Anyone remember what flying was like?

[SQflyergirl]

http://www.life.com/image/53367148/i...flying-was-fun

I only started flying in 1980, so most of these are not memories for me - but does anyone remember what it was like from YOUR era?

[nickbot]

Great link SQfg

My early flight memories, probably only predating your 1980 start by a year or so, were of intra-European flights on Dan-Air. Struggling to remember details of early flights apart from drinking cups of tea with creamer sachets and having IFE courtesy of my mum who used to pack my brother and I a flight bag with comics etc.

[9V-SIA]

Thanks for the memories!

My first intercontinental flight would be 1969 on a BOAC VC10 SIN -???- LHR in Y. Subsequently planes of that era I've flown are 707s, DC8s, Convair 880s. Plus all SQ birds except DC10s.

Intermediate stops on that first intercontinental flight I took were in India ( can't remember Bombay or Calcutta ) & Tehran. I'm sure Europe somewhere too.

IFE was just music through "air tube" speakers.

Remember the thrill of being given the tray of food inflight. ( my flying prior to this flight was on MSA F27s to Ipoh )

Pitch was definitely better in those days.

[jhm]

Your very first flight - Memories

[Pinkfloyd]

Mine must have been in 80 or 82 when I was a couple of years old... QF from SIN-BNE... Not sure of the aircraft type though...

[BigTop]

My first flight was to London from KUL in the late 70s/early 80s, and we had to go via the middle east with the 747-200. No IFE back then, I still wonder how did I past the time onboard

[sumitsan]

My first flight ever was an SQ 737 from PEN-SIN in 1978, but my first flight with partial memories was in 1980 on an SQ 747-200 on LHR-DXB-CMB, and we had overhead TVs. Back then, SQ, MH, and LH were the only airlines that seemed to give toddlers all sorts of gifts and goodies, that whenever I never got them on other airlines, I'd get mad. fun times !!!

Surprisingly, I also miss the IPH-KUL-IPH & IPH-PEN-IPH runs on the Fokkers (F27s and F50s). Pelangi took over the PEN route in 1990.

[Kiwi]

I'm not as old as implied by the article, but some of the captions are incorrect.

Today, unless you're lucky enough to be in first class, you get a bag of peanuts and/or pretzels, and one (non-alcoholic) beverage. Maybe.

No problem to get food & unlimited drink on my international flights.

Dropping a friend or family member off at the airport was an adventure in itself. People would actually park their cars, escort their traveler to the departure gate, and watch the plane until it was just a tiny speck in the sky.

Some people still do this.

These days, only passengers can go past security.

For the flights I take most often anyone can go past security to the gate area.

That's right: an upper deck lounge.

EK still has this (on A380).

Shampoo, toothpaste, any liquid that was part of your daily routine was allowed on board, in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces.

Still can on many of my flights.

[jhm]

And:

This giant double-decker Boeing 747 seems light-years away from the cramped, leg-crunching cabins of today.

A modern lie flat business class is much better than anything (J or F) available in the old days.

[phaleesy]

Mileage whores start out early.

Posing for her first glamour shot between 1976-1977.


Obviously not an SQ flight. Didn't realise that planes have curtains and funky seat lamps in those days.

The little one couldn't remember any details from the flights. Her mom told her that she was a most kaypoh one and walked up and down the aisle chatting up every uncle Tom, Dick and Harry! According to mom, all the uncles were very entertained.

[SQflyergirl]

Mileage whores start out early.

Posing for her first glamour shot between 1976-1977.


Obviously not an SQ flight. Didn't realise that planes have curtains and funky seat lamps in those days.

The little one couldn't remember any details from the flights. Her mom told her that she was a most kaypoh one and walked up and down the aisle chatting up every uncle Tom, Dick and Harry! According to mom, all the uncles were very entertained.

Wow! I don't have any pics like these Thanks for sharing! Love it!

[9V-SIA]

Posing for her first glamour shot between 1976-1977.

Wow! What a babe!

[B727]

My early flight memories, probably only predating your 1980 start by a year or so, were of intra-European flights on Dan-Air

Was it the DeHavilland Comet by any chance?

[N_Architect]

Posing for her first glamour shot between 1976-1977.

Lovely shot - thanks for sharing, phaleesy.

[B727]

Remember the thrill of being given the tray of food inflight

I remember my first inflight food on SQ in the 70s like it was yesterday. We were given a choice of two trays--one was cold roast chicken and the other cold roast beef. In those days, they served welcome drinks in Y including sparkling wine and beer.

Some of my favs that belong in the "SQ Y meal hall of fame across the decades" that are not coming back anytime soon include: duck, pomfret, ikan kurau (English: pacific threadfin, Hawaiian: moi).