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Message started by Jerry Eichenberger on 09/26/11 at 10:09:39

Title: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 09/26/11 at 10:09:39

Did anyone watch this opening episode last night? I enjoyed it a lot. As a pilot, I saw some technical errors, but not as many as usual for a dramatic show.

I enjoyed the nostalgic look back 50 years ago to the days when people dressed up to fly, treated others with respect, the hair and clothing styles of the early 1960s, etc. Just a look back at a really neat time, before we all got so angry and worked up about things.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by Midnightrider on 09/26/11 at 10:54:29

Jerry what network is it on and what time? My Dad retired from Piedmont Airlines, back when an airline cared about the passengers and employees. I remember meeting and talking to Tom Davis (the founder of Piedmont Airlines) several times. The man cared deeply about his employees and their families. My dream in high school was to fly for the military a while and become a pilot for Piedmont. My vision prevented this.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 09/26/11 at 11:08:41

Midnight -

ABC at 10 PM Eastern time on Sunday nights. Too bad it's opposite the football game - I was switching to the game each time the Pan Am show had commecials.

I hope its ratings will be high enough to continue after the new year, when the competition from the ball game ends.

I suppose some feminists will "be offended" ( too dam bad ). The stewardesses are called just that, not flight attendants. It was an era when being a steward or stewardess was a respectful description of the job.

I once thought about being an airline pilot, but my family always had a history of heart disease, and in those years, there was no "loss of license" insurance for pilots like there is today. So I didn't want to be 50 years old, at the peak of a career, and have a little high blood pressure, minor case of diabetes, or something like that put me out of work.

Piedmont was a good airline - I flew on it a few times. Of course, the days you remember were the days of airline regulation, when the Civil Aeronautics Board regulated fares and guaranteed every airline a profit so people could be cared for. Once de-regulation set in, the true economics of the airline business came into play, and the largesse had to end. There is an old saying that is very true - the best way to make a million in aviation is to start with 10 million. Regulated fares were very high and covered up the economic truth of the industry.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by Starlifter on 09/26/11 at 14:24:42

Jerry, I remember the old days. The first time I ever saw an airplane up close. My grandmother would winter in Florida and rode the train down every autumn. The trains back then were the luxury liners of the land. Her train was called "The City of Miami". Folks dressed up for the trains too back then, even for trips on the Greyhound bus. The trains had dining cars with wonderfully prepared meals served on freshly pressed white linen tablecloths with a vase of fresh flowers on each table. There was an observation car at the end of the train where you could watch the rails recede to the vanishing point with all the wonderful sights passing by...

But getting back to the airplane. In the fall of 1950 she decided to fly down to Florida. My folks took her to the airport with me along for the ride. I was five years old at the time, and before she boarded the plane, the stewardess asked me if I would like to see the airplane up close? Boy would I!

The aircraft was an old prop-job tail-dragging DC3. You boarded from a rolling set of stairs out on the tarmac. The aisle was pitched steeply up toward the flight deck err 'cockpit', and the brown cloth seats had a fresh white linen on every headrest. The pretty stewardess actually let me sit down in the pilot's seat. I was bug eyed and amazed at the little windows in the crowded cockpit full of more dials, switches, gages, handles, and instruments than I could have ever imagined (even more than on Flash Gordon's rocket ship)! What a wonderful experience that was for a little kid at that time in his life.

That day started a lifelong fascination with airplanes that led to eight years of flying in the USAF, and several more years as an air marshal on commercial air carriers.

My grandmother as with all other travelers on buses, trains, and planes, of the day was always dressed in her finest Sunday best from the fancy hat on her head to the white gloves she wore. Those were the days when travel was a wonderful undertaking filled with adventure and excitement.

Flash forward to today. crowded airports, long lines, angry rude people, $50 bucks to check a bag, x-rays, shoes off, pockets emptied into plastic trays, belts off, more x-rays and rifling through carry on bags, hand held scanners over your crotch, groupings by surly TSA officers, fellow travelers dressed like street bums or thugs, long delays sitting on the tarmac, free nuts and a coke (if your lucky).

Yup, those were the days...and so it goes.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by thumperclone on 09/26/11 at 15:04:19

ahh the days of the mile high club

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by Starlifter on 09/26/11 at 15:07:45

Coffee? Tea?...or me? :o

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by WD on 09/26/11 at 17:15:47

I wanted to see it, but forgot.

I've always wanted a Pan Am Clipper (pre-WW2 transaltlantic luxury plane) flying boat.. And a couple real Pullman railcars.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by ALfromN.H. on 09/26/11 at 17:21:04

Here's the link to ABC website to watch that episode

http://abc.go.com/watch/pan-am/SH55126544/VD55144385/pilot

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by skatnbnc on 09/26/11 at 20:09:47

Ah yes, the golden age of flight, after WWII when Pam Am controlled the airfields (thanks to a little fancy footwork arrangement after the war) and flying was TRAVEL instead of terror.

I may be aging myself, but when i was a little shorter i clearly remember flying a 14 hour Pan Am to Bangcok Thailand. My saint of a mother had me, my little brother and my baby sister all under age 6 by herself for that trip. Now can you imagine this scenario in 2011? NIGHTMARE!

But instead, a porter carried all the luggage, my brother and I were whisked off to the front of the plane after climbing that cool moving stairway to the top, and we got to meet the pilots and were coddled by the stewies with treats from the galley - handmade cookies and chocolate milk.
We also got little Pan Am pin-on wings ~ does anyone recall those?
I wish I still had mine!

Meanwhile my mom was seated and my baby sister had a whole nother set of stewardesses doting on her, cooing and fussing and even feeding her bottles so my mom could nap!

We had real silverware and plates to eat with, we kids ran up and down the aisles at will checking with the stewies for things to play with (no noise, we did obey that rule), real cloth napkins, big seats and people were dressed nicely.
I recall having to wear a bow in my hair, a dress with tights and patent leather shoes for that trip; my brother had a little suit with shorts, and he had his hair wetted down and combed.

Needless to say, I remember that and a lot of other really good air travel experiences (still have my TWA ditty bag) with planes big and small. People SMILED, both the travelers and the crew.

Yeah, those were the days.....

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by PerrydaSavage on 09/27/11 at 01:16:29

Am a big aviation buff, but missed that show last nite ... will try to remember to catch it in weeks ahead ...

BTW Christina Ricci is HAWT! 8-)

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by built2last66 on 09/27/11 at 08:20:34

Speaking of much beloved "stewardists" and feminists... isn't it weird how "waiters" are now called "servers" because being called a "waiter" is more downgrading than being called a "server" somehow? ::)

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by sjaskow on 09/27/11 at 10:00:20

4F584441591F414C5E591B1B2D0 wrote:

Well, from what I've been told, "waiter" implies male since there are waiters and waitresses. Server is gender-nonspecific and apparently as long as you're demeaning to both sexes it's ok. :)

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by built2last66 on 09/27/11 at 10:03:29

445D56445C5840370 wrote:

[quote author=4F584441591F414C5E591B1B2D0 link=1317056979/0#10 date=1317136834]Speaking of much beloved "stewardists" and feminists... isn't it weird how "waiters" are now called "servers" because being called a "waiter" is more downgrading than being called a "server" somehow? ::)

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/27/11 at 10:15:48

322B20322A2E36410 wrote:

Well, from what I've been told, "waiter" implies male since there are waiters and waitresses. Server is gender-nonspecific and apparently as long as you're demeaning to both sexes it's ok. :)[/quote]

If someone has a problem with waiter or waitress & is somehow twisted enough to believe that somehow "server" carries with it some air of respectability greater than waiter or waitress,, theyre too goofy for me to worry about their "feelings"..

I am still offended that corporations have renamed their Personnel department , "Human REsources".. Talk about demeaning..

Waiter, Waitress, defines the job,, if someone is demeaned by it,, go to school & get a better job.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by sluggo on 09/27/11 at 13:12:17

saw it liked it that should get it chaneled pretty darned quik

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by bill67 on 09/27/11 at 13:51:33

Job names have changed over the years,Like from a grease monkey to an auto technician.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/27/11 at 14:02:01

Yea, Bill,, that explains the change from the human element of the name personnel to Human REsources,,

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by stinger on 09/28/11 at 00:45:04

I worked for United Airlines for 20 years. I was pretty lucky! My job required me to work with the flight attendants everyday and I found them to be the most down to earth of all the airline personnel. They are not much like they are portrayed on TV and movies. Most were always tired from working long hours,and when not flying, all they wanted to do was sleep. They can make good money working for a major airlines. Those with seniority at United made like $40 to $50,000 a year. Not bad for a server!

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by built2last66 on 09/28/11 at 04:33:50

Ever seen the movie "Catch Me If You Can"? That movie makes me miss the decades before i was born...

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by MrBrownTX on 09/28/11 at 09:56:28

I dvr'd it but haven't had time to watch it yet. I look forward to it though. Thanks for the discussion on it sounds good.

Title: Re: Pan Am - the TV show
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 10/03/11 at 13:24:47

This to Lifter -

I agree with all you said, especially the last paragraph. But as moderately social liberal, and a fiscal conservative, I have to point out that in those grand old days, air travel was very expensive. One of the reasons you saw everyone dressed nicely on airliners of the 1960s was that the class of people who could afford airline travel were generally dressed up anyhow.

When Reagan ( I know, your favorite pres. ) pushed thru the deregulation of the airlines in 1986, the old Civil Aeronautics Board went away, and with it went the regulated, higher fares that guaranteed every airline a profit. Hence, competition began setting fares.

I remember when Southwest and Peoples Express came on line, and undercut all of the major airlines.

We all know you can't buy a BMW for the price of a Honda, hence, the majors had to downscale service, meals, etc. to compete with the discount carriers. So, today we've got an airline system like you described.

But also, we've got a system that allows grandma to afford to fly across the continent to see her kids and grandkids at Thanksgiving, and allows young families to afford to take themselves and their kids to Disneyworld.

Everything is a compromise.