| Airline travel is an accepted mode of | | | | could fly. In the 1950s the public enjoyed |
| transportation used by millions today. It's | | | | the arrival of the jet, an airplane that |
| hard to believe that airplanes and airports | | | | could cross the American continent on a |
| haven't really been around for that long. In | | | | single flight. |
| this fast paced day and age traveling by | | | | |
| plane is the only way to get business and | | | | One morning in the mid 1950s radio announcers |
| pleasure accomplished in a short period of | | | | mentioned the first flight across country by |
| time, but did you ever think about what it | | | | the TWA jet. It had left Los Angeles, bound |
| might be like if air travel wasn't around? | | | | for the eastern seaboard. It was a little |
| | | | intriguing and very frightening for many |
| Airline travel has been in the news for quite | | | | people around the world. In fact, it was such |
| some time. At first, newspapers would report | | | | a new innovation, many people on the ground |
| only about airplane trips taken by daring | | | | were afraid airplanes might leap from the |
| single pilots over long distances. Lindberg's | | | | sky. |
| flight was one example. The tragic flight of | | | | |
| Amelia Earhart was another such example. This | | | | Soon air travel became more and more common. |
| mode of transportation was more of a lark | | | | This mode of transportation enabled everyday |
| back then, no one could imagine that | | | | people to visit place that were unreachable |
| traveling by plane would become commonplace | | | | for them before. Vacations would take on a |
| in our society. | | | | whole new meaning as you were no longer |
| | | | limited to where you could travel to by car |
| Before World War II only a few wealthy people | | | | or train. Air flight became a popular mode of |
| enjoyed airline travel. Wealthy businessmen, | | | | getting from one place to another and still |
| such as Howard Hughes, looked for ways to | | | | is today. |
| make money from airline travel. Hughes' | | | | |
| exploits led to the building of many airplane | | | | It was an era of airline travel that |
| lockers on the fields west of Los Angeles. | | | | continues today, although with a different |
| Today, in Culver City, CA, one can view what | | | | perspective. The events of September 11, 2001 |
| remains of those lockers by taking a short | | | | placed airline travel in a new and different |
| bus ride from the Los Angeles International | | | | light. The public found that it did not find |
| Airport. | | | | satisfaction in all of the news about airline |
| | | | travel. Today however, there are few plane |
| The efforts of Hughes and other businessmen | | | | crashes and most air travel is very safe. In |
| created an environment that encouraged | | | | fact, the news on airline travel is typically |
| airline travel. Such travel became more | | | | non-existent or good news at that. |
| affordable, so that larger numbers of people | | | | |