Remembrances Of Times Past-Your 1st Airport Experiences

[RexAll]

So the recent thread on upgrades made me think of the 1st time I flew and other associated thoughts. My Dad was a salesman when I was growling up, and he occasionally flew. I remember going to Love Field in Dallas once as a very small child probably 1963- mainly because there was some type of small arcade there ( this was years before it hosted a large arcade/ roller rink in the mid 70's). Later when I was older and we moved to Shreveport and then to Amarillo- I remember going out to the gate outside the terminal to watch my Dad board and the plane to take off. Once they let me board with him even though I wasn't traveling, and the stewardess gave me some wings to pin onto my shirt.

 

As for my 1st flight, well I had been jealous for years of my younger cousin. He had flown once at the age of 4 from Dallas to Shreveport to visit us on a propeller plane. Its only around a 3-1/2 hour car ride. I wonder how long it took on a non jet airplane in 1966. I had to wait until I was 13. I think it was a bar mitzvah present. I flew to Dallas on Spring Break from school. Amarillo still had an airport where you went outside to board. Dallas had just opened DFW a few months before. I had bought a stand- by ticket as a confirmed seat was too expensive. I think I was dressed in a sports coat and slacks. I ended up sitting back in the smoking section or maybe 1 or two rows ahead of the smoking section which might just as well have been the smoking section. My seat mates were a young mother with a baby in a basinette-poor baby to be exposed to that much smoke at such a young age. The stewardess told me when I boarded that if I had been 12, they would have had to watch over me on the flight and make sure I was picked up afterwards- but at 13 the airlines treated me as a non smoking- non drinking adult.

While I don't remember if I used them on that journey- the original train system at DFW- Airtrans- had turnstiles- and you had to pay a quarter to get on it. On a later trip in high school, I remember having to continually go back and forth through the turnstile to collect my fellow classmates. At one point I ran out of quarters and just climbed over the turnstiles. I hope the DFW security has taken my 30 year old picture down and has stopped looking for me by now.

 

Anyone else with remembrances of airline travel from 40 years ago?

 

 

Rex

[+ azdr0710]

my Dad was an airline captain from 1955-1986 and so my first plane trip was when I was only two or three months old back in the early 1960s....my Mom occasionally told the story of taking me back from our then-home in the NJ/NY area to see my grandparents (her parents) in her midwestern hometown....being employee family, we were very lucky to be in first class for the trip....an old hometown (male) friend of my mother's was on the same flight (also headed home)....they hadn't seen each other in several years and he was evidently surprised to see my then young-ish mother traveling first class from NY with a baby in tow....according to my Mom, he chatted her up and evidently wondered, to himself, how my Mom (who was always very good-looking) must've been able to snag herself some wealthy New York-type and so was able to go first class....conversation continued and it came out that my Mom was married to an airline captain.....the old male friend replied, "oh, so this trip isn't costing you a thing, right?"....Mom said, "uh, yeah" and the chat ended quickly....I think they had dated once and the guy was evidently jealous at first, then smugly satisfied when he got her to "admit" she hadn't married some NY sugar daddy after all....

 

yeah, dumb little story, but that was my first airport experience (though not "remembered").....my first remembrances are of walking across the apron in freezing weather (no jetways) to a set of stairs to get on, Mom dressing us up in coat and tie to fly, no security at all, incredible free meals in coach, and half-empty flights most of the time.....

 

deregulation and Sept. 11 changed everything.....

[+ Charlie]

My first flight was not very memorable in itself. I had left graduate school in June 1966, and been hired for my first professional job. Since I knew I wouldn't get a vacation for a year, I decided before I started working to treat myself to my first visit to someplace I'd never been: New Orleans. It was a Delta flight from Philadelphia to NO via Atlanta, I believe on a 707. I expected something glamorous, but it was no more exciting than riding the Penn Central RR (Amtrak didn't exist yet), just faster and more expensive. New Orleans, on the other hand, was fantastic, though the high point was getting picked up in a bar in the French Quarter by a hot guy, who whisked me off to the beach in Biloxi, in his new Cadillac convertible, a much more memorable trip than the plane ride.

[adriano46]

Growing up in the NYC area, we often were driven my my Dad to then-Idewild Airport to watch planes take off. I remember vivedly seeing the then brand new TWA Building

 

 

And we would sit for an hour or so, as my Dad and some uncles and cousins and my Mom and other aunts all smoked (with us inhaling all the smoke), and watching people board flights for exotic locations. No security checks, and everyone - airline personnel, passengers, and even we armchair passengers were all dressed stylishly.

[gallahadesquire]

I don't remember it as a "first", but I have the memory of getting on a DC-3 from Chicago to Peoria with my Father. We went to see Lawrence of Arabia (first run) while we were there - so it DID play in Peoria!

 

My father had been a Navy Pilot in WWII, and he took me up in an over-wing single engine. I remember being at about a 30 degree bank to take a right turn, and looking [what seemed] straight down at the ground.

[whipped guy]

My first flight was to Rome, Italy via the then relatively new Boeing 747 with a connecting flight to Catania, Sicily on an old DC 10...

 

The first word that I learned in Italian was "sciopero", which means "strike" as in a labor dispute... The baggage handlers were on strike and the passengers had to go into the belly of the plane to retrieve their own luggage. As luck would have it ours was about as far in as one could go... so being one of the younger passengers I had the pleasure of retrieving about 90 percent of the luggage before mine was visable... The second Italian word I learned was "chiuso"... or closed... When they were not on strike they were closed for business. I quickly learned that they lead quite different lifestyle over there...

 

As for the return flight via Air France... you don't want to know... let's just say 24 hours on the same plane... a good portion of it spent on the ground prior to take-off to correct "problems" with the aircraft... and it was downhill after that!

[EZEtoGRU]

My first flight was probably 1966 or 1967 from Detroit to St. Louis with my parents to visit family friends. I was very young and don't remember a whole lot except being fascinated by the whole thing. I do remember it was American Airlines and they gave me wings for my shirt and also a certificate stating that I could return to American Airlines when I turned 21 to be a pilot!

 

My first long haul was from Detroit to London on a Pan Am 747 in 1975. I was so excited and loved the whole thing...even though Pan Am was already past it's glory days at that point. I've been hooked on flying ever since.

[+ FreshFluff]

Some of my first memories are from my family's flight to the U.S. when I was three. I remember the books with cut out dolls and the chocolate on the way to NY--and that was in coach!

 

Once he finished the degree and started working, y dad traveled accumulated a ton of miles, so we often flew first class on TWA. I remember how they served what seemed like endless meals, often starting with caviar.

[gallahadesquire]

I don't remember it as a "first", but I have the memory of getting on a DC-3 from Chicago to Peoria with my Father. We went to see Lawrence of Arabia (first run) while we were there - so it DID play in Peoria!

 

My father had been a Navy Pilot in WWII, and he took me up in an over-wing single engine. I remember being at about a 30 degree bank to take a right turn, and looking [what seemed] straight down at the ground.

[leigh.bess.toad]

A few memories of early travels. I was a senior in high school for my first plane ride. Going off by myself for the first time to All-Eastern Chorus from DC to Boston. Somehow I ended up next to the conductor of the chorus -- Vito Mason from American University. Nothing memorable about the trip otherwise.

 

I remember taking flights a few years later at Dulles Airport in DC and you had to ride these mobile lounges out to the planes. It's been a while since I've flown out of Dulles? It looks like they still use them for some things.

 

But the one flight I remember was from school to home from college for Thanksgiving. Late night flight, supposed to get into DC from Hartford about 9:30 or 10 at night. And it was snowing in DC. I was supposed to fly into what is now Reagan National. Anyway I was flying Eastern Airlines and we got to DC and kept circling and circling. Finally the pilot told us he had clearance to land. And so we landed. A few minutes later, the stewardess came on the intercom: "In his haste to get us down safely, the pilot neglected to tell us one thing: we had to land at Dulles Airport." So snowing in DC, 30+ miles from Reagan National where my parents were waiting. And this was obviously long before the idea of cell phones ever was thought of. How I ever found them, I have no idea.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

My first flight would have been in '68 or '59 when I was 4 or 5. We were flying from Detroit to Los Angeles to visit my dad's family. I remember we were all dressed - I had a clip on tie and my mom wore best dress. I also recall having a meal served on china with a beverage in a real glass. All baggage was checked and no one had carry on items.

[+ azdr0710]

 

that reminds me that the overhead "compartments" used to just be long open shelves with many stacks of pillows and blankets....

 

and on the original 747s, there were at least a couple whole lounges - entire bars with a bartender and lounge-like seating taking up entire cabins....(many here will remember this)

[+ Charlie]

My first flight was to Rome, Italy via the then relatively new Boeing 747 with a connecting flight to Catania, Sicily on an old DC 10...

 

!

 

Funny thing, I flew on that same DC-10 from Rome to Catania last year. Alitalia seemed to have put it back together with scotchtape. And check-in for the return flight was "chiuso" at the time we had been told to arrive.

[orbital sander]

It was not my first flight, but I was returning from Guatemala as a teenager with another kid. I was to connect in Shreveport MS on the original Frontier Airlines. Our plane was severely delayed (8 hours). We hung out with the ticket agents as they were happy to give us snacks, drinks and other items and let us hang out. The airport was quite small, and so one of the ticket agents informed us that they had to go clean a 737 that had arrived as they were short handed that day. They told us to stand behind the counter and tell anyone who came up that they would return in a few minutes...never in a million years these days

[+ Gar1eth]

On the return from my 1st and only trip to Europe. We arrived in Dallas late morning or afternoon. There was literally a monsoon going on- it was spring. Most of the flights to and from DFW were canceled. I was supposed to be home in Houston by around 2 pm. We didn't even board a plane until around midnight or 1 AM. Right after we get on the plane and loaded, they made us get off as the crew's flight time had expired. We then had to go to the complete opposite end of the terminal to get the next plane. I was so tired. I finally got home around 4 AM. If I hadn't been so jet lagged, I could have rented a car and been home 12 hours sooner at the least.

 

Gman

[whipped guy]

Funny thing, I flew on that same DC-10 from Rome to Catania last year. Alitalia seemed to have put it back together with scotchtape. And check-in for the return flight was "chiuso" at the time we had been told to arrive.

Well, glad that they started using scotch tape... I honestly thought that the wings were going to fall off... Plus, being in the belly of the plane to retrieve my luggage and seeing the interior construction was not a confidence builder either.

 

Still, good to hear that Alitalia is making an attempt to upgrade their fleet!

[Diverdan]

My first trip to Europe was very memorable... I was upgraded to first class and sat across the aisle from a very proper, apparently very wealthy British Couple. The woman decided to "take me under her wing" and persuaded me to try the Caviar that was being served (which I had never had before) and also to try Scotch... in this case Royal Salute. She was "apalled" that I knew nothing about Caviar or the various brands/varieties of scotch. I guess I must have been the "son" that she never had and wanted to instruct me in the finer graces of life. Rather than becoming offended, I actually enjoyed the conversations, and it certainly helped pass the time. Ahh... those were the days when flying was a real treat. I also remember flying on an L10-11 when they had the big bar and the piano in the first class section. But my very best recollection of an early flight was my first business trip to Hawaii. I was in FC and had a very attentive flight attendant. We flirted a lot during the flight, and before we landed he handed me a napkin with his hotel and suggested we get together later that evening... which we did. It made for a very welcome ALOHA to the islands.

DD

[Bob]

My first flight was about 1964 from Des Moines to Chicago on Ozark Airlines. No security, no suspicious glances, just friendly smiles. Free snacks and beverages and a "delicious" lunch, or at least so it seemed. All for $50.

[Bosguy]

It was not exactly my first flight, but it was among them. In the mid 70's I was flying from Boston to Provincetown to meet my ex for a vacation. Don't know what kind of a plane it was, but I walked out to the runway and saw this prop plane that had lower back wheels so you entered and had to be careful not to fall to the back of the plane. Only a curtain separated the flight deck. I was sure Amelia Earhart or Howard Hughes was going to step out.

 

We took off and arrived shortly in Ptown in a cloud of smoke. My friends couldn't even see the plane as it arrived. Experience of a lifetime!!!

 

Boston Bill

[Bosguy]

It was not exactly my first flight, but it was among them. In the mid 70's I was flying from Boston to Provincetown to meet my ex for a vacation. Don't know what kind of a plane it was, but I walked out to the runway and saw this prop plane that had lower back wheels so you entered and had to be careful not to fall to the back of the plane. Only a curtain separated the flight deck. I was sure Amelia Earhart or Howard Hughes was going to step out.

 

We took off and arrived shortly in Ptown in a cloud of smoke. My friends couldn't even see the plane as it arrived. Experience of a lifetime!!!

 

Boston Bill

[+ Tygerscent]

Most memorable flight was in 1980, arriving into Ecuador from Peru~ deep dive down to short, amazon run way while my seat mate, Charles Plenge from Queensland Australia, dug his nails deep into my fore arm... I was laughing the whole way thinking if we were gonna die it would be a fantastic way to go~ fuck that nursing home and hospital shit~

After we landed and walked over the random puke on the airplane floor, we were greeted by indigenous people selling arrows and piranha heads along with shrunken heads of people~ Does it git any better then that? Totally awesome~!

Me being the priss i am, I came home with a loom and some Shippebo pottery that I picked up while out in the jungles of the amazon~ Dead peoples head were not on my list at the time~ Damn... should have grabbed one though~

Tyger!

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My first flight would have been in '68 or '59 when I was 4 or 5.

[whipped guy]

It was not exactly my first flight, but it was among them. In the mid 70's I was flying from Boston to Provincetown to meet my ex for a vacation. Don't know what kind of a plane it was, but I walked out to the runway and saw this prop plane that had lower back wheels so you entered and had to be careful not to fall to the back of the plane. Only a curtain separated the flight deck. I was sure Amelia Earhart or Howard Hughes was going to step out.

Hey Bos... your post reminds me of a recent experience... A few months ago I flew from Fort Meyers to Key West to visit a good friend. The "airline" was Cape Air of Cape Cod fame. All the passengers had to give their weight. Plus, all of our baggage was weighed. Prior to boarding the pilot had everyone line up and the larger and heavier individuals were positioned up front and the progressively slighter individuals were told to sit further back with the less weighty individuals in the rear… For the record where were 5 rows of two seats each. Obviously, the pilot sat in the front row and the largest passenger… in this case a 16 year old… sat in the co-pilots seat and the remaining 8 passengers sat behind. For the record, I was told to sit in the last row by the way… and even though if given the chance I would have wanted to sit next to the pilot.

 

In any event, it was an uneventful flight… and when we landed the pilot exclaimed in an Indian accent, “And you folks thought I wouldn’t be able to get this baby off the ground!”

 

The return flight was even better… only 5 passengers… therefore we under-weight. Consequently, we were able to sit wherever we wanted… I made it to the second row… It was a clear night… there was a full moon… heavenly!

[+ purplekow]

My first flight was at 16 years old. Not only was it my first flight, it was the first flight for anyone in my family, so the full Italian family came out to see me off at Idlewild/Kennedy Airport, a mere 5 miles from our home. The house I grew up in, was located right on the path of a landing at Idlewild as we always referred to it even after the name change.

We lived 5 miles, probably 1 to 2 miles as the plane flies, from the airport. I was leaving for college orientation in Buffalo and at 16 years old, I was going to be the first college student in the family and the first airplane passenger.

I boarded the plane after leaving about 30 relatives in the waiting area and they continued to wave until the plane taxied off. I could see them but not sure they could see me. i think it is more likely they just got wrapped up in the idea of waving. 45 minutes later I landed in Buffalo and had a phone conversation of about 1 hour describing the flight to the relatives who had gathered at my mother's home for a celebratory dinner.

Returning to NYC 5 days later, and with a man having stepped on the moon in the interim, the flight had a bigger impact on me, especially as we approached the airport and from on high I could see my mother and father getting into our car to come and pick me up at the airport. After years of looking up at planes passing by and wondering who was in there and if they could see me, I now knew first hand that they just regular people who were coming from almost anywhere and that I was seen by them as i saw my parents.

[orbital sander]

My first flight was at 16 years old. Not only was it my first flight, it was the first flight for anyone in my family, so the full Italian family came out to see me off at Idlewild/Kennedy Airport, a mere 5 miles from our home. The house I grew up in, was located right on the path of a landing at Idlewild as we always referred to it even after the name change.

We lived 5 miles, probably 1 to 2 miles as the plane flies, from the airport. I was leaving for college orientation in Buffalo and at 16 years old, I was going to be the first college student in the family and the first airplane passenger.

I boarded the plane after leaving about 30 relatives in the waiting area and they continued to wave until the plane taxied off. I could see them but not sure they could see me. i think it is more likely they just got wrapped up in the idea of waving. 45 minutes later I landed in Buffalo and had a phone conversation of about 1 hour describing the flight to the relatives who had gathered at my mother's home for a celebratory dinner.

Returning to NYC 5 days later, and with a man having stepped on the moon in the interim, the flight had a bigger impact on me, especially as we approached the airport and from on high I could see my mother and father getting into our car to come and pick me up at the airport. After years of looking up at planes passing by and wondering who was in there and if they could see me, I now knew first hand that they just regular people who were coming from almost anywhere and that I was seen by them as i saw my parents.

 

Wow, that was cool that you saw your folks while flying over. I had similar thoughts on my first flight. I remember flying into Chicago and realizing that there were so many people who had houses, families, cars, and jobs in other places and that I would never know any of them. As a small town kid it gave me a much more realistic sense of global scale. I used to love to fly... my how things change. Great memory, thanks for sharing.

[+ Charlie]

Wow, that was cool that you saw your folks while flying over. I had similar thoughts on my first flight. I remember flying into Chicago and realizing that there were so many people who had houses, families, cars, and jobs in other places and that I would never know any of them. As a small town kid it gave me a much more realistic sense of global scale. I used to love to fly... my how things change. Great memory, thanks for sharing.

 

We live very close to the airport, so if I am flying the Skywest commuter to LAX, I always try to sit on the lefthand side, because I can look down at my house. I figure that if we should accidently fly into the mountain (as happened with Frank Sinatra's mother's flight), the last thing I see will be my own home.