A half-century ago, Pan American World Airways introduced the first U.S. commercial jet service on October 26, 1958. That first flight traveled New York-Paris, and carried 111 passengers, the largest number ever to board a regularly-scheduled flight at that time. Coach fares were $272, about the same as piston-engine flights across the Atlantic. To ”experience” the glamour of 707 jet service, see this Pan Am film on YouTube.
The flight was not non-stop. The jet N711PA “Clipper Mayflower” stopped in Newfoundland, because it was a domestic version of the Boeing 707. The longer range 707-320 Intercontinental version was delivered to Pan Am in 1959.
This Pan Am 707-120 photo is shared by Mike Machat, artist of Delta: An Airline and Its Aircraft. His father took the photo from the observation deck atop the IAB at Idlewild Airport on Saturday, October 4, 1958. He writes: “Just out of frame in the foreground was the pristine BOAC Comet 4 that had just landed after completing the world’s first transatlantic commercial passenger jet service from London. Pan Am was to begin flights from New York to Paris two weeks later on October 26th, but Juan Trippe was not about to let BOAC steal the march, and had the larger and more impressive 707 waiting at the adjoining gate when the Comet pulled in.”
Pam Am went on to set many standards of service in the new Jet Age, with its extensive routes, catchy advertising and onboard luxuries. Delta acquired Pan Am’s Atlantic routes in 1991.
Thank you to Mike Machat and Dr. Charles Quarles for inspiring this post.
Marie Force
Archives Manager
November 14th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
What a great photo and recollection. I can say I’m as old as jet travel; my first flight on Pan Am was a prop plane (not sure if a Stratocruiser) from San Francisco’s Crissy Field to Honolulu. (I was a newborn.) Can’t wait to see what the next 50 years brings.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
It’s also worth noting that Terminal 3 at JFK is the Pan Am Worldport. When (then) Idlewild International Airport was being developed, each airline built its own terminal as an architectural showcase. The only remaining originals are T2 (Northeast, Braniff & Northwest), T5 (TWA, designed by Eero Saarinen, who also designed the Gateway Arch in St Louis and the landside terminal at Washington Dulles), T6 (the National Airlines Sundrome), T7 (BOAC) and of course T3. The “flying saucer” roof was designed before jetway bridges as a way of sheltering passengers from rain and snow while boarding, and was supposed to showcase the quick car-to-plane transition (that became obsolete with metal detectors and x-ray machines).
The Port Authority has stated that it will demolish T3, which is unfortunate (the cantilevered roof would be great for Delta Connection), so see it while you still can!
November 18th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Thanks very much for including my father’s contribution to Delta’s proud history on your terrific blog! That first 707 experience was something I will never forget, and with the exception of the Beatles’ arrival at JFK in February 1964, this was probably the largest crowd ever to assemble on that observation deck.
The air was permeated with the smell of kerosene (Jet A today), and those two brand new aircraft, BOAC’s gleaming Comet 4 and the mighty Pan Am 707, looked more like spaceships that had just landed from Mars rather than airliners when compared to the plebian DC-7s, Stratocruisers, and Constellations sharing that same ramp. The future had arrived!
When that 707 started its engines and taxied away, the sound was truly painful, but nobody seemed to care – after all, it was a JET! (Notice none of the ramp personnel in that photo are wearing any hearing protection.) There were also five cockpit crew members on that aircraft for international flights – Pilot, Co-pilot, Flight Engineer, Navigator, and Radio Operator.
Thanks again for sharing some very special aviation memories.
Mike Machat
Los Angeles, CA
December 12th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
This was very enjoyable. I look fotward to seeing how DL will do to celebrate its 50th anniversary of jet servcie with the DC-8. That can’t be too far off!