Air Travel: The Way We Were
In 1965 as commercial air travel entered into the Jet Age, Continental Airlines -- known as the airline flying "the proud bird with the golden tail" -- used a novel approach to encourage families to use commercial jet air travel by offering a 1-hour flight on its signature Boeing 720-B aircraft ( flying out of Los Angeles International Airport) as a promotion for the virtues and comfort of air travel. This 1-hour flight provided passengers a wonderful air tour over Southern California featuring a panoramic bird's eye view from the ocean to the desert as well as the mountains that proved more exciting than an amusement park ride. Since our family was planning a summer long sabbatical overseas in the summer of 1965, my parents saw this as a great way to prepare themselves along with yours truly for the transcontinental and trans-Atlantic flights that would soon follow. Since that flight so long ago, I have been blessed to make many, many jet flights -- some for business, some for pleasure. Whenever I board a jet airliner, I always journey back to that wondrous era in 1965 when it was all so very new for nearly everyone. I also recall wearing a coat and tie (as did my father) while my mother wore a dress and high heels. All passengers did pretty much the same.?We have traveled a great distance since then, but it is fun to remember the way we were.
President at K12 Food Pros
3 年Ahhh so fun to remember it how truly special it was to fly. And to get dressed up for it!
The Boeing 720-B (a sister aircraft to the 707) is truly a blast from the past. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s the Los Angeles Dodgers owned & operated their own 720-B. The Blue Crew was truly flying high (and in style) from the days of Koufax/Drysdale to Valenzuela/Hershiser. ??