28 Amazing Pictures From The Golden Age Of Airlines

>> French singer Sacha Distel performs with his band mid-flight, 1959.

Apparently Distel and his band felt that the atmosphere mid-flight had gotten a bit stuffy and decided to let some fresh air in -- the cabin door is open in the background.

Wish I was flying Southwest in the '70s... wowzers!

They didn't have to undress to go through security either.

Those passengers "aboard a Douglas DC-10, 1968" had a long wait for departure as the DC-10's first flight wasn't until 1970, 2 years later.

A couple of the best domestic flights I ever experienced were on Ozark Airlines. On DC-9 flights to/from Orlando in 1983 (to see a space shuttle launch) I got to experience their Wine and Cheese Tasting flights. Baskets of bread and crackers were distributed, then the flight attendants brought around a variety of cheeses and wines. They made sure your wine glass was always full, too. And that was in coach! Certainly nothing like that these days.

Obviously, VERY different times than the cattle cars we get these days. :-P

Very nice.. thanks for sharing.

Brings back memories. As an "unaccompanied minor" I was a frequent passenger of BOAC and BEA in the pre-jet and early jet era. For all the service and amenities, the aircraft were slow, low, bumpy and VERY NOISY inside.

Several dubious dates in the captions, starting with the very first shot.

There's a photo of famous French singer Sacha Distel performing in a passenger jet.
I know what it is all about. The plane was a Caravelle and this was a PR event, to promote the jet as having a very quiet passenger cabin. A recording studio was mounted on board and a record was produced. My parents borrowed that record from a friend of them and I was able to listen to it. Engine and ventilation noise could be perceived only as a hiss. It was a great airliner, passenger.wise, at least.

For those of you who are interested in the Golden Age (and you probably wouldn't be here if you aren't), here are a couple of interesting things to check out.

1. A 1962 CBS report hosted by Walter Cronkite called "The Airport Jam" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZhcYwaUup4) that shows some aspects of flying during that age weren't always golden. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

2. A site called Departed Flights (http://www.departedflights.com) that features old OAG airline schedules, airline route maps, flight schedules for various cities, advertising campaigns from days gone by, seating charts, and terminal maps for various cities through the years.

TWA Terminal at JFK 1966

What a wonderful memory. I had just returned from one year in Vietnam a couple days earlier. I took the "redeye" from SFO to JFK. Needing a place to "sack out for a couple hours I was directed to the TWA Terminal where the most comfortable sofas could be found for sleeping. Later that day my wife of 2 years flew in from Columbus, Ohio for our reunion & 2nd honeymoon in NYC & Bermuda. She was wearing a travel suit & I was in my Army Class A uniform
I remember like it was just yesterday.

What No Chic-lettes! Gum given in the '50s for pressure relief during climb and descent.

Jacqueline Dubut: French pilots usually, almost always, wear they wings on the right, not on the left. Can anyone explain why Dubut is wearing them "English-style"?
As for epaulettes, not shown here, they always have a "Nelson" (a loop), said to be a naval tradition honouring an enemy for his courage in battle ... Admiral Nelson.

The best of times were the AA 747 piano bars in coach in 1972 Phx to Ord. I had great times on those flights at Christmas when 3/4 of the plane were fellow ASU students in full party mode!

'Gee Whiz, we're in a pressurized aluminum tube with wings filled with gasoline...Let's light up a cigarette!' While I fail to admit it at times, some things have improved over the years. Even in the early 90s, our crew rest seat on long flights was in the back of the smoking section.

De nos jours, quelqu'un pourrait reprendre la photo avec Photoshop et fermer la porte !

Ahh, Before deregulation when profits were guaranteed.

Yeah, baby! Shagadelic!

They were certainly more comfortable than the ones offered today!

So the Russians don't have galleys. They have kitchens.
And the media's perpetual calling the Apron or Ramp "tarmac". In at least one shot the ramp is clearly constructed of concrete.
Golden Age? I thought that was the 50-60's?......

Trans Texas Airways flight attendants were dressed like the Southwest attendants in 1968! ;-)

darn spell check - or was that my age ?

Nice leg....oh well, nevermind. ;-)

Golden Age it may have been, I for one prefer the automation and safety of today's flying compared to then.

http://planecrashinfo.com/images/fatal%20accidents.jpg

Those were the days to FLY. I was called "SIR" then. Now I am called "HEY YOU".

I tried to get my kid to use sir - never wood, but for five year enlistment he figured it out :-)

Great Article.

Extraordinary Photos from the Golden age of 1960's and 70s. When Flying was a good experience and a pleasure. I remember some of the best airline food served to perfection during that time. The Hot Pants outfits were appropriate for that time period and the 'stewardsess,' preferred them over the old granny looks of the past. They were bright and cheerful and the passengers were well attended too. Great times lost to history.