AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 707 INAUGURAL FLIGHT 1959

CELEBRATE!
January 25, 1959

Norman Rice, Marilyn Rutkowski, Edna Garrett, Captain Charles Macatee, Argie Hoskins,Captain Lou Szabo, Claire Bullock, Bill Duncan

Captain Macatee, Stewardess Argie Hoskins, Captain Szabo

Design by Phillip Nicholson

Design by Phillip Nicholson

 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1959:

I have been very busy doing public relations for American.

I went with one of the American Airlines sales representatives

to meet and deliver models of the 707 to

VIPs in the LA area: President of a Stock Exchange,

President and Vice President of California Bank,

President of Citizen’s Bank, leading advertising businesses,

and President of Pacific Mutual.

This day was very exhilarating as we made our way down Spring Street,

the “Wall Street of the West.” I was awestruck by the historical buildings and

the beauty, strength, unity, and dignity of their architecture.

MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1959:

Mr. Scroggins, an American Airlines representative,

and I met with Mayor Paulson, the publisher

of the L. A. Times, and many individuals, such

as the President of Southern California Edison

Co., and others who would be on the Inaugural

Flight. I am lucky to be on the Inaugural flight!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1959:

Today, I drove to Huntington Park to meet Mr.

Hall, a sales manager for American Airlines. From

there we drove to Fullerton to meet Dr. Arnold

of Beckman Scientific Instruments, who was a

pioneer in his field.

To this day, I remember the generosity and kindness of Dr. Beckman. He

and I connected in a very special way. Me, a girl from Animas Valley! He and

his wife, Mabel, were the “real” thing. The California Institute of Technology

(Cal Tech) alumni association has this short bio about Dr. Beckman:

Arnold O. Beckman, chairman emeritus of the Cal Tech Board of Trustees,

and founder of Beckman Instruments, Inc., achieved international

recognition for his accomplishments in industry, science, education, and

civic affairs, founding his company in 1935 with the development of a

pH meter that has become an indispensable tool for analytical chemists.

Beckman saw his firm become a major international manufacturer

of instruments and related products for medicine, science, industry,

environmental technology, and many other fields.

Back to Huntington Park to dinner with Jay

Dickie and then to Pasadena to meet Sidney

Small. We went to Jet Propulsion Laboratory and

met with the Nuclear Physics core staff of our

country, including Dr. William Pickering.

In 1958, as Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Dr. Pickering

led the successful effort to place the first U. S. satellite, Explorer 1, into Earth’s

orbit. The Cal Tech Speech Reference Collection has this to say about the JPL

and Dr. Pickering:

In January 1959, JPL was assigned the responsibility for the robotic

exploration of the moon and planets. Under Pickering’s direction,

JPL supervised the Ranger missions returning the first close-up, high-

resolution pictures of the lunar surface; he also supervised the Surveyor

soft-landers on the Moon; the Mariner missions to Mars and Venus; and

the first gravity assist mission to Mercury, via Venus.

The JPL also designed the Viking Orbiters to Mars and designed and built

the Voyager spacecraft for their mission to the outer planets.

Along with Dr. Pickering was Dr. Al Hibbs, a

physicist, Dr. Val Larsen, Dr. Frank Goddard

who was the California Scientist of the Year,

and a number others of the team. I presented

Dr. Pickering and Dr. Larsen with a miniature

Boeing 707 model.

The Cal Tech Reference Collection says this about Dr. Goddard:

Alumnus Frank E. Goddard Jr. (PhD ‘57), assistant director for research and

development at Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory received the NASA

Exceptional Service Medal for outstanding performance in advancing the

technology of automated spacecraft design.

After pictures, we journeyed on to see a Dr. Fay

who is a teacher at Cal Tech.

It is amazing that I brushed shoulders with these busy and very involved

individuals.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1959:

For our jet flight, we stayed in class all day long.

We had our food service procedures today, which

meant checking the buffet area for all needed

items, what to turn on, what to turn off, all the

food and beverage items for the flight including

table clothes, wine and food menus, cocktail napkins,

stirrers in preparation for a several course

dining experience with special appetizers, salad,

entree, dessert, and fruit candy.

If something was missing, we needed to know who to contact. Prior to that

Friday we had been briefed on the emergency procedures.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1959:

I went to the airport; we finally got on the

jet after much delay. What an exciting day! I

remember the feelings which flowed over me as I

walked onto the aircraft. Thinking, “This is the

real thing.” Had my hair cut and fixed by Mr.

Reid, very pleased. Came home after appointment

and got ready for the flight.

This was the first time I had been on a real 707. We had practiced and been

trained in a 707 mock-up. I was overwhelmed with its size. It was almost half

the length of a football field. Knowing the next day would be the big one, I

felt adrenaline rush through my being bringing an electrifying thrill.

On January 25, 1959, American Airlines became the first airline to offer

coast-to-coast jet service with the Boeing 707. On this historic flight, I was

treated like a celebrity, being one of four stewardesses picked out of more than

2,000. It seemed as if the whole population was thrilled to be riding on the jet.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 1959:

Claire and I got up at 5:30, dressed, had a bite

to eat, and went out to the airport an hour and

a half before the flight departure. While we were

being debriefed, a newspaper man took our pictures.

We boarded our aircraft and while having our pre-

flight check, we had Governor Brown and Mrs.

Pat Brown, Red Moiser (an American Airlines

Executive), President C. R. Smith, Miss Jane

Wyman, and Mr. and Mrs. Hill plus others stroll

through the plane. Mrs. Brown christened the

plane, “Flagship California,” with speeches by

Governor Brown and C. R. Smith.

Not only was the event impressive, but Flagship California was graceful,

sleek, and absolutely gorgeous with open hospitality for all who entered her

doors. In her resplendent beauty she was far more than a ticket.

At this point Claire Bullock, who was my roommate

and one of the jet stewardesses, was

standing in the front of the craft. She was from

the South and a totally dedicated fan of Elvis

Presley. As she was standing in front of the

plane, Elvis’s agent handed her a photo of Elvis

to accompany us on the first jet flight. Claire

was thrilled. In different locations on the plane,

bouquets of yellow and lavender flowers welcomed

our guests. Oh yes, the stewardesses received

orchids to wear. The entire flight was made up of

very influential and successful people; newspaper

people and cameramen, plus other

wonderful passengers. Passengers

were milling from one cabin

to the other, Mercury to Coach.

It was like a press conference

and confusing for me. The task

at hand was to serve our passengers

beverage and food with first

class service in a very informal

atmosphere as one big happy family. I gave Miss

Wyman my flight topper to wear, that being the

dress we wore during the food service. Everyone

was having a grand time up in the “dream of

sunshine and clouds.” It was a magnificent experience

and lots of hard work.

A memorable highlight of the day was when I met President C. R. Smith as

he walked the aisle during the flight. One could feel the strength of his character.

He had the skill of looking you in the eye and connecting with you on

a level which left you feeling like you were important to American Airlines. I

knew that he appreciated me as a stewardess.

I remember giving Jane Wyman my flight topper to wear, and she was

filmed while she had it on. Flight toppers were worn while serving a meal. We

had our choice as a crew to either wear or not wear the topper. It made a more

appropriate dress for the food service if we did, though. One of the important

reasons for the cover-up was that it kept the uniform clean. It was flattering

to me that Miss Wyman wore the same size as I wore. She was very pleasant

to be around. In the movie Three Guys Named Mike, she played the part of an

American Airline stewardess.

On the passenger list, Mr. G. Wright was listed as 89 years old; I think that

made him the oldest person on the inaugural flight. Mr. and Mrs. L. Barnett

brought their little son who was two and a half years old, making him the

youngest passenger.

Also on the flight was Dr. Arthur L. Klein, an aeronautical engineer and

legend designer. Dr. Clark Millikan was also on board. He was one of the

nation’s foremost pioneers in aerospace research and development. He was

also a pioneer in the development of multi-engine, high-altitude airplanes, jet

propulsion, and guided missiles. I had this gentleman on an earlier flight, and

I had enjoyed his friendliness and his usual enthusiasm for his projects. In the

1950s a new facet of aeronautics came into view with the ideas of satellites and

spacecraft, and he worked right at the forefront of these ideas. I had met him

a second time on a PR assignment, and now this flight was my third meeting

with him. It was always exciting to meet people over and over.

We arrived in New York 4 hours and 3 minutes

later. A band was playing when we opened the

door and bright lights were shining with people

taking pictures. Our debriefing after the flight

was interesting. We are helping work out all the

things which need to be changed with the Boeing

707 stewardess procedural operations. We were so

tired, Claire and I said, “Never again.”

The flight was overwhelming; however, our training kept us calm and

poised. We had the knowledge to be self-sufficient and to make decisions that

affected our passengers. In a crisis we could rise above the everyday requirements

of passenger service. We were tired yes, but we were prepared. After a

good night’s sleep, we put in our bids to work the 707 flights again and again.

The Astrojet News published an interview with Captain Macatee 10 years

after the inaugural flight. In it, he says that piloting this flight “was and had

to be his biggest thrill in 30 years of flying.”

The preparations had begun years before. “Paper jets” had begun “flying”

daily New York–Los Angeles and Chicago–Dallas trips in July 1958.

But the big moment was 8:45 a.m. Pacific Coast Time Sunday, Jan. 25, 1959.

With Capt. Macatee at the controls, First Officer (now captain) Lou Szabo

beside him, and 112 passengers aboard, American’s first Jet Flagship lifted off

Runway 25L, at Los Angeles International Airport and headed for New York.

FIRST TRANSCON FLIGHT

It was commercial aviation’s first transcontinental jet flight, a flight that

brought east and west coasts three hours closer together and revolutionized

an airline, an industry and the nation’s transportation system.

“We got off 20 minutes late because of the ceremonies at Los Angeles.

But we were fortunate enough to catch tailwinds that at times were in excess

of 150 knots. We arrived at New York on schedule, exactly four hours

and 3 minutes after takeoff.” . . .

Hundreds of people, including a 25-piece brass band, turned out at

Idlewild to welcome the first transcon jet. Newsmen, government officials and movie stars were aboard,

including actress Jane Wyman (“who for some reason I kept calling Mrs.

Lyman,” Captain Macatee recalled).

C. R. Smith, also aboard, told AAers in a special issue of Flagship News to

“take a bow to history, for you are a part of it today. The piston-engined

airplane will retain our affection, for it has done so much for us and for air

transportation. Today, we have a new area of expectation, for the bright

promise of what the turbine-powered airport will bring lies ahead of us.”

In the article Captain Macatee also reflected upon the historical significance of

this first transcontinental jet flight. He and Captain H. C. Smith, who flew the

return trip, had flown the 707 without passengers for about 200 hours before this

historical flight with passengers. The article states that for Captain Macatee, this

flight was “biggest thrill in 30 years of flying,” and Captain Macatee concluded

his comments by saying that while he had many special memories of flying

“those four hours three minutes were the big ones for me. They always will be.”

Flagship California, my love!

Flagship California, my love!

707–123B N7503A, Flagship California, on her way to be scrapped. When I first saw this photo, it pulled at my heart strings. I cried tears of joy having known it

and tears of sadness that it’s gone. © Brian Lockett, Air-and-Space.com.

Passenger List for the First Jet Flight across the USA

These people were more than passengers. They quickly became friends as we shared this

historical moment in time. President C. R. Smith set the example as he strolled the aisle

connecting with the passengers with cheer and good wishes. I, also, felt the association as we

smoothly flew through the clouds of time. Time and space seemed to be flying through another

dimension. Through the years it has been my pleasure to continue or renew some of these

honored relationships.

My roommates and I all jumped at a chance to fly together. So we put in

our bids for the same jet trip to New York as often as possible. Our togetherness

created an atmosphere of fun, warmth, and love. Lucky passengers!

When the jet age in United States transcontinental air travel dawned on

January 25 with the flight of an American Airlines Boeing 707 from Los

Angeles to New York, the household probably most directly affected was

that of a “family” of four stewardesses who live in a bungalow in West Los

Angeles.

Since that flight, the four stewardesses have been averaging some 40,000

miles of jet travel a week from Los Angeles to New York and back. Their

experience in these early days of jet travel is helping to establish the pattern

of service aboard the jets.

THEY PRACTICED IN A MOCKUP

Although the four girls each had two years of flying experience, they

virtually had to re-learn their jobs when they were assigned to jets. During

their qualification schooling, they acted out in a 707 mockup the parts

they were to play in jet flight. They learned where supplies were and how

doors opened, lights operated and seats reclined. They learned that new

equipment, such as pop-out oxygen masks, is carried on the high-flying

707. They replaced the phrase “miles per hour” with the word “Mach” in

their vocabulary; “thrust” took the place of “horsepower” as they learned

the rudiments of the operation of the airplane’s four Pratt & Whitney
Aicraft commercial J–57 engines. They became familiar with the names and

functions of the parts of the airplane visible from cabin windows—such as

the vortex generator—which might arouse a passenger’s curiosity.

They had to know their jobs well. They would be performing more services

for more people in fewer hours. There would be no time for faltering,

fumbling, or finding out.

For their part in the inaugural flight, Claire and Argie even memorized the

names of the 106 passengers who would be aboard, in the hope that they

could make this the signal day it should be for each of the first-flighters.

. . . There was little time for the leisurely conversations they had enjoyed

with passengers on previous trips. What snatches of chatting they managed,

however, were unusually pleasant in the quiet, vibrationless cabin. . . .

A lot of changes have taken place in the stewardesses’ job since that first

flight. With an increased number of passengers requesting first-class accommodations,

the bulkhead on the 707 was moved back so that three of

the airplane’s four stewardesses work in the front section with 68 passengers,

and one in the aft with the remainder. The serving of the meal and

beverages and the other routines in the jet cabin have undergone changes

as Claire, Barbara, Gerry and Argie,  along with other jet stewardesses,

have studied their own capabilities on the flights, the passengers’ requirements,

and the most efficient way to use the 707’s cabin equipment.

All that being said, it is now history and a wonderful flight! 

I am excited to be at the Salt Lake International airport on the 25th of January 2016 to sign my book: More Than a Ticket Memoirs Flying with American Airlines from Props to Jets. As you come through Terminal 1, the Weller Book Works will greet you. I will be there from 8:00 am til 12:00 noon. I will welcome you with a smile and share my book

Here are some photos from my last signing. 

 Have a peaceful landing as you fly through the clouds of time.