Commentary on "The Good Old Days" of Airline Travel
Hong Kong Harbour
Apart from the magnificent Pan Am clipper, did you notice the lack of development of Hong Kong Harbour in the 1930s? Just a few low level buildings along the foreshore. A far cry from today's pollution-choked skyline.
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Apart from the magnificent Pan Am clipper, did you notice the lack of development of Hong Kong Harbour in the 1930s? Just a few low level buildings along the foreshore. A far cry from today's pollution-choked skyline.
The poster of the Clipper arriving at Diamond Head, HNL is similarly magnificent.
http://www.flyingclippers.com/postflight/jd01.html
I wonder what the flt. time from San Francisco to Honolulu would have been in those days?
Pearl Harbor - arrive 08.30 Thursday
Pearl Harbor - depart 12.00 Noon Tuesday
Oakland - arrive 10.30 Wednesday
Flights were weekly. It took one week from Oakland to Hong Kong; 3 aircaft were required to maintain the weekly schedule.
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V2-OMG!:
Sorry not trying to be nit picking, just that I love the Flying boats, even the ones from over the pond.
By the way I thought that the plate was an interesting promotional idea. I wonder if any other airline used a similar marketing ploy.
WHBM:
Great site. I especially liked the posters showing the cut-away drawings of the different boats. I used to have a similar cut-away poster for the Empire boats, but cannot find it. This one is similar, but in black and white.
http://www.imperial-airways.com/Adve...ire_boats.html
The amount of comfort must have been incredible!
V2-OMG! might like to have a look at the Imperial Airways site as they were a big competitor of Pan Am.
http://www.imperial-airways.com/Menu_page.html
Sorry not trying to be nit picking, just that I love the Flying boats, even the ones from over the pond.
By the way I thought that the plate was an interesting promotional idea. I wonder if any other airline used a similar marketing ploy.
WHBM:
Great site. I especially liked the posters showing the cut-away drawings of the different boats. I used to have a similar cut-away poster for the Empire boats, but cannot find it. This one is similar, but in black and white.
http://www.imperial-airways.com/Adve...ire_boats.html
The amount of comfort must have been incredible!
V2-OMG! might like to have a look at the Imperial Airways site as they were a big competitor of Pan Am.
http://www.imperial-airways.com/Menu_page.html
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For the length/time of the overall trip of 8,210 miles in 59.8 hours the trip West Coast to Honolulu would be about 17.5 hours.
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Oakland - depart 16.00 Wednesday
Pearl Harbor - arrive 08.30 Thursday
Pearl Harbor - depart 12.00 Noon Tuesday
Oakland - arrive 10.30 Wednesday
Flights were weekly. It took one week from Oakland to Hong Kong; 3 aircaft were required to maintain the weekly schedule.
Pearl Harbor - arrive 08.30 Thursday
Pearl Harbor - depart 12.00 Noon Tuesday
Oakland - arrive 10.30 Wednesday
Flights were weekly. It took one week from Oakland to Hong Kong; 3 aircaft were required to maintain the weekly schedule.
S'land, I'm just joshing with you. I'm not thaaaaaaaaaat sensitive!
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By the way I thought that the plate was an interesting promotional idea. I wonder if any other airline used a similar marketing ploy.
He (my friend) was best friends with the chief pilot of a major U.S. domestic who begged him to join him, but my friend refused, because he said nothing could ever live up to Pan Am.
Mrs WHBM 
wishes to advise that I am already taken .....
HUGEST Harumppphhhhhh ......
OK. Just to add where you can find some of the items referred to on the web, for those interested.
The Pan Am pre-WW2 flying boat schedules are all here:
http://timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/pa39/
and page 4 in there, table 12, is the place with the transpacific Clipper schedule. You have to get up all the pages separately but each is a fascination as it appears.
The Imperial Airways Empire timetable from Britain to Australia in 1939 is here:
http://timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/iaw39aus/
The main Timetable Images site has a great selection of complete timetables (not just the front covers but all the pages) from long ago.
A whole closely-researched book on the web (all 220 pages of it) about the Imperial Airways Short Empires is here :
http://www.users.waitrose.com/~mbcas...%20Empires.pdf
(attention: big download) which for those who are into the detail of the Empire flying boats, both construction and operation, is a good evening's read.
wishes to advise that I am already taken .....
Pan Am was THE airline of international travel
OK. Just to add where you can find some of the items referred to on the web, for those interested.
The Pan Am pre-WW2 flying boat schedules are all here:
http://timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/pa39/
and page 4 in there, table 12, is the place with the transpacific Clipper schedule. You have to get up all the pages separately but each is a fascination as it appears.
The Imperial Airways Empire timetable from Britain to Australia in 1939 is here:
http://timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/iaw39aus/
The main Timetable Images site has a great selection of complete timetables (not just the front covers but all the pages) from long ago.
A whole closely-researched book on the web (all 220 pages of it) about the Imperial Airways Short Empires is here :
http://www.users.waitrose.com/~mbcas...%20Empires.pdf
(attention: big download) which for those who are into the detail of the Empire flying boats, both construction and operation, is a good evening's read.
Last edited by WHBM; 29th Feb 2008 at 08:59.
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WHBM:
thanks for the links, I had not seen the e-book on the Empires before, it will make good reading later.
Regarding your "HUGEST Harumppphhhhhh ......". In fairness to V2-OMG!, she did add "(at least for those in N. America)" to her post. Just 'cos these colonials thought (wrongly) they had the best airline dose not mean we should harumph them - we should help them to get a proper education.
thanks for the links, I had not seen the e-book on the Empires before, it will make good reading later.
Regarding your "HUGEST Harumppphhhhhh ......". In fairness to V2-OMG!, she did add "(at least for those in N. America)" to her post. Just 'cos these colonials thought (wrongly) they had the best airline dose not mean we should harumph them - we should help them to get a proper education.
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Regarding your "HUGEST Harumppphhhhhh ......". In fairness to V2-OMG!, she did add "(at least for those in N. America)" to her post. Just 'cos these colonials thought (wrongly) they had the best airline dose not mean we should harumph them - we should help them to get a proper education.
Now, what kind of "education" do you think I need help in, S'land?
Is it academic....or otherwise?
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A Look Back is Depressing!
When one such as myself does a (look back) in aviation,it really is sad to think of the Major Changes that have come to pass,what with Terrorism and other Frightening things out there in the World! The old chestnut"You can't Go Back"is sadly all too real in this instant! I am sure that everyone will agree with me when I say that Airplanes Belong in the Sky doing whatever job is being asked of them and they do look better when they are whole,working at optimum levels and of course"FLYING"! It is not cool to see an airplane DOWN,I love to see em working and there are people out there that really really want to bring these works of art to harm! It was always a pleasure to travel back in the day! Remember always being asked if all was well and what can be done to make this trip a success! The food was first class all the way,I honestly do not remember a bad meal or for that matter flight! As a child I was always welcome in the Cocpit,I am also a past member of the B.O.A.C.Junior Jet Club! My Log-book is full of memories and I would not be suprised to learn that some of the Pilots that signed my Log-book would like a look at those flights and all of the interesting things that went on in those times so long ago! Any how just a quick Thank You to all of those Gentlemen and one Lady Captain who helped a kid get into flying and all else that comes with!
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Good point LOBO3, but not so much depressing as having to adapt to different times. My father made his first flight before WWII, when flying was something most people could only dream of. I made my first flight when I was five and a half in a DC3. The world had changed. Although it was still not that common to fly more people were able to fly. My three year old great niece made her first flight when she was six months old and has already made six flights and thinks that it is normal to fly. Yes, they were tourist flights and the service was not to the silver service standard that my father had on his first flight, but millions of people are now able to experience the joy of flight.
The nostalgic part of me would love to see the flying boats and some of the great propeller driven aircraft running regular passenger services, but is is no longer practical.
I agree that any aircraft is better when it is doing what it was designed and built to do - Flying, but when they cannot fly one has to accept second best and see them in static display. Failing that we can at least photographs of them.
The strange, but good thing, for me is that in all in the great many flights that I have made over the years I can only remember one instance where a member of the crew was unhelpful and not prepared to give the best possible service that they could.
The nostalgic part of me would love to see the flying boats and some of the great propeller driven aircraft running regular passenger services, but is is no longer practical.
I agree that any aircraft is better when it is doing what it was designed and built to do - Flying, but when they cannot fly one has to accept second best and see them in static display. Failing that we can at least photographs of them.
The strange, but good thing, for me is that in all in the great many flights that I have made over the years I can only remember one instance where a member of the crew was unhelpful and not prepared to give the best possible service that they could.
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Lobo, thank-you for sharing those memories. And yes....back in the golden age of jet travel, who would have ever imagined that those sleek airplanes that could get us places faster than ever before would someday be flown into buildings in the name of "terrorism".....and aviation....and the world would never be the same again.
Sadly, those days of kids visiting the c/pit are long over. I loved what you wrote - about being a member of the "Junior Jet Club," and the inspiration of those kindly flight crews from yesteryear.
Congratulations on really reaching out and "touching that cloud."
Despite those who think of airline travel as nothing more than a "necessary evil," I still like to think of it as a necessary joy....especially when I look up see a contrail and think, we can never go back...but there is still so much to look forward to.
Sadly, those days of kids visiting the c/pit are long over. I loved what you wrote - about being a member of the "Junior Jet Club," and the inspiration of those kindly flight crews from yesteryear.
Congratulations on really reaching out and "touching that cloud."
Despite those who think of airline travel as nothing more than a "necessary evil," I still like to think of it as a necessary joy....especially when I look up see a contrail and think, we can never go back...but there is still so much to look forward to.
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The nostalgic part of me would love to see the flying boats and some of the great propeller driven aircraft running regular passenger services, but is is no longer practical.
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Possible Reinvent the Flying Boat?
I agree that Flying Boats are impractical but I think that with a little hard work and a lot of nerve,it should be possible to get one up and running just for certain people willing to come up with the long green to take a trip around the world in the former luxury of such a machine!I know that I would sell my soul to join in on a venture such as that!
I live in an area which is base to an aerial fire-fighting company which utilizes the DC-6. Sometimes I am privy to the sound of that propeller "orchestra"....and I love it!
that propeller "orchestra"....and I love it!
