Comments on: 50th Anniversary of U.S. Jet Service http://blog.delta.com/2008/11/14/50th-anniversary-of-us-jet-service/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:14:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: royal-jet-service http://blog.delta.com/2008/11/14/50th-anniversary-of-us-jet-service/comment-page-1/#comment-2810 royal-jet-service Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:31:22 +0000 http://blog.delta.com/?p=1863#comment-2810 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! 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!

]]> By: mikemachat http://blog.delta.com/2008/11/14/50th-anniversary-of-us-jet-service/comment-page-1/#comment-2642 mikemachat Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:47:02 +0000 http://blog.delta.com/?p=1863#comment-2642 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 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

]]> By: JamesK http://blog.delta.com/2008/11/14/50th-anniversary-of-us-jet-service/comment-page-1/#comment-2604 JamesK Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:21:37 +0000 http://blog.delta.com/?p=1863#comment-2604 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! 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!

]]> By: Tom Overheard http://blog.delta.com/2008/11/14/50th-anniversary-of-us-jet-service/comment-page-1/#comment-2602 Tom Overheard Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:39:45 +0000 http://blog.delta.com/?p=1863#comment-2602 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. 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.

]]>