6/23/11

AIRLINES used to be fun


I'm glad to be old enough to remember what flying on commercial airlines used to be like. You dressed up and you behaved yourself. Flights took longer, but you were treated with respect and not spam in a can. These days I'll do everything I can to avoid flying. The airlines stink and too often so does the person you're sitting next to. Yes, I'm glad I have my memories, my vinyl Pan Am bag, my little United wings, old TWA folders, my postcards, etc.

The worst flight I ever took was from the West Coast to Dulles. It took over 32 hours. These days, that's normal. How the mighty have fallen, which brings me to these vintage snapshots of planes.

This weeks Sepia Saturday image shows two people working on an aircraft engine which logically made me think of vernacular photographs I have of people traveling by plane.

These first three photos all show a man by the name of Mr. Roberts who led a fascinating life. I've posted images of him in the past. I have been told what this first seaplane is, but now I can't remember so I'm open to suggestions.

Click on any image to see it larger.




The image above shows Mr. Roberts about to fly with Century Air Lines on a Stinson Tri-Motored 10 passenger plane. On the back it says "September 1931." To see a 1932 brochure from Century click here. They even provided chauffeured transportation to and from the airport. Imagine that?

Century Air Lines was formed in 1930 by Errett Lobban Cord who seems to have had his fingers in many pies.
In the final week of 1930, Cord announced the formation of Century Air Lines, Inc. an air-mail and cargo carrier based out of Chicago. Simultaneously, Stinson Aircraft announced the $3 million sale of 100 Lycoming-powered airliners to Century.

In early 1932, Aviation Corp., (AVCO) the parent company of American Airways, launched a hostile takeover of Cord’s Century Airlines by creating a labor dispute with Century’s pilots. Cord was not amused and spent the next few months secretly purchasing large chunks of Aviation Corp. stock.

At AVCO's fall board meeting, its directors were unpleasantly surprised to learn that Cord was now Aviation Corp’s majority stockholder (34%), which effectively gave him control over Century and American. On August 3, 1933 Cord purchased the New York Shipbuilding Corp. of Camden, New Jersey, and two weeks later purchased a controlling interest in the Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Checker Cab Co. (SOURCE: Coachbuilt)
I have no idea when the shot below was taken, but geez, even the ground crew is dressed up and they probably didn't rifle through your luggage stealing whatever took their fancy. And if that's the pilot dragging the steps away who's flying the plane?


The image below is from a photo album of a trip a couple took between June 27-July 15 in 1954.


And this is a photo I have posted before. Click here to see the fascinating response I received after posting it.



Like I said, people used to dress up to fly. Flying was an adventure, not a chore.

16 comments:

  1. I used to love planes and flying, except for rotor-winged aircraft. I'll never fly on another one. The only plane I feel comfortable in any more is a light plane, two or four seater. The whole liberty freedom thing has finally gotten to me. You're right. It used to be an adventure. You dressed up. You behaved. TSA and full body scans has ruined all that forever, I'm afraid. I'll take a train or drive before I'll fly a major airline.

    I sure do like looking at pictures, however!

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  2. The response about Air News is very interesting. I never would have guessed that there were specialists in that type of photography.

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  3. What a great response to that first posting. I must have missed that one - not sure I’d joined Sepia Saturday then. I like the idea of a chauffer driving me to the airport. Actually I have that now - my neighbour does it for us and we reciprocate.

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  4. Lovely post. Completely agree about flying these days. A few years ago I used to love travelling with work, being in a different European country every week, but the novelty of that has now long gone and I try and avoid work based travel whenever possible, although I do jump at the opportunity of a train journey.

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  5. I've flown a lot since the 1960s but the novelty wore off on my second flight from Brussels to Luxembourg on a small plane that hurdled every hedge on the way. Many airlines are much the same unless you travel first class. Helicopters are different as you can see a lot more.
    Still better than back in Mr Robert's day.

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  6. Oh Bob, I know what you're talking about. Once took a flight from Burbank, California to Oakland on a small plane that went up and down, up and down following every single hill and valley. It was called...are you ready for this...Blatz.

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  7. You'd have to be pretty intrepid to go on that seaplane.

    I was on a ride in a helicopter in Newfoundland 24 years ago, and the weather was getting pretty wild. I was sitting next to the pilot, and so I asked him if the ride was unusually turbulent. He said nonchalantly, "Oh, this is probably the roughest ride you'll ever have in a helicopter" ... I was young, took it in my stride.

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  8. Oh my what a great bunch of photos and such interesting info too....I once flew on Pan Am as well to Germany when I was 13! Those were the days of good food too...now it's all about getting there at whatever price and barely seat room!

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  9. My father worked abroad so I was flying from the age of about 2. That WAS a long time ago! Even so, your pictures bring back the memories. I really don't like air travel these days.

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  10. I never did any flying until my later years so don't know how it used to be. You are so right about people dressing up in the past - we did it for most everything. If you were going to the dentist or doctor or even shopping, you usually dressed nicely. Now you see everything. Whole new world! Goodness, we wore hats and gloves when we really dolled up! Have a fun rest of the weekend. Carol

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  11. Now I want a flying boat to go with my bowtie! Great collection.

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  12. Wonderful photos! I don't fly at all anymore, but I still remember every trip I ever took on the old military prop jobs, when my dad was in the Air Force.

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  13. I have only flown about 6 times in my life and loved every minute of it. All were pleasure trips. I don't think I could, however, tolerate weekly or monthly trips. I do know things have changed and don't fly at all at my age anymore. Great post. Enjoyed it.
    QMM

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  14. Great post. I love the seaplane photos.

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  15. It's a Curtis Flying Boat, designed and built by Glen Curtis. It's from the middle, late teens.

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  16. Thank you WJY. I knew I should have written the name down when I was told, and I do now remember hearing Curtis.

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