This is Tex Johnson, your captain for this flight. "Oh shit."

"What the hell were you doing?" "Selling Airplanes" Balls of steel.

My dad told me half the CEOs and Presidents of Boeing had heart attacks when this stunt was pulled.

"I was selling an airplane." Damn good answer

I had no idea planes that size could do those things. Amazing, and he says it like it's nothing, lol

This guy is the embodiment of "Asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission"

Tex was a great guy. His youngest daughter Barbara and I were very close friends in the late 50's early 60's. Tex and his wife Delores and my parents were also good friends so I spent a lot of time at their home. Being a young kid, I didn't realize what he did for a living, he was just my good friend's dad and a lot of fun.

See you guys in another 14 years when this is recommended again

On the subject of Tex Johnson and safety, there’s a story that he was asked which, of all the types of aircraft that he’d flown, is the safest. He said, something like: “The safest aircraft? That would have to be the Piper Cub.” When asked why, he said: “Because it can only just kill you.”

What a boss”I’m selling airplanes” He needed to be his boss’s boss.

Just imagine how the flight engineer was feeling lol and the fact that he managed to snap a picture of it while being upside down is just amazing

I would love to be on a commercial flight and hear the pilot say, "okay everybody buckle up, we're going for a loop de loop." Yes, just for fun.

pilots like tex and chuck yeager had balls bigger than the planes they flew

Tex was correct. If done right, it is a 1g maneuver. Bob Hoover used to demonstrate this by pouring a cup of tea into a glass sitting on the glare shield of his Shrike while rolling the aircraft with his other hand. You can see the video here on Y.T. and it shows the tea going into the glass just as if he were flying straight and level which is also 1g. These guys were great pilots.

When KZfaq was two years old, this video was uploaded. Now here we are, thirteen years later enjoying it again thanks to the ever popular algorithm that brings things out from deep down at the bottom of the servers. I hope to enjoy this again in another thirteen years.

"You know that now we know that, but just don't do it anymore." 😂 100% badassery.

A huge paradigm shift, brought by the 707. It’s actually a little spooky how good this plane was, compared to what came before. Prop liners flying in storms vs 610mph 7 miles up

This happened after the De Havilland Comet suffered several disastrous in-flight break-ups. People who saw that probably figured that the 707 could do that it would survive regular flight.

Props to the people who made the plane, they managed to produce a passenger airplane capable of flying with this mans balls on it

In his case de 1 in 1G refers to him, and the G means Gangsta.

The Boeing 707 is used as the platform for the US Air Force AWACS and JSTARS, as well as other amazing surveillance platforms. This video here is a good explanation of why. Thank you, Tex. I wouldn't hate my job without you! 😁

When he was the pilot for the 777 in the 90s one of the last things he was told before the first flight was "no barrel rolls"

Thank God for people like Tex who knew their job and understood their machine intimately. Big respect from me.

Tex Johnson was a product of Boeing B47 test program. See video here of "Boeing B47 combat manuevers" shows the B47 doing the Barrel roll and immelmann manuvers,here on You Tube...good video too. Thats what happens when you put a WW II fighter pilot in a test program. Tex started out his jet flying on the Bell P59A, America's first jet. He is one Hell of a pilot...RIP Tex...

I like this guy, he had absolute confidence in what he was doing, but not from ego, I love that at 1:40 'It was fine'

Check out how much altitude he loses in the roll too!

This plane is now in smithsonian air n space at Washington Dulles airport

Looks like Wilford Brimley. Sounds like Jimmy Stewart. Flies like Tom Cruise. #Legend

To bad they didn’t test the 737 Max for 3 years before they sold them...

My dad told me about this guy years ago and the story has always stuck with me. I love this guy. Definitely a bad ass!!

Copilot: TEX, WHATS THAT CLANKING SOUND?! SOMETHING BROKE IN THE ROLL??????? Tex: nahhh, just my BALLS that hit against each other, plane is fine

He was the only one to ever have one upside down and not crash.

Absolute legend.

This was actually the prototype Boeing 367-80 (more commonly known as the Dash 80). Basis for KC-135 tanker and 707 airliner

“It was fine.” Best way to summarize showing off with a multimillion dollar toy 😎👍🏼

"We know that, but just don't do it anymore". They clearly didn't know.

Hahaha I love the picture of the engine facing up and the lake below. Considering this was done in 1955 on a civilian aircraft... WOW! Tex got some big cajones!

"One of my test engineers happened to have his camera with him and snapped a picture while at the same time shitting his pants...."

This maneuver coupled with the aircrafts capabilities made it a must have for all airlines ....... Tex - your the shit man.

Wow. I love how he explains it like he was doing a backflip on a trampoline in front of his mom and dad. Amazing

"Selling airplanes"

The test engineer who took the picture while upside down: I'm in danger

HE'S the ultimate mad lad "I'm just selling your airplanes"😂

This is true a 1 G roll PERFORMED CORRECTLY is safe and will not damage the aircraft. I had a old navy pilot who was a corporate pilot at this time who rolled everything we had. Falcon jets roll good he would tell me. Everything in the galley never moved and not one drop spilled or bottle laid over.

The VERY FIRST TIME I sat in a small plane, an Extra 300L, we flew to an open uncontrolled airspace area. When we arrived, the FIRST THING WE DID, a roll, after the second demo, the instructor had me do it. It was epic. 18 hours of lessons later, I was snap rolling and doing more advanced maneuvers. BEST. FLYING. EVER.

now thats how you sale airplanes

The Boeing 707. One of the best aircraft to ever fly

That was a righteous “Called me into the office Monday morning...” move. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

That's the type of pilot I want in the cockpit if something goes wrong.

“It was fine.” - Tex Johnson

He seems like the coolest guy, very wholesome.

It blew my mind when I saw him do it (as a kid) - The Gold cup Hydroplane race was in Seattle that year and that added to it. Putting it mind blowingly beyound belief.

Thats a Great pilot right there. Made me smile.😎👍

Tex Johnson is about as American a name as you can get. What a absolute mad-lad rolling a commercial Boeing like it's nothing lol

And sell they did. The 707 is a terrific aircraft. Got about 3000 hours in the 707-320B. Enjoyed every hour. I recall visiting the graveyard in Arizona and got to see the Dash 80 for some time before they moved it to the Boeing museum.

“That plane cannot do that.” Tex: “hold my beer!”

It’s all fun and games until the sky is below you... ...and then you realize you’re in a 707 flown by Tex Johnston.

Flew overseas on the 707 a few times in the 70s. Awesome aircraft. She look like she was flapping her wings sometimes.

My boss in the navy was a flight instructor. It was news to me when he told me that the barrel roll is a one maneuver. He said " you put your coffee cup on the dashboard, do the roll and pick up your coffee cup after"

It was actually a little more impressive than what Tex says here. First of all it was at the Safari hydroplane race in front of hundreds of thousands of fans. Secondly he came in at 100 feet over the barge with the airline execs on it, pulled up did a roll then turned around, buzzed them a second time and did a second roll! My parents were there for the race and dad, who was a pilot and would later fly the DC-8, had his movie camera with him but sadly was out of film by then. I do have film of the hydros racing however but that is all. I met Tex once just before he passed and got an autographed copy of his book Tex Johnson Jet-Age Test Pilot.

"you know that, and now we know that. Just don't do it anymore." Totally different time. Tex woulda been fired, sued, tried and convicted if he did that in this day and age.

The dislikes are from people who failed to attain their pilots licence

Perfect example of 1) Do First 2) Ask Later

Nice to hear Robert Vaughn as the narrator. He was great in Bullitt.

This is why Boeing is flown all over the world! Well done Tex well done.....

Tex you were a badass and thank you to all test pilots out there. You are brave men and women.

This interview doesn't include the fact he was just about to retire.... Tex you are a legend...thank you

Best airplane video of all time. There will never be another Tex.

1 g maneuver is key ❤ Confident pilot 👌

Does Tex sound like Jimmy Stewart?

Awesome, I didn't know footage and that photo existed. Thanks for the interview clip.

Love that video! TEX was a real good pilot and a real man!

The pilot was just following orders. He heard “Do a barrel roll!”

BALLS OF STEEL

No biggie, just a barrel roll in a huge airliner. What a guy!

These are the same cameras used in current times to capture UFO's

This was the first 707 and is actually a very low hours plane. If I remember it was a freight carrier for a while and ended up stored out in the desert for years. Then it was scheduled Tobe scrapped. Boing employees knew about it and said why are we scrapping this plane ? The big wings finally came to their senses, cleaned it up and put it back to the original livery you see here. 1:02

He was probably concidered a "Daredevil" in his own right, though Tex made a program in it's own existence, as a beneficial driver to a company like Boeing, not a mockery. He was as great a man that stood the time to prove to the world that, with the right preparations, a civilian jetliner like the 707, can do the inevitable. He certainly knew how to impress the airlines, and get them to buy some airplanes, one has to wonder.

FAA Inspector frantically flipping pages... "Doesn't say you CAN'T do that".

What a real G!!! "I'm selling airplanes"

That was pure ability and craziness as well, had to be going really fast to do that, unbelievable!

I met Mr. Johnson in 1990 at an airline hobbyists' convention in Seattle. He signed my Boeing aircraft book. Very nice man. He was quite old at the time, so has probably passed on by now.

That near tail strike, yaw right and near wing strike on take off was just as scary as the roll.

wow from the heart! love watching this clip over and over again

Tex was bad ass, this is back when pilots had balls. Other pilots have had balls too, but they don't always survive. As the old saying goes, " there are old pilots, and bold pilots, but there are no old and bold pilots. " But like he said, the roll was absolutely non hazardous, but very impressive.

what a brilliant man, that drawl explaining how he rolled an airliner...priceless.

“You know that, now. We know that. But just don’t do it anymore. That was fine.” Cool video.

“Just don’t do it any more.” One of the most famous anecdotes in commercial aviation caught on film. The Boeing 707 is arguably the most significant civilian aircraft ever built, certainly the most significant jet.

Yep he is a living legend

The guys book is a riot. . He is definitly from mother era. “My test engineer just happened to have a camera on him “. Riiight Tex we know.

Tex was buddies with bob Hoover - another top test pilot of the times…… they could fly on the edge and knew their aircraft through and through. Bob ended up selling airplanes for a company called Rockwell. Bob sold aircraft the same way Tex did…… Legends of their time !

who got this on there recommendations 13 years later

When Boeing was still a reputable company which had customer's safety as their priority no 1. These days it's just profits.

Well this man's 5 heart attacks of badassery with a bit of comedy in it and then some. 😂

LoL the plane cleaners after the flight were like "how the fuck did he cause blue juice from the toilet all over the ceiling?"

+What this plane can do? -Well, bring some people, cargoes, high speed, and a barrel roll +Barrel what?!

His second name was JOHNSTON.

A true rarity: an old, bold pilot. Usually it’s one or the other

what an absolute unit of a pilot

With James Stewart as Tex Johnson