Remember when flying was fun and cool?

The airline employees were always happy to see you, most flights were on time, gates and airplanes always had plenty of empty seats, and nothing cost extra. :cheers2: There was no security, so you could show up 15 minutes before a flight. The whole experience felt like a great adventure, for those who didn't fly very often. Pilots regularly pointed out interesting things you could see out the window.

Now, passengers are just cattle being packed into generic transportation from point A to B. The employees are just as miserable as the passengers. Everybody wishes they were somewhere else.

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For their standard colors, Eastern selected the two most common shades of blue in the water around Caribbean islands. In the golden era of flying, their pretty 727 jets were the most common sight in eastern US airports. I miss them.

 

And stewardesses were invariably hot.

 

It's still relatively fun and cool over here I thought. But I don't really care for airplanes and flying myself.

 

Yeah man. The good ole days of airline sexism.
I'm getting all nostalgic. *tear wipe*

 

I still love to fly.


of course I do don't do it often so it is exciting and fun for me.

Love to fly.

 

The main thing I noticed about stewardesses in the old days were that they were always friendly, and sharply dressed.

When your flight isn't two hours late and they don't lose your luggage, it still beats driving nine hours in heavy traffic, or Amtrak.

 

Well, I've got a helluva lot more leg room in my car and no crying babies. I hate flying. A couple of years ago, I flew back from Rome, 8 hours on Continental, and we were crammed in like sardines. I'm not tall, 5'7", and my knees were pressing up against the seat in front of me, like torture.

 

The rows of seats used to be further apart. The seat backs also used to recline a lot more. The only thing they haven't changed is the width.

Airports used to be smaller too. In smaller cities, they didn't need a shuttle bus to the long term parking lot because it wasn't far to walk.

Everybody used to have members of their extended family that had never flown anywhere, so they would be eagerly awaiting your stories and pictures. A lot of tourist destinations were still trying to get adjusted to a lot more traffic than they had ever seen before. They were very happy to see all that tourist money pour in, and many of the resorts were new. It was just an exciting time for everyone involved. Seems like it lasted at least ten years, from the first commercial jet flights (before I was born) to the time when almost every American lived within two hours of a city with jet service.

Anybody remember rooftop observation areas? It seems really geeky now, but people used to go up there and spend hours watching the planes. Then they would go downstairs to the gift shop and buy their little boys plastic models of their favorites.

 

I disagree. By driving, you set your own schedule, relative speed, stops, etc. You can take off your shoes, relax, listen to whatever music you want, you are your own boss in your vehicle. Plus, there is no security, so you can bring as many liquids, snacks, etc, as you want, and not have to worry about a strip search. And you get to see things.

 

We just flew from Oregon to Louisiana and it wasn't that bad... AND I have a broken foot. But flying is new to me its only my second time flying.

 

Personal preference, I guess. But I will always enjoy driving more. I get to say what goes on in my van

 

The only flight I ever enjoyed was when a farmer took me in a little --really little ---plane about 10 feet above the cotton fields west and south of Fresno. Right through barnyards and all. I've flown to Hawaii and back a number of times on regular planes, but I can't handle it. Being closed in 36000 feet above the earth in an aluminum tube with no control at all? Uh-uh. No can do. My kids love flying.

 

I know exactly what you mean. I can't wait until this(http://www.et3.com) gets built.

 

That looks interesting, for sure. Although -"Virually eliminates the chance of collision", makes me a little nervous about "virtually". But there has to be ways to make mass transit better than cars, really HEAVY trains and sitting in a tube at 6 miles up.

 

i was a teen before passenger planes were jets. pretty much only people who had a lot of money or saved up for it could afford to fly when i was little.

the only time i've ever flown was about three times in the late 60s and early 70s.

 

So How Was The Issue Of Your Disability Scooter Resolved....???



Cheers Glen.

 

I just never have understood the whole concept of passenger plane travel, to be honest. Who would want to get crammed into a metal tube, and shot through the air just so you could get somewhere without seeing anything? Give me my van, or a freighter, any day.

 

Themnax---same here. I remember in about 45--or 46 flying from Visalia ,Cal to San Diego in a big commercial prop plane. When we went over LA, we were low enough to see swimming pools in back yards.

 

And they used to actually care about the customer, now they're downright mean to you at every checkpoint. Makes me hate airports now.

 

Yeah, the prop planes never caught on in a major way with ordinary people. Too expensive, too slow, too dangerous, and not able to fly high enough to get above all the bad weather. Nobody in my extended family ever flew anywhere when the propeller planes ruled.

Unfortunately, even when jets had become commonplace in New York, Miami, LA, etc., it would be many more years before that was true in North Carolina. I can easily remember when the Greensboro airport had only eight gates; four for jets (Eastern), and four for propeller planes (Piedmont).

Trust me, you see Washington DC and Baltimore traffic jams once in your life, or Jacksonville FL, and that will be enough to last you for a lifetime. :banghead:

And...let me know how that van trip to the Bahamas works out for you.

Who told you that you can't look out the window of an airplane? Earlier this year, I really enjoyed looking down on Chesapeake Bay. Some of the most spectacular scenery I've ever seen anywhere has been looking down on the Grand Canyon (flight to Vegas) and on the Mississippi River delta country south of New Orleans.

Guys, remember when the wide-body jets first came out? I don't know why they thought people would be willing to pay more to fly in them than in a regular jet. The main difference I noticed was that you had a much smaller chance of getting a window seat.

But they did look cool:

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