Aviation – Aircraft – Flying

When I took my first flight back in 1968, from Munich to Hamburg, there were no on-line booking facilities or low cost airlines. It was all Lufthansa or any of the few international carriers which had fifth freedom rights to pick up passengers domestically, like the Alitalia I took from Hamburg to Stuttgart years later. But I digress.

I was stationed in Kempten, a small city, in the very south of Germany. A long way away from Hamburg. Since the Autobahn had not reached that far down and trains, while running via Ulm or Lindau, were slow, flying was the best option. A train journey would take easily 10 or 12 hours, if I remember right.

So I bought my ticket at a travel agency, since Kempten had no airline city bureau. As we had no credit cards at those time, buying locally with cash was the only option.

Since I would fly close to Christmas, I decided to go from Munich Riem, the than airport of the city.

To my delight and also planned a bit, using the yellow airline timetable booklet, which was issued every six month by Lufthansa, I saw that there was a Boeing 707 service. Munich – Hamburg – New York. LH 404.

This or the slower Vikers Viscount, which was used on LH’s domestic routes.

A Boeing 707, my dream, an aircraft which would carry me in years to come as far as Tahiti, Australia, Rio, Lima and more.

My journey would start by train with a D-Zug, a faster train which ploughed, a fitting word since it was a snowy winter, Lindau – Kempten – Munich, with a few stops in between.

So the day arrived. It was bitter cold and at least one foot of snow. ‘Feet’ sounds better than 30 cm of snow, doesn’t it?

The train arrived on time, something seems to be a rarity nowadays I am told, since I know live on the other side of the world. I had a compartment on my own and it was snuggly warm from the steam heating. You know some trains were still pulled by steam locks or the V200 diesel, which also used steam heating.

Once we left the city, the snow height grew. It was afternoon and slowly getting dark. Sunset comes early in winter plus it was a grayish day.

We arrived at Munich Hauptbahnhof (Terminal) a 1 1/2 hours, or so later. I don’t remember much, but somehow made my way to the airport bus.

I think my flight left around 5pm. At those times, airports were easy. Not that busy, few if any waiting lines, no business class, only first, so most check in counters could be used, no security check to deal with.

Soon I had my boarding pass. Seat assignment was by pointing a board behind the counter, with the aircraft layout and removable stickers. You pointed to any of the available seats, the sticker was placed on your printed boarding pass and that was it. Off to the gate.

As I said, no security. The gate was thick with cigarette smoke, since most passengers were business man and smoking was like a status symbol.

Actually I think the flight was not full.

A bus brought us to the gleaming aircraft. A Boeing 707. All Lufthansa planes were and still are, like ‘aus them Ei gepellt’ as German expression for looking brand new. Another story to this another time.

The cabin was held in dark green, dark more common in those times, maybe more practical and any cigarette burns in the upholstery less visible.

Yes smoking was still permitted, with the back of the cabin reserved for smokers.

Other airlines favored the left/ right from aisle for smoker/ non-smoker segregation.

I took my window seat. The Pratt and Whitney engines roared to life and soon we were underway.

I don’t remember much about the hour long flight. These memories are drowned out by those of thousands of flight hours in later years.

We arrived in Hamburg and I was proud and happy. Happy about the experience and happy to be home for a few days.

But the first flight follows the return journey a few days later.

Christmas had passed and I had to go back to work. Same route. Hamburg – Munich. But this time it was all different and for a first time flyer, even more exiting.

The aircraft this time was a Vikers Viscount, this four engine aircraft, which Roll Royce Dart engines could be heared screeching from a long way away. But actually it was a nice aircraft, at least for the passengers, due to the really big windows and ample seat space.

I had been assigned a window seat in the first row. At those times, domestic flights were Eco-class only. Outside it was wintry cold and a snow cover blanketed the tarmac.

At my right-hand-side row, I was the only passenger. On purpose, as I found out soon.

Cabin door closed, pre-flight announcement and the charming and young flight attendant set down on the aisle seat next to me.

Right, there were no crew seats. The cabin crew sat with the passengers.

For me, a young guy, this was really exiting. Ah, well, the flight, but even more so that a, as they were called in those times, Stewardess, would not only sit next to me, but also engage in a chat.

We taxied out and took off, heading south. I was more engaged in the talk than the flight, at this stage. However her duties called and soon I could look out again, down to the linen-white countryside.

Since the Viscount was not that fast, the flight was scheduled to last 90 minutes. Looking out to the right, the propeller blades were shining in the occasional sunbeam, which penetrated the clouds.

Drinks and snacks were offered and then, my stewardess knocked on the cockpit door. She had a quick talk, I guess to the captain, and then turned back to me with the question if I was interested in visiting the cockpit.

Well, this was a long time away from September 11 and it was more common to be invited to the flight deck. I was many times later on Boeing 707, 747, 767 and even some smaller planes. But for now, I was in seventh heaven.

So I squeezed into the narrow cockpit. Narrow is the real word, since the Viscount did not offer much space. But in pre-belly fat times, space was enough. I don’t remember anything of what we talked about. The captain was a well matured veteran and exuded the authority one would expect from a flight captain at Lufthansa.

Ahead of us a cloud cover above our flight path and snow covered landscape as far as the eye could see.

Much to soon I was ushered back into the cabin, since the decend to Munich commenced and too soon we are back on the ground.

But this first flight was really something special I will never forget.

Images are copyright ncas_48Photography except as noted: Lufthansa, Germany