It took Charles Lindbergh 33 hours and 30 minutes to fly from New York to Paris. On this date in 1946, Trans World Airlines began international passenger service along Lindbergh’s route flying Lockheed Constellations, or “Connies.”
Originally, Lockheed produced the Constellations for the military as the C-69 transport. When the war ended, most of the airplanes became airliners, with the first sold to TWA on October 1, 1945.
TWA was only the second carrier to break into the international passenger business. Prior to TWA entering the field, Pan American Airways was the United States’ sole international carrier.
Lindbergh averaged about 107 mph when he flew the route on May 21, 1927. The Connie, powered by four Wright R-3350 supercharged radial engines of 3250 horsepower each, gave the airplane a cruise speed of 340 mph. In 1946, the flight time between New York and Paris was a little less than 20 hours with stops in Newfoundland and Ireland; today, a Boeing 747 can make the trip in less than seven hours if flown direct and nonstop.
Before 1946, the most common way for the wealthy to travel between Europe and the United States was on ocean liners. This was a time consuming way to travel. As the idea of traveling across the ocean by airliner became commonplace, many of the well to do abandoned ship travel for flying.
Flying for less than a day onboard the Constellations well above the weather in pressurized comfort became preferable to spending days at sea sometimes in rough weather. Many soon accepted international travel on the airlines as the best and most luxurious way to travel between continents.
This was the beginning of the most prestigious era for the airlines. From the end of the war until deregulation in 1978, flying was a very special event. Passengers dressed up for their flights and exhibited extraordinary civility. Captains had flown in World War II as well as some of their “co-pilots.” Everyone referred to flight attendants as “stewardesses” in a time before the meanings of sexual harassment and litigation became known.
During this time, a captain could allow visitors into the cockpit. More than one young person would decide to become an airline pilot after a quick trip to the pilot’s station. The war was over, life was good, and it was the start of a new world; and what could be better than getting to Paris in less than a day?
The world suddenly started getting smaller as new and faster airplanes began flying.
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© 2011 J. Clark
