CELEBRATE!
January 25, 1959
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| Norman Rice, Marilyn Rutkowski, Edna Garrett, Captain Charles Macatee, Argie Hoskins,Captain Lou Szabo, Claire Bullock, Bill Duncan |
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| Captain Macatee, Stewardess Argie Hoskins, Captain Szabo |
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| Design by Phillip Nicholson |
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| 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.”
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| Flagship California, my love! | | | | |
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| 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.
"Home Talk Story" January 11, 2016
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