Were the 1950s and 1960s REALLY the ‘Golden Age’ of aviation? An ex-pilot revealed why they weren’t

The 1950s and 1960s are often referred to as the “Golden Age” of air travel.

The perception is that it was more glamorous then – passengers dressed up for flights, now they wear tracksuits and pajamas – more exciting and exclusive.

But a former captain, Ian Frow, whose career began with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in 1958, took a different view of this view. He recorded his memories of the era for posterity in a blog post for pilot union Balpawhich showed that the flying experience in the 1950s and 1960s had numerous drawbacks – ‘to remember those early days as a vintage travel brochure coming to life would be erroneous’.

Read on for his reasons…

COSTS

Ian wrote: ‘For Golden Age passengers, cost was a major hurdle. I remember an item in a Qantas inflight magazine suggesting that a worker on an average Australian wage in the 1960s would have to work three months to pay for a flight from Sydney to London. The equivalent time today would be measured in one or two weeks.

“It was an era before package holidays and the rise of low-cost airlines. An airline ticket was simply too expensive for most people.’

ACTIVITIES IN FLIGHT

Ian wrote: ‘Another characteristic of flying in the 1950s and 1960s was boredom. Journeys were long, often with many stops along the way. Once the view from the window was admired, there wasn’t much left to do. Time could pass slowly, but napping and the onboard meal service provided welcome breaks. Magazines and newspapers were provided to passengers, and a good thick book came in handy. The lucky ones sat next to someone having an interesting conversation.

‘Smoking was allowed in the cockpit as well as in the cabin – cigarettes, pipes and even cigars were allowed during the flight. After an eight-hour flight, in which the passengers had little else to do than snooze, read, chat, drink and smoke, the atmosphere became quite rich.’

SAFETY

Ian wrote: ‘Today, passengers can rest assured that air travel on an established airline is the safest form of public transport. Modern safety levels are much higher than those of the 1950s and 1960s, when forced landings, structural failures, injuries from turbulence and mid-air collisions were common. At current safety levels, you would have to be in the air continuously for two and a half average lifespans of 75 years to be statistically likely to have an accident.

“Learning the bitter lessons of past accidents, the cabs have been redesigned with safety in mind. In the 1950s and 1960s, luxury and style were paramount – there were hard, sharp edges, combustible chairs and furniture, even glass partitions. Modern cabs have improved seating standards, seat belts, overhead lockers, lighting and so on, making the cab much safer in the event of an accident.”

HOW GLAMOR WAS IT FOR THE CREW?

A United Airlines DC-7, an aircraft that entered service in the 1950s

Ian wrote: ‘Under the rules of the 19th century Railway Act, airlines had to provide both free accommodation and subsistence to crews when off base. Some accommodations were quite basic, such as the BOAC Rest House in Karachi, a converted barracks for the 19th century British Army of India. But later, in Singapore, we stayed in the Raffles, then rather run-down, but still beautiful. In most places, meals were free, but were consumed at the accommodation. Because of this, the cohesion of the crew was improved by eating together. Initially, crews were paid cash compensation only on the North Atlantic routes – in the 1950s it was $10 per day.

“Another peculiarity in BOAC was the policy in some destinations to have flight crew and cabin crew stay in different hotels. Indeed, in other places the captain lodged in yet another (superior) hotel, though the more sociable captains passed through town to join their crews.’

WAS IT A GOLDEN AGE?

Former captain Ian Frow wrote: ‘Modern safety levels are much higher than those of the 1950s and 1960s, when emergency landings, structural failures, turbulence injuries and mid-air collisions were common.’ Pictured above is a Swiss Air DC-7C flying along the coast of Southern California

Ian wrote, ‘It wasn’t a mass transit industry. There was more time, more attention, more space and more glamor than now. Some might say of the passengers that unless you were a chain-smoking, alcohol-guzzling bookworm, flying in an enclosed plane breathing second-hand smoke wasn’t the most pleasant way to travel. But that would be unfair, passengers were treated very much as individuals and well considered with all that entailed. They probably disembarked in a better frame of mind than today’s tightly packed people.

‘In this so-called Golden Age, the crews were also treated and cared for more as individuals, in every way. The financial rewards in the cabin and junior flight deck ranks were not huge, although the senior captains fared relatively well. But they were all part of a relatively new and exciting travel industry. It was mostly fun.

Was it a Golden Age? On balance maybe not – maybe just silver.’

Captain Frow sadly passed away recently. His career as a commercial pilot began in 1958 with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and lasted 44 years until 2002. He learned to fly while at school and earned his RAF wings during two years of military service.

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