Now Let's Talk About Planes/Airlines

[launderess]

Can we?

Was watching a program the other day on the Pan Am/KLM air disaster in Tenterife, which remains the worse airline disaster in world history, when it struck me how much flying has changed, and how much we have lost.

Those of us old enough to remember, flying was an "experience", so thrilling. From going to the airport, (always in one's best, including the children), to waiting in those beautiful lounges watching the planes arrive and take off until one's flight was called.

And what planes and airlines they were!

However to my mind, there was only ONE airline and one airplane, Pan Am and the Boeing 747!

Pan Am was a class act all the way. From the food, service, (try getting a real three course meal inflight these days, much less unlimited drinks), and of course they flew all over the world to the most exotic locations.

Pan Am's flight attendants were always young, beautiful and dressed so well. Not like those "tarts" *LOL* in hot pants from National Airlines (Hi, I'm Barbie, fly me to Fort Worth, Dallas and New York, fly me). No, Pan Am's stews were always shown having a blast in the captial cities of the world. Paris, Rome, Toyko, and other places one as a child had to consult a globe to find.

Pan Am's pilots always seemed so "military",like they just stepped off an air force base. Even when on strike (sadly), they would walk with straight back and in lock step as on parade. When the captain came on the PA system announcing such mundane matters as push back, taking off and whatever, it sounded so reassuring. You know there was a firm hand on the wheel and one could relax (and enjoy all that good food and drinks).

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Here I go, dating myself again...

One of the airlines I remember flying on and still miss was Air California. I would always fly with them when I went to visit the grandparents in Laguna Beach in So. Cal. The crew was always friendly and I still have the 'wings' that they handed out to the kids traveling alone. I've flown in many styles of planes since, but I still fondly remember flying in the Lockheed Electras with the 4 turboprops the best. They just had a sound to them that I thought (and still do) was the neatest. Then they became 'Air Cal' and eventually swollowed up by American. There was a style and level of service I thought was unique to the smaller airlines that's hard to find nowadays although Southwest sometimes came close.

RCD

 

[gyrafoam]

There were a lot of great airlines back in the day. During the "regulated" era, about the only way the airlines could compete was through either equipment or service standards, so it was the consumer who benefitted greatly.

Except for those pesky occasional diversions to Havana, security was not much of a consideration. AND safety and reliability have improved greatly! (It is amazing how long it has been since there has been a major catastrophe (G-D forbid!).

The heavy piston powered aircraft were slow, but roomy and even the first generation or so of jetliners proved very comfortable. Of course, in those day it was rare to find a full airplane. 50% or less was considered a "normal" load-factor over most routes.

I am glad I experienced those old days.
There is nothing like it now at all, and just the hassle of dealing with the TSA is enough to keep me from flying unless I have to!

 

[whirlcool]

Laundress:

You're dating yourself! Ah, the good old days. As for one who is in the industry, it seems that all the fun has been taken out of the job ever since 9/11 and the advent of those darned regional jets, which clog up the airspace everywhere. They are popular because airlines can offer many more flights to any given destination all in the quest to satisfy their customers. But they also cause more congestion which results in greater holding times, waiting for gate availability at the airport, etc.

And the good old Pan Am. Some crazy guy bought the name and had an airline using the Pan Am name(Pan Am Clipper Connection). It was the strangest airline I have ever seen. They went to places like Portsmouth, NH to Sarasota, Florida, etc. Oddball routes. They wouldn't hold any route for more than a month or so before they'd drop it and come up with some other oddball route. For about three weeks last year they offered non-stop 727 service from Atlanta to Tunica, MS to support the casinos in Tunica.
A Mr. Guilford who owns a railroad owned this atrocity and put the Pan Am name on a little railroad he owns, including the Pan Am logos on the trains! Fortunatley amongst labor fall outs, he shut down the last iteration of Pan Am in February of this year.

But as Laundress pointed out, Pan Am was a wonderful airline. A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending a Pan Am reunion in San Francisco of former Pan Am employees. They put on a presentation about the history of Pan Am, performed by the people who actually built the airline. They explained how Pan Am became the first carrier to offer trans-pacific services and how they did it. Since the story is kind of long,if anyone wants to hear it, let me know and I'll relate it to you. Most all the history of Pan Am is located at the Aviation Museum Archives located in the International Terminal in San Francisco. An amazing place to spend an afternoon.
Unfortuantly, I only had two opportunities to fly on Pan Am. And that was Chicago to London in 1976 and Houston to Mexico City in 1982. I also remember when Pan Am was the launch customer for the 747. Before they began actual service they flew one around the country to be put on display for the public to come and look at. I remember how amazed I was at the size. But my first 747 trip was actually on TWA 6 months later.

http://www.guilfordrail.com/

 

[gyrafoam]

RCD----

Thats a great shot of an ex-Northwest L-188C.
A Faaaaaaabulous airliner!
Thanks!

 

[launderess]

Trans World Airlines

Another great Amercian airline run into it's grave by greed and poor management.

Was my second favourite airline after, Pan Am, especially for domestic travel.

However like Pan Am, being an airline so identified with the United States, TWA was the main target for every terrorist and crack pot the world over.

Flight 800, pretty much put the last nail in TWA's coffin.

 

[launderess]

Speaking of Airlines and Airplanes

The history of the three major aircraft builders in the United States is really interesting.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin and of course MacDonald Douglass.

Only remember those ghashtly L-1011's that couldn't touch a Boeing, IMHO.

L.

 

[alr2903]

Yes, as Bill Maher once said," in the good ole 1980's when you could arrive 15 minutes before your flight, and pay in cash". I remember when you could smoke in the last rows. In my 20's. We flew to L.A. on Braniff, Food, real salt and pepper shakers, fancy silverware, cloth napkins, wine goblet's all with the Braniff logo. I thought it was so Wonderful, and now looking back it really was. Now im just an average joe (strike that) in coach and happy to have some stale peanuts. and 1/2 of a small glass of diet coke.

 

[launderess]

Well I'm Here To Tell You

If I see just one more man board a flight wearing baggy sweat pants with no undergarments, I'm going to be on the evening news! *LOL*

 

[alr2903]

Ah, Laundress couldn't you make an exception if he was really a hottie.

 

[ironrite]

Up Up and Away

TWA, 707 service from Phoenix to San Francisco, about a 90 minute flight back in the late 1970s. My first time getting a seat assignment when I bought my tickets.

Hmmm, three old ladies from Albuquerque sitting in my smoking coach seat. Stewardess then moves forward to non-smoking coach. Two business men now fighting over the seat I'm already sitting in. This new system isn't working!

I wave at the stewardess and she motions me to the front of the plane. How about first class, non-smoking? Sure! Benny Goodman and his orchestra will be flying with us today. Looked back, but couldn't make out which one was Mr. Goodman. So, three double vodka martinis later came the most wonderful chicken Kiev dinner I have ever had. Wine with dinner sir? Sure! After dinner drink? Sure!! That was the last I remembered of that flight. It was wonderful!! They poured me off the plane in San Francisco!

 

[launderess]

Ah, Laundress couldn't you make an exception if he was r

No! Put that stuff away. Flapping in the breeze like that, u is scarin the chillin.

 

[whirlcool]

Braniff was another first class carrier. My father flew for them. I wanted to fly for them too, but dear old Dad said I'd have to find my own way into the aviation world as he definitely didn't believe in giving anyone any favors. So I eventually ended up at North Central.
For those who didn't know, Braniff was the airline who shattered the military look for flight attendants back in 1965 when they hired Emilio Gucci to design the uniforms. They painted their planes in wild colors and called the entire campaign "The End of The Plain Plane". In First Class you had made to order drinks instead of mini bottles. You had your choice of 4 different brands of Gin, 3 Brands of Scotch, etc, all top shelf brands. You'd get steak and baked potato in coach and Prime Rib in First. Even on a short trip like Chicago-Kansas City you'd get a meal. Their Chicken Kiev was the best I have ever had. Follow the link for more about Braniff.
But while Harding Lawrence changed the face of flying forever, he was also one of the most feared airline presidents around. The stories of his tirades against employees was legendary. For example, he once fired a Braniff station manager because he took down notes from Lawrence with a pencil.
"No manager of mine will ever use a pencil, always a pen". He also knew every aspect of the operation. One time on a flight from Dallas to New York he was on a F/A served a meal to him and he noticed that the wine glass was not positioned on the tray the way the F/A's were trained to do in training classes.
When the F/A came by he picked up his tray and threw it at her, plates, glasses, silverware and all! More than just a few F/A's would call in sick if they knew Harding would be on their planes that day. But as a contrast one F/A who was non-revving sat next to him on a flight to LAX and said he was very nice and had perfect manners, go figure.

http://www.braniffpages.com/1965/1965.html

 

[rp2813]

Drew, thanks so much for posting that Air California Electra! I was just the other day thinking about AC's paint scheme on those but I can't remember why. I sort of recall a black sunburst on the nose but don't see it on the plane you posted. I remember in the early days the flight attendants wore black capes and big black flat top sombreros.

I grew up near the airport here in town and used to hear the Electras for both Air California and PSA as they taxied and took off. I never got to fly on one. My first time on an airplane was with my dad on a business trip to L.A. We were scheduled on an Electra flight ($11.43 each way) but my dad was a regular with PSA so when they had extra room on a flight a few minutes earlier and via 727 they offered it to him and he of course took it. I would have loved to hear what an Electra sounded like from the inside.

I'm with Laundress 100% re: Pan Am. I flew them twice, and only on short flights, but definitely felt more important than when flying any other airline.

But I disagree on the L-1011's. I thought those were fun planes. They had the drone of an old prop plane just like they used for "Airplane!"

Another plane I wish I could have flown on is a Constellation. I've been told they generated an on-board smell that was peculiar only to that particular aircraft.

I flew first class once. I had a friend who worked for Continental and she got us first class from SJC to O'Hare. We were seriously late, they shut the door right behind us and as soon as we sat down we had cocktails in front of us. I don't think I've ever had a screwdriver at 6:30 in the morning but at that moment, it was just what I needed! I suppose even first class isn't what it used to be these days but it would still beat modern day coach.

 

[alr2903]

LOL, Launderess, i just love Madea, "Alex i'll take jail for $200."....... RP was the constellation the british planes with the square windows, as opposed to round. History/or learning channel, IIRC pointed out the square windows caused the glass fatigue. Is that the constellation? alr2903

 

[launderess]

Pan Am "First" and "Clipper" Class

You knew you really arrived!

 

[launderess]

This Pretty Much Sums Things Up!

Pan Ham had the best airline hostesses, hands down. Well at least of the American domestic airlines.

Strolling through the airport or on their way to catch a flight from home, they always stood out. The very best young ladies!

From the stories one hears, those girls did pretty well for themselves. Many married doctors, bankers, lawyers and other men of importance and means. All met of course while on duty!

 

[launderess]

1960's -1970's

Pan Am. It just didn't get any better!

 

[gyrafoam]

Fun to hear the different stories and opinions.
Most wise old airline folks would refer to the L10's as "thoroughbreds". Following the usual Lockheed tradition they were exceptionally overbuilt. The electronics were lightyears ahead of their competition and considering they were using 1960's technology, the wing was also an engineering marvel-----even by today's standards!They also had the best saftey record of ANY of the first or second generation "wide-body" aircraft hands-down!

ALR2903, I am old enough to remember when the flight attendants passed out miniature cigaret packets to anyone who wished to smoke as there were no seperate "smoking sections"!
They were either menthol or regular, and were provided by the various tobacco companies----I still have a few of those packets in my aviation collection. I was a smoker back in the day, yet now that I am not and have "reformed" I can't imagine the discomfort I might have caused to the hapless non-smoker(s) who might have sat next to me on those long trans-cons, etc.

Whirlcool, we should talk sometime!
Did you ever meet Len Morgan? Anyway, I treasure the large color brochure I have in my collection that was the announcement of "The End of the Plain Plane"! (Shown in the top-left corner of your wonderful link).

RP2813 you may recall the Constellations by the many appearances they made in the old movies from the 50's and 60's. They had a "triple-tail" that made them stand out amongst the other heavy four-engined piston-powered aircraft of the day and were very "photogenic". Much use was made made of TWA "Connies" flying over New York City, for instance, as Howard Hughes owned TWA at the time and also was well known in Hollywood circles, especially as a movie director/producer. Many a Hollywood idol would only fly on TWA.

The Electra's got off to a rather rocky start, and had to have modifications to them before they finally became safe and reliable----but thats a long story by itself!
Nonetheless, they survived well into the 1990's, and provided stellar service to companies such as Reeve Aleutian, in Alaska (hauling passengers and cargo) and to the Brazillian carrier VARIG who was loathe to retire them on their "Pointe Area" shuttle. I think Channel Express over in Great Britain still uses them to haul cargo.

IMO they were a lot of fun to fly on. I loved the very front compartment as the view out of the window was not blocked by the massive engine nacelles like the seats on the wing. It was kool to look back into those massive props! First class was back in the tail, and I spent many L-188 trips back there on Eastern and Northwest enjoying their wonderful in-flight service. (In those days First class could be as little as $5.00 or $10.00 more than coach on some routes!)

If you eneded up on the wing, those huge props could set up a vibration or "beat" that would seem to go front to back and side to side----constantly. But I didn't care----I loved the L-188's no matter what. In my mind I can still hear that sound. (With the same engine/propeller package, the Convair 580 was the same way!)

Looking back, I remember the "Golden Age" of aviation very well and am glad I was able to live in that era.