Mealtime on British Overseas Airways Corporation. By their alarmed body language and expressions, one would assume the passengers just found out that today’s menu consists of horse meat or hedgehog (though they would probably be better than most of the stuff that passes for airline food today). Actually, these are BOAC crews in training, and all are being attentive to the proper way for making passengers happy.

Varig threw down the big bucks and bought themselves 707’s in the early 1960’s.  Here’s one of their first on a test hop over Eastern Washington.

United Airlines never made much money from their Boeing 377’s.  I’ll let my dad (UAL pilot 1945-81) give his verdict: “The 377 was one expensive mother to operate.”  The beast seen here is N31225, “Mainliner Hawaii.”

Boeing’s first three 314’s bob along the shores of Lake Washington in 1939.  From that same year, the fourth 314 is seen tied alongside log rafts on the Duwamish River next to Boeing’s plant in Seattle.

This is a whole lot of photos, and no doubt appeal to only the most jaded of Pan Am Clipper fans (and a fine jaded bunch they are), but these interior shots of the Boeing 314 are, at least in my estimation, rather rare.  All are from a Boeing tech manual that was rescued from the trash many moons ago, but now in my possession.  The aircraft photos (1st and last) were not part of the book, but they are too nice to ignore.

The way everyone is looking at the stewardess, you’d think they were told to beware of her habit of  smashing food trays over the heads of unsuspecting passengers.   Anyhoo, an original promotional poster for Western Airlines and their new wonder plane, the Lockheed L-188 Electra. 

On August 12th, 1962, UAL flight 861 had the misfortune to mistake Portland International for the more provincial airport at Troutdale, just up the Columbia River.  Getting in was one thing, getting out was another.  The DC-8 was stripped of everything but its paint to lighten the aircraft for what was no doubt an “eventful” departure. 

This photo is from a Christmas card sent to my dad from a fellow UAL captain – the pilot of the DC-8.  If he could make a card out of it, he must of had a sense of humor.  Interestingly, the pilot mentions they toyed with the idea of using a JATO type device to get the plane out of Troutdale. 

On the right, workmen in coveralls, and a gent sporting a top coat and homburg hat, are hoisting the tail of another Detroiter.

 

Couldn’t find much on Pathfinder Aerial Transportation, but it was owned by a former Air Service pilot, Valdo H. Brazil.  Maybe that’s him holding aloft the tail of one of his Curtiss JN-4’s.

Quite a bit going on with this Fokker F.Vll: looks like new motors are being hung, and the skin is sliced open for additional repairs.