What was considered long-haul in the 70s and what now?
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It certainly wasn't the SP. (I don't recall them ever on the LHR route.) The time frame for the Upington stop was just before I left SAA so around 1976 - 1978 so IIRC the 74 Classics had been upgraded to Super B by then. (don't think the Upington tech stop lasted too long as I remember sitting on the ground waiting for the temp to drop to get the last drop of fuel in before setting off north).
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On a side note, the lack of a clear definition of the words 'long-haul' and 'short-haul' offers PR men an opportunity to bend the truth. Newcastle Airport continuously big up the Emirates flight to Dubai as their 'first ever scheduled long haul service', when they had scheduled service to Toronto for years in the 1980's and possibly the 1990's.
On a side note, the lack of a clear definition of the words 'long-haul' and 'short-haul' offers PR men an opportunity to bend the truth. Newcastle Airport continuously big up the Emirates flight to Dubai as their 'first ever scheduled long haul service', when they had scheduled service to Toronto for years in the 1980's and possibly the 1990's.
Were the Toronto services (presumably Air Transat) in the OAG? Maybe NCL are treating those as charter rather than scheduled?
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Hi Dave, the Wardair services (and possibly the Air Transat ones, but I wasn't quite as much of a geek by then 
) were regarded as scheduled by the airport (they had them in their old printed timetable; charter / IT services weren't listed). It's more to do with the airport management's 'bigging up' Emirates. I'm on the outside looking in but they seem to be like starstruck teenagers where EK are concerned. BA carry twice as many passengers to LHR, but a 777 looks better on the PR shots than an A319. Just a side issue really, probably better suited to the NCL thread
) were regarded as scheduled by the airport (they had them in their old printed timetable; charter / IT services weren't listed). It's more to do with the airport management's 'bigging up' Emirates. I'm on the outside looking in but they seem to be like starstruck teenagers where EK are concerned. BA carry twice as many passengers to LHR, but a 777 looks better on the PR shots than an A319. Just a side issue really, probably better suited to the NCL thread
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What was considered long-haul in the 70s and what now?
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Propax
I was a regular on the BCAL Santiago flight coming back and forth to school in the UK when my father worked there. I used to do it 3 times a year for 4 years from the early 1970,s at first with an “ Auntie “ - retired stewardess and then as I got older on my own. Flight of 19 hours I seem to remember as being some what aspirational, as after travelling to London I always seemed to miss the connection and end up being put up in a hotel before onward flight. As for what the airports were like in that period down route I would have to say they were a lot more primitive. Indeed my parents had a photo of me at Palma circa 1963 besides a Nissan hut with a donkey and hitch rail which was the terminal. We flew in an Ambassador on that occasion. All the aforementioned BCAL flights were on 707 and stops were Freetown, Rio, BA, Santiago I think, and from Gatwick. Flights in UK to Scotland were BCAL 1-11.
Regards
Mr Mac
I was a regular on the BCAL Santiago flight coming back and forth to school in the UK when my father worked there. I used to do it 3 times a year for 4 years from the early 1970,s at first with an “ Auntie “ - retired stewardess and then as I got older on my own. Flight of 19 hours I seem to remember as being some what aspirational, as after travelling to London I always seemed to miss the connection and end up being put up in a hotel before onward flight. As for what the airports were like in that period down route I would have to say they were a lot more primitive. Indeed my parents had a photo of me at Palma circa 1963 besides a Nissan hut with a donkey and hitch rail which was the terminal. We flew in an Ambassador on that occasion. All the aforementioned BCAL flights were on 707 and stops were Freetown, Rio, BA, Santiago I think, and from Gatwick. Flights in UK to Scotland were BCAL 1-11.
Regards
Mr Mac
), I absolutely loved to travel alone. Alas, by that time planes could fly farther and I never got to connect to another flight. Let alone travelling across three continents on the way to school. 
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Was it the VC10 that was certified to use reverse thrust in flight and could lose 30,000ft in 3 minutes? I think I remember one of the pilots saying the FE had to be really quick with adjusting the cabin pressure or the pressure valves could pop on descent. True?
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I can remember flights to/from Singapore that stopped everywhere in the 70's - LHR- Geneva- Abu Dhabi - Colombo - SIN or SIN- Delhi - Oman- Athens - LHR were common and when SQ flew to the USA it was often via Guam and Hawaii
I once took a Pan-Am 747SP direct SF-HK - I think it 16 hours but everyone was comatose - the takeoff at SF seemed to last several days it was so heavy..................
I once took a Pan-Am 747SP direct SF-HK - I think it 16 hours but everyone was comatose - the takeoff at SF seemed to last several days it was so heavy..................
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You would need A LOT of oxygen for passengers. As far as I know, the canisters in the ceiling only provide oxygen for a few minutes (some say, twelve). To keep hundreds of people alive for an hour or longer would require a HUGE amount of oxygen, especially considering that most of it would be lost through vents in the fuselage. And oxygen tanks are not only heavy but also prone to explode. How was that done?
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I'm endlessly grateful for all responses to my questions and all the interesting stories that I read here!!! I know I didn't thank everyone personally but please know I AM grateful!!!
And another questions if you don't mind.
These days a pilot's experience is measured in flight hours. However, I saw quite a few 30-40's documentaries and news reels, especially from Germany and Soviet Union, where pilots' experience was measured in kilometers flown. Was that ever a thing in other countries? Maybe you happen to know when the transition to flight hours occurred?
And another questions if you don't mind.
These days a pilot's experience is measured in flight hours. However, I saw quite a few 30-40's documentaries and news reels, especially from Germany and Soviet Union, where pilots' experience was measured in kilometers flown. Was that ever a thing in other countries? Maybe you happen to know when the transition to flight hours occurred?
