Just out of curiosity - Airplane Guys

A number of years ago, my wife bought me a very unique gift - a one hour flight on a WW2 Lancaster Bomber. It’s my understanding that there are only 2 left in the world that are still flying, one in the UK and one here out of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We are so fortunate that Hamilton airport is home to “The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum”. This museum has many planes from the WW2 era, many of which still fly and you can buy a ride on those which still fly (some quite expensive) for a once in a lifetime experience. This museum is only 1/2 hour from my home and probably a 15 - 20 minute ride from Paris, Ontario (hint, hint for our visitors to this summer’s rally).

The year that I had the ride, I had the honour of talking to a gentleman who was a tail gunner in the Lancaster. Coincidentally, I learned
he worked part time for my wife’s good friend … small world.

I’ll try dig up a few photos of my Lancaster ride, but here are a few pics from the museum (visited just before Christmas 2021). The last pic is a Rolls Royce V12 Merlin, spare engine for the Lancaster. Four of these on the Lancaster with open exhaust made the noise deafening - must be a gear head because I loved it!


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The golden age of air travel, photos from Esquire magazine. Chef prepared meals, attentive service, room to stretch out, on board bars / lounge area with a bartender mixing cocktails, and yes the sleeping berths are in an airplane KLM trans Atlantic flight.
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Versus flying today…..
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The golden age of air travel, photos from Esquire magazine. Chef prepared meals, attentive service, room to stretch out, on board bars / lounge area with a bartender mixing cocktails, and yes the sleeping berths are in an airplane KLM trans Atlantic flight.
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Versus flying today…..
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How true. Remember when there was smoking allowed in the cabin and the smoking and non smoking sections were sometimes separated by an imaginary line?
 
Early 1900’s air travel by air ships, here are some rare photos inside Britains R-100 and it’s sister ship R-101, dubbed the flying hotels,
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To board an airship you had to go up to the top of the mooring tower and walk a rather precarious gang plank.
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Which could be problematic!
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The A-100 and A-101 only flew a couple of years, they were to susceptible to storms causing them to lose control , one of them crashed in Canada and that was the end. And here’s a parting shot of the Hindenburg dining room, very elegant, but I think everyone knows how that ended.
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The golden age of air travel, photos from Esquire magazine. Chef prepared meals, attentive service, room to stretch out, on board bars / lounge area with a bartender mixing cocktails, and yes the sleeping berths are in an airplane KLM trans Atlantic flight.
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Versus flying today…..
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I started in the airline industry in 1984. The old timers told of how great days gone by had been. At the time, we had "Royal Service" up front and as an employee, I was required to wear a coat and tie to exercise pass privileges. Maybe the piano bar was gone, but flying was still not at all unpleasant. I am now retired and retained my pass privileges just as if I were still employed. I don't use it at all. Between airport security, cramped (miserable) seating, rude passengers and airline employees, and now, Covid. Even free is way too much to pay and my attitude is I'm not going if I can't drive there. My wife buys tickets (she gets same pass as me), but she's small enough to fit in the seat. I did have a recent (pre-covid) trip on a Greyhound bus. It was very pleasant and comfortable. It also departed and arrived right on time. I wouldn't hesitate to try that again.
 
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How true. Remember when there was smoking allowed in the cabin and the smoking and non smoking sections were sometimes separated by an imaginary line?
As an aircraft mechanic, all that tar made it very easy to find pressurization leaks. There was always a telltale brown streak identifying the leak.
The L1011 had the primary outflow valve toward the front of the fuselage and smokers in the back. On it and any other airplane the NO SMOKING section was as effective as the no peeing section of your swimming pool. Our line shack had smoker's chairs against the wall all the way around the room. The big table in the middle was the NO SMOKING section. Even though I never lit a cigarette and took a drag, I was a smoker, like it or not. Same as the aircraft cabin.
 
I did have a recent (pre-covid) trip on a Greyhound bus. It was very pleasant and comfortable. It also departed right on time. I wouldn't hesitate to try that again.

Speaking of busses, luxury public busses are becoming popular. First class seating , Wi-Fi, meals and drinks, an attendant on every trip.


Jet bus line, has super luxurious, only 14 passengers, reclining air ride seats, meals and free full bar. Even the restroom looks like one you’re would expect to see in a nice hotel.

 
Speaking of busses, luxury public busses are becoming popular. First class seating , Wi-Fi, meals and drinks, an attendant on every trip.


Jet bus line, has super luxurious, only 14 passengers, reclining air ride seats, meals and free full bar. Even the restroom looks like one you’re would expect to see in a nice hotel.

Now is the time to try that business model. Air travel is mostly miserable. Even if you fly first class, you still have the airport experience to contend with.
 
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The last pic is a Rolls Royce V12 Merlin, spare engine for the Lancaster. Four of these on the Lancaster with open exhaust made the noise deafening - must be a gear head because I loved it!


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Somebody at that museum needs a shake. An engine that's been rebuilt as a spare should never be left out open to the public with open ports. There are weird people around who take a delight in putting things into those holes. Seriously. Many thousands of dollars worth of valuable spares and time can be destroyed by fitting that engine in the supposition it's unmolested.
 
Somebody at that museum needs a shake. An engine that's been rebuilt as a spare should never be left out open to the public with open ports. There are weird people around who take a delight in putting things into those holes. Seriously. Many thousands of dollars worth of valuable spares and time can be destroyed by fitting that engine in the supposition it's unmolested.
Good point Grimly. The engine was about 10ft behind a barrier but yes someone could have tossed something into it. I assume it was going out for rebuild because there were other engines on display that had tape over every open orifice. Next time I go I’ll make that suggestion.
 
Early 1900’s air travel by air ships, here are some rare photos inside Britains R-100 and it’s sister ship R-101, dubbed the flying hotels,


To board an airship you had to go up to the top of the mooring tower and walk a rather precarious gang plank.
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Which could be problematic!
Cardington Hangars are still there... I've been in them, utterly huge and wondered what they'd be used for. There have been numerous attempts by developers to have them condemned and pulled down and the land used for housing, but the locals would rather they be kept and put to some other use. Glad to say they've been preserved to some extent.

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Cardington Hangars are still there... I've been in them, utterly huge and wondered what they'd be used for. There have been numerous attempts by developers to have them condemned and pulled down and the land used for housing, but the locals would rather they be kept and put to some other use. Glad to say they've been preserved to some extent.

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I used to pass these regularly on my tours as a furniture agent from Hitchin to Bedford. Often one hanger would be open and you could see airships inside or tethered outside on moorings. Fantastic and fascinating sight.
 
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