Security wait at THE BAHRAIN AIRPORT IN 1957

I'm hoping people know what Bahrain looks like now. A place of insane construction of high rises with tourists and banking their major industry. But once upon a time, back in January 1957, this was the airport. Now I want you to wrap your head around this. For those who never experienced flying when it was still sane; when you were treated special. They were really thrilled to have you on board. You weren't treated like a contagious disease that needed to be turned in all directions and then placed in a hermetically sealed capsule and told to sit down and shut up. Not that I hate flying these days. It's a truly joyful experience and the airlines are bending over backwards to fill your every want and need as they pick your pockets. Snork.

Here we have the Bahrain Airport that Donald G. Schnabel visited. I'm guessing security, passport control, took a few moments and then you too could take a seat in the warm sun and wait for your plane to taxi over. Now I'm not saying the service was great. I doubt there were any little bottles of Scotch on board, fresh meals, warm wash clothes. Nope, I'm guessing the best you might hope for was a box of Chicklets to help your ears make it through take off and landing. But it was far more relaxed. Don't these fellas look relaxed?




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DONALD G. SCHNABEL

I can't be certain, but I think most of the Kodachrome slides I purchased from Betty Schnabel's estate were taken by her father, Donald G. Schnabel. However, this one of Mr. Schnabel on the tarmac at the Las Vegas airport in 1955 was perhaps taken by Betty.


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DRESS FOR SUCCESS on a flight in 1955

Next time you're on a plane take a look at the people sitting around you. For that matter, take a look at yourself. How are you and your fellow travelers dressed?


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Now take a moment and imagine it's 1955. Those flip-flops worn by the guy in the shorts and worn-out stained Megadeath t-shirt would never have made it onto a flight. Is this a good or bad thing?

Waiting to TAKE FLIGHT from San Francisco in 1955

Another Kodachrome shot from 1955. This has the caption "Chas. Perkins at Mills Field in San Francisco. Nov 1955."


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Mills Field is what the San Francisco airport was called when it was first established in 1927. Why this photographer was still calling it Mills Field in 1955 has me confused.

The airport opened on May 7, 1927 on 150 acres (61 ha) of cow pasture. The land was leased from Ogden L. Mills who had leased it from his grandfather Darius O. Mills. It was named Mills Field Municipal Airport until 1931, when it became San Francisco Municipal Airport. "Municipal" was replaced by "International" in 1955. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)