Let's hear stories of the good old days.

FlyingScot

FlyingScot

Spanish Proficient
A lot of threads here are about our poor lot as pilots in this current economy, and I am as guilty as any. While I wish I worked less and made more I still think being a pilot is pretty cool. A couple of posts recently, either from guys that were there or stories of growing up with parents who were there, have reminded me being a pilot used to be really cool.

I have no cool family history in flight but I am old enough to have some memories of the good old days.

My dad was a surgeon in the Air Force, stationed in Japan. He specialized in hand trauma and would help put back together pilots after incidents. I would go with him on his rounds and once a fighter pilot who was recovering had made a model of the plane he flew and gave it to me, when I visited. I was very young a don't remember the details but I knew then this guy was a different breed.

On the way back to the states I got to go into the cockpit and I think sit in the Captains lap while crossing the Pacific. A year or so later, I remember being upset when as on a civilian airplane when I was not allowed to go up and fly the airplane, I thought I was qualified.

I remember on flights the Captain would come back into the cabin. He would have his full uniform coat, and hat. He would walk through the cabin shaking hands and kissing babies. It was very reassuring thing then, but will never happen again.
 
Let's hear stories of the good old days.
Click to expand...

You mean when we were complaining because 100LL was up to 50 cents a gallon, the FAA made us install something in our plane called an ELT and Flight Attendants looked like this? I was 15 and rode this airline weekly. Those girls sure were hot!

By the way. Name that airline! Where an isle seat cost more than a window seat.


4831808442_155982cdde_b.jpg
 
Forced retirement at 35? Doesn't sound very good to me.

We live and work in the safest time period in avition history. I think that makes now some pretty good days. We see our wages and working conditions going down the toilet, and that sucks, but we're part of the problem there with people willing to work for peanuts.

We tend to romantasize eras of the past and gloss over the bad in favor of our 'good' memories. Who wants to remember the bad, after all. But those "glamorous" times were also wrought with not so good things. Like midairs, lack of weather radar and modern forecasting, less accurate navigation, etc.
 
fholbert said:
You mean when we were complaining because 100LL was up to 50 cents a gallon, the FAA made us install something in our plane called an ELT and Flight Attendants looked like this? I was 15 and rode this airline weekly. Those girls sure were hot!

By the way. Name that airline! Where an isle seat cost more than a window seat.
Click to expand...

It's easy when she's holding a PSA timetable.
 
One thing to remember....

Not only was this the era of hot flight attendants who were single, young and hot (yes, double hot). This was also before HIV and maybe some of the other STDs were around. Lawdy that would have been fun.
 
Not that I fly passengers all the time, but often enough. And they can usually see me.

When it gets bumpy/dark/ugly/spills my coffee, the folks in the back do always notice the calm cool voice from up front. I think they still like the pilots.

I never realized I had "that voice" until people started telling me.

But Ahhh, the good old days. Smoking seats in the back, paper tickets you couldn't lose, expensive flights that kept families apart, and free decks of cards and plastic wings for the kids.

Flying is better now. The airports are worse, the airline clubs are worse, the security is worse - but the actual travel part hasn't -
 
frog_flyer said:
One thing to remember....

Not only was this the era of hot flight attendants who were single, young and hot (yes, double hot). This was also before HIV and maybe some of the other STDs were around. Lawdy that would have been fun.
Click to expand...

STDs have been around as long as prostitution... So, pretty much forever.
 
frog_flyer said:
Kinky.


(I'm gonna let you off the hook for the lack of an apostrophe given your admission of childhood abuse)
Click to expand...

My first response would probably send this tread to the lav, so I'll stick with

He only let me sit in his lap after asking a bunch of questions ending in "do you like movies about gladiators?"
 
FlyingScot said:
It was a different time all around, not just in aviation. My mom went to nursing school because it was one of a few options to her then.
Click to expand...

You're absolutely right. Nursing, teaching, secretarial work, retail, that's about it... there weren't a lot of career options that women were considered for. There was the rare woman in other fields, but it wasn't til the 70's that women really began to make headway into a significantly broader career spectrum.


I would trade some safety for financial security and some fun.
Click to expand...

I'm quite happy to have understanding of things like wind shear & microbursts, and have today's radar capabilities. :) To each their own.
 
FlyingScot said:
ALA,
When do you feel that changed?
Click to expand...
My first strike in '85. lol It started as far as I am concerned with deregulation and then the likes of Mike Conway, Carl Icahn, Mark Dunkerley, Don Burr, Kerry Skeen, Mike Hodge, David Siegel, Ron Allen, Jonathon Ornstein, Jack Creighton, John Dasburg, Stephen Wolfe, Jimmy Goodwin, Leo Mullin, Glenn Tilton, Doug Parker, Howard Putnam, Doug Steenland, Stephen Wolf, Robert Milton, Harding Lawrence, and the king of all time worst CEO - Frank Lorenzo. Then came horrible management decisions and the raping of company funds to pay for above CEOs, lavish spending in all the wrong directions, cost cutting that affected the employees (again never the Management) and did nothing for the bottom line, employee pay cuts (also never Management) , lay-offs, furloughs, bankruptcies, loss of benefits, outsourcing, buy outs and mergers.
 
A Life Aloft said:
the king of all time worst CEO - Frank Lorenzo. Then came horrible management decisions and the raping of company funds to pay for above CEOs, lavish spending in all the wrong directions, cost cutting that affected the employees (again never the Management) and did nothing for the bottom line, employee pay cuts (also never Management) , lay-offs, furloughs, bankruptcies, loss of benefits, outsourcing, buy outs and mergers.
Click to expand...

So I am looking for stories of Pre-1985 only.

I recognize a lot of those names from reading "Hard Landing". Was Lorenzo the one banned by Congress to start another airline?
 
When he tired to start Friendship Airlines (which became ATX), an Administrative Law Judge recommended to DOT that his application be denied, followed by the same recommendation by fifty seven members of Congress who also concurred, thankfully. He was denied by DOT based on past safety and regulatory compliance issues with every airline he has been associated with. It's amazing that he still flew on CO from time to time with his wife. Don't know how he managed to avoid food poisoning. Special place in hell for him and Icahn with Tilton as their water boy.
 
There were wonderful times flying back in the day. Smoking in the cockpit, foot massages and neck rubs up there for the FAs, lay overs at hotels with other crews including foreign carrier crews, first class meals in the flight deck, lots of practical joking, real mentoring by great pilots, travel, good trips, great hotels, fun layovers and day trips, fantastic pay, perks and bennies, having real control and authority, good opportunities for type upgrades, you could afford to have tailors in Hong Kong make uniform shirts and other clothing for you, bringing whatever you wanted to on your trips, co-workers who had your back, often flying with the same crews, just so many things. You really felt like your co-workers were your family in many ways.

I am old school. Always have been, always will be. So I was the guy who always wore my jacket and hat in front of the pax and any time I was not on the flight deck. That habit has never left me to this day. (don't ask me about the little dance I used to do in the flight deck to Rebel Yell in the middle of the night on Trans Pac crossings though lol) I liked meeting the pax and socializing a bit on each trip. I enjoyed the kids on flights very much. We had all sorts of little goodies for them, like tiny plastic planes, little wings, trip cards, pins, decks of cards, etc., and it was wonderful having them visit up front and watch the excitement and wonder on their little faces and answer their questions and having them get their picture taken and sit in your seat and let them wear your hat. I still have all the letters and drawings that the kids and parents wrote to me in some binders.

There were plenty of good times and some not so good. I don't regret much in all truth. I have innumerable fond memories and life long friends that I made long the way. I had fun and actually enjoyed going to work most of the time. I traveled a lot and learned and experienced so much.

And as I have mentioned before, my Dad was also a commercial pilot and so is my eldest son and my brother is in mx but also flies. My grandson has shown a keen interest in flying the last few years as well. And so it goes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top