Post by Bernard on Sept 15, 2024 20:43:39 GMT
In 1956 I could accompanied my father, who was a Swissair navigator, on a flight from Zurich to Barcelona. As the son of a Swissair employee, he was able to benefit from two free flights a year, i.e. he had to pay five percent of the flight price for insurance. Then, I was eleven, and it was the first time I boarded a plane.
The route via Geneva was flown with a DC-4. Since the plane was fully occupied with paying passengers, I had to spend the flight on the luggage rack, which was located between the cockpit and the cabin. Especially across from my father's working place!
The DC-4 had a small peephole above the luggage rack on the left-hand side that I could look out of. But this one was in the cabin curve, so that I actually saw more sky than others. Allowing a youngster to travel like this, would be absolutely unthinkable today. But then where different times and different customs! In any case, I didn't experienced a scheduled flight that close later.
Boarding of passengers in Zurich Kloten on a Thursday afternoon
Take-off on runway 28 as it was common at that time
on approach for landing in Geneva
over the railway line Zurich-Geneva
at Geneva Cointrin Airport
Overflight of the Rhône Delta near Montpellier
along the beaches of Languedoc coast
and the Spanish Costa Brava
Landing in Barcelona at the then still rudimentary airport of El Prat.
What particularly struck me, and I strongly remembered, was the dirt apron with the numerous oil spots!
After having spent a dinner on the famous Ramblas and an ovenight, we flew back with a lot of unforgettable impressions. Despite of the same uncomfortable seating!
Bernard
The route via Geneva was flown with a DC-4. Since the plane was fully occupied with paying passengers, I had to spend the flight on the luggage rack, which was located between the cockpit and the cabin. Especially across from my father's working place!
The DC-4 had a small peephole above the luggage rack on the left-hand side that I could look out of. But this one was in the cabin curve, so that I actually saw more sky than others. Allowing a youngster to travel like this, would be absolutely unthinkable today. But then where different times and different customs! In any case, I didn't experienced a scheduled flight that close later.
Boarding of passengers in Zurich Kloten on a Thursday afternoon
Take-off on runway 28 as it was common at that time
on approach for landing in Geneva
over the railway line Zurich-Geneva
at Geneva Cointrin Airport
Overflight of the Rhône Delta near Montpellier
along the beaches of Languedoc coast
and the Spanish Costa Brava
Landing in Barcelona at the then still rudimentary airport of El Prat.
What particularly struck me, and I strongly remembered, was the dirt apron with the numerous oil spots!
After having spent a dinner on the famous Ramblas and an ovenight, we flew back with a lot of unforgettable impressions. Despite of the same uncomfortable seating!
Bernard