimes at great cost, but in the case of Flight 522 and the Boeing 737, the pre flight checks on the 737 now specifically include a check of the pressurisation settings, and the warning system alert sounds and indicators relating to it have been altered to make it more apparent what is going on if something should be amiss. And that change is as a direct result of what happened with Flight 522.This is stressed in Boeing's training videos for the 737 nowadays, and not just with pilots, but also with maintenance crews, to guard against scenarios whereby they might leave critical switches in unexpected settings on the overhead when servicing aircraft.You might even see that check taking place on one of those other DVDs you bought if it was filmed more recently.Al

[Guest 413X3]

Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo DVDs should be first on the list!I have a lot, love the Martinair MD-11 too. I hear the 777 are quality, going to get those

[gman1986 14]

If you're looking for a good in-cockpit DVD, it has to be the ITVV Concorde one, it is a classic.

[TheDanger 182]

If you're looking for a good in-cockpit DVD, it has to be the ITVV Concorde one, it is a classic.

I agree. How the heck they remember all that information beats me!

[Tabs 2,790]

That being said and having touched that interest of mine, I also ordered some DVD's on Amazon:Ground Control - Heard it was terrible, but wanted to see an ATC flick, I don't care if it's unrealistic like the reviewers I read haha.Pushing Tin - ATC movie. Had this once, funny flick but not for the realism die hard.NOVA: The Deadliest Plane Crash - collision of two 747's in 1977Mayday: Air Disasters - The 2003 season, pretty cheap in price so, eh okie dokes.Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 - For under $8 and of course it has Cheryl Ladd in it ;-)One Six Right - This actually fell off of a list in DVD's I've wanted to get for a while. Great for anyone, especially private pilots or those wanting to be one! Show it to those that wonder why you enjoy flying or want to so much. Of course don't just take my word for it, check it out here.

No "Airplane"? Cmon!On a serious note, the show "Air Crash Investigation" (aka "Mayday") done by National Geographic is surprisingly good in most cases. Despite the morbid nature of the topic, I've always found crash investigation pretty fascinating, especially on some of the more bizarre accidents where they're still able to piece together what actually happened.

[altstiff 71]

I own over 125 WAR DVD's. Among my favorties are:Oasis Honkg Kong 747-400 trianing Air Atlantic 747-400German Wings A319/A320Polar Air Cargo 747-400HLX 737-700Air BalticArkeFlyI'm not one for looking out the window. I like the ones where they get down to the nitty gritty of pre flight and technique. In the Arkefly DVD the first hour is of the pre flight and initial cockpit preperation for the 737NG.I also own all of the ITVV DVD's (excellent representations of the cockpit and over head panels, the Concorde one is just awesome).If we are talking movies...The Pilot with Cliff Robertson is awesome as is Island In The Sky with the Duke (based on the book by E.K. Gann)....

[Chock 17,769]

Some other airliner action movies worthy of consideration for the completist:Turbulence: Serial killer Ray Liotta goes nuts and takes over a Boeing 747. It's a classic, and more importantly for the plane buff, features great footage of a B747 both inside and out. It is also one of the few movies where a flight attendant (played by Lauren Holly) lands the plane and is actually told how to do it reasonably realistically, i.e. by using the CDU and the autopilot to program an approach and autoland. The movie also features several real airlines, including Tower Air.Executive Decision: Another 747 flick, and a controversial one too. David Suchet (as an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist) hijacks a B747 with the intetntion of using it as a suicide weapon of mass destruction to attack Washington DC (the aircraft in the film being a well known movie star B747, the one painted up in 'Oceanic' colours that appears in several movies). Kurt Russell, aided by a team of special forces board the plane in flight by means of a modified F117 docking with the underside of the jumbo and coming up into it through the cargo hold. This movie, whilst somewhat stretching the bounds of reality, is regarded by many as having provided the inspiration for the 9/11 attacks, which is why it is regarded as controversial, but to be honest, that suggestion is somewhat debatable.Other appearances of the 'Oceanic' 747s include the movies Nowhere to Land, Code 11-14 and the TV series, Lost and Diagnosis Murder. It appears to be one of several favourite fictional Hollywood airlines, the other common ones being 'Global' and 'Sovereign', which appear in everything from Magnum Force to Charlies Angels.United 93: A realistic dramatisation of one of the aircraft in the 9/11 attacks. This is a great movie, and quite a fitting tribute to the passengers of that aircraft, who decided to try and retake the airliner from the terrorists with the know well known phrase of 'let's roll' that was heard over several mobile phones. Filmed in a documentary style, and with many of the real people that were involved on the ground reconstructing events (most notably FAA Operations Director Ben Sliney who was heavily involved in the real events of 9/11). United 93 is sad to watch, but strangely inspiring too.Lastly, don't forget all the 'Airport' movies: From the original Airport movie, to Airport 75, Airport 77 and Airport 79, these are invariably better unintentional spoofs than the Airplane movies which attempt to parody them, although they too are not to be missed by any true airliner buff.Al

[des182001 1]

No "Airplane"? Cmon!On a serious note, the show "Air Crash Investigation" (aka "Mayday") done by National Geographic is surprisingly good in most cases. Despite the morbid nature of the topic, I've always found crash investigation pretty fascinating, especially on some of the more bizarre accidents where they're still able to piece together what actually happened.

Awesome show.

[Turbine777 13]

No "Airplane"? Cmon!On a serious note, the show "Air Crash Investigation" (aka "Mayday") done by National Geographic is surprisingly good in most cases. Despite the morbid nature of the topic, I've always found crash investigation pretty fascinating, especially on some of the more bizarre accidents where they're still able to piece together what actually happened.

Haha, of course I have all the Airplane movies. I just didn't mention them since I already own them ;-)I don't think my fingers are up to that much typing to list all the aviation related movies I have hehe.To reply to others that mentioned the Concorde DVD, I ended up finding the ITVV version yesterday but wasn't sure which one was being recommended here and was going to ask before getting it. Now I see of course it is the ITVV one and will get it. I got all the movies from Amazon today (Overnight Saturday delivery, ouch). Good thing because this is my first time out of bed today as I am nursing a rather huge hang over. I am on disc two of the Mayday series, and I agree Ryan, the investigation aspect is very fascinating. What amazes me is that the FAA gives so much time to repair some of these problems when some should really get immediate attention even if that means grounding certain aircraft until they're fixed. I know that would probably send some companies into Bankruptcy, but some of the problems found are amazing they were ever passed to begin with.Well, on to disc two and some get better Pizza :(Thanks for the other advice guys, I'll look more later when my monitors aren't spinning :(