The Good Old Days

 

The Good Old Days

 The Good Old Days……They were great, right?  We often think of them as terrific because we tend to remember the past fondly by focusing only on enjoyable experiences, creating a biased and often idealized version of what life was really like.

Let’s look at air travel for example.

You might say air travel in the 1930s was a glamorous and adventurous experience, offering a unique blend of luxury and novelty that captivated the imaginations of many. Unlike jumbo jets, 1930s air travel was characterized by smaller, more intimate aircraft, which often meant that passengers received a high level of personalized attention.

Nice, but wait.

Personalized attention? It was absolutely, because you needed it. Passengers commonly became ill during flights. Here’s why:

Air Sickness: Passengers often experienced nausea and vomiting because early aircraft were unstable and there was no pressurization (Discomfort  bags are a standard item in seat pockets even today.)

Altitude Sickness: These planes typically flew at lower altitudes,  but passengers still complained of  headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

Cold Temperatures: The higher you go, the colder it gets. Planes back “in the day” offered woefully inadequate heating. To stay warm, you brought along your winter coat – and wore it during flights. You could also get a blanket from the stewardess. It was always “branded.”  The airline wanted to remind you they were helping to keep you warm. No, you didn’t get to take it home.

Noise and Vibration: The drone and vibration from the engines could cause discomfort, headaches, and fatigue. These were propeller aircraft. The jets were decades away.

Turbulence: With no weather radar, planes had  frequent encounters with turbulence, which could cause injuries or heightened anxiety.

Dehydration and Dry Air: The air in unpressurized cabins was dry, leading to dehydration and discomfort. Both can weaken your immune system. When your mucous membranes dry out, they are less effective at trapping and eliminating pathogens. This can increase your vulnerability to respiratory infection.

People who fly on today’s aircraft, especially those who fly often, will at times complain because they “Caught Something,” sometimes COVID and the transmission of COVID-19 during air travel was a major concern throughout the pandemic. But  while there have been instances of COVID-19 transmission on flights, the risk was claimed to be relatively low, when airlines and passengers adhered to recommended safety measures such as mask-wearing, good ventilation, and hygiene practices. None of this was applicable “in the Good Old Days.” Flying aboard a passenger airliner in the 1930s was quite different, and the risk of catching a cold or other diseases was, well “sky high.”

Flying weakened your immune system making you more susceptible to infections. Cabin  air was not filtered or circulated efficiently, increasing the likelihood of spreading “germs.” Small, cramped cabins put passengers close to each other. Hygiene and health standards for air travel were lax as were cleaning and food handling protocols.

Overall, the combination of these factors made it much more common for passengers to catch colds or other diseases when flying in the 1930s compared to today.

And while the “good old days” of  commercial aviation  expanded in the years just after WW I, it took a while for passenger airplanes to arrive  like the famous Ford Trimotor and the Boeing 80 and 80A.  These aircraft were notable for their all-metal construction, which was quite advanced for its time but even then, the industry was in its infancy, these were very primitive aircraft.

The 1927 Ford Trimotor  was often called  “The Tin Goose” and aptly named. Twelve passengers sat on wicker seats and planes like this one and the Boeings  there were no restrooms at all—so passengers had to rely on a mix of planning and endurance,

Cross-country flights in the 1930s, fortunately, weren’t nonstop. Routes were broken into many short legs—often every 100–200 miles. Planes would land regularly for fuel, mail, and passenger needs. That’s when people used the airport restroom. Passengers were always advised before taking off—to take care of business before boarding. Your Stewardess reminded you that you  had to “hold it” between stops.

If a passenger couldn't wait, there were simple but discreet options—like containers or makeshift solutions—which were neither standard nor comfortable.

 

For the flying public – what there was of it - flying in these early days of commercial aviation was not great – far from it. Aside from being a  “luxury”  only the wealthy could afford ( As much as $3200 for a one-way ticket in 2026 dollars), flying was not only very uncomfortable, but it was also so dangerous your stewardess had to be a registered nurse.

 “The good old days weren’t always good, and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems.” — Billy Joel