I flew co pilot on Herons out of Burbank and Long Beach to Las Vegas for the Hacienda Hotel back in 1963. The two aircraft that we operated both had the original engines with the impulse couplings on their magnetos. These were a constant issue for us and as I recall we were switching them over to a traditional Bendix magneto when I left to join another airline. I enjoyed flying them it was great 4 engine experience for a lad just twenty years old at the time. It was not uncomon for us to make a three engine T.O., dive the aircraft to get an engine started and then leave it running for the next two pax drop offs before we returned to our maintenance base at Van Nuys, Calif. I don't think the feds would approve of that today and probably not then either!
