Being a traveler these days seems to focus more on increasing our tolerance for pain than it does on the wonderment of actually flying through the air. That’s a shame—it’s not like airplanes themselves and the technology they use to stay aloft have gotten worse over time.
After watching these promo clips for classic aircraft—even a supersonic one—you’ll probably come to the same conclusion that we did: why can’t we have vintage-inspired style and service, with the latest and greatest in aircraft?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35B_Dbay_YA
The Tupolev Tu-144 is awesome, that is all—even though it may be a surprisingly literal take on the Concorde. Here’s a promo film on this beastly supersonic craft from 1969, featuring an English narrator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEFjhLwThmc
For many reading Petrolicious, an early jetliner like the Boeing 707 is largely before our time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_khhzuFlE
Speaking of the 707, it would be silly to mention the aircraft without mentioning the time that flying ace Tex Johnson barrel rolled one during a demonstration flight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFs6Rdnl3fw
This early Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet commercial may be less than 6 minutes long, but it features a huge amount of period footage, where (presumably) people who’ve flown on the 747 are interviewed—one says she enjoyed walking around and “meeting people” on her flight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Za36DV49dM
Would you have become an Austrian Airlines stewardess in 1964? We’re not sure what the German narrator is commenting on, but it looks like the cabin crew were given lessons in speaking different languages, the aircraft, and serving travelers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6u0iz6ou_M
This Federal Aviation Administration film from 1966 is both as quaint and as boring as you’d expect. I wish there was a reward for watching the entire thing, but it’s nonetheless an interesting look at flying in the ’60s.
H/T to Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture on YouTube
Thumbnail image via: wikipedia.org
