A Pan Am Memoir 1962-1964
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- This video highlights my flight service years with Pan American Airways as a stewardess/purser with photos and film from 1962-1964. You will see film footage from 1962-1964 including Hong Kong, Beirut, Bangkok, Tehran, Pan Am 707, stewardesses, etc.
I was a line mechanic/supervisor JFK for Pan Am and tried to treat cabin items/FA gripes with respect, while my fellow mechanics did not. Better to keep them turning and burning then worry about a coffee maker. But my diligence worked out many times when I was on flight and the FA recognized me and couldn't do enough for me and my family. Flying Pan Am and other airlines in those days was a treat and today it's just cattle cars.
Everyone wanted cheaper fares so we are cattle. Deregulation took something special and made it cheap. Whatever.
Mary Lou Knuth My father Captain George Knuth was a Pan Am pilot from 1945-1964 when tragically the plane was hit by lightning exploding the fuel tanks. The plane crashed in a field in Elkland, MD. After Pan Am gave my family free air fare and my courageous Mother took her four children on on a trip around the world.
What a wonderful video of your special memories. Thank you for sharing!!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for the comment. In those days, Pan Am had a rule that we had to stop flying when we married, but I continued with Pan Am in ticket sales and lived in Afghanistan from 1968 to 1972 on the Pan Am Technical Assistance Program with Ariana Afghan Airlines.
I may have run into you in Kabul. My wife and I were employed with UA (res and airport agent) and non-reved there to visit her parents. Her dad was stationed there with the USAID program. We flew PanAm to LHR, then Ariana Afghan Airlines from LHR to KBL. Her dad had become friends with Charlie Bennet who was on loan from PanAm, and I believe he was acting as Ariana Afghan's Chief Operating Officer. I rode the cockpit jump seat out of KBL back to LHR onboard an Ariana 727 jump seat. It was quite an experience both inbound and outbound! PanAm was great back then.... Ariana Afghan not so great!
3:30
Wow - Very generous of you to share these memories with the online world. What a cool snapshot of bygone days in commercial aviation AND in corporate culture. Thanks!
Thank you, Mary Lou for sharing your memories with us!!!. always i wonder how was living during the early-mid sixties in America n once Teri Gall replied me (email) it's the same as living today, just no cellphones, personal computers and also big cars on those years. I don't know, just i i fell something missing, like there was at that time a more glamorous living, elegant dressing code, and …well it looks so different and beautiful that i only can say ,thank you again for sharing part ,moments of your life with us, God bless u!!!
WOW
GOLDEN AGE OF FLYING
THANK YOU FOR SHARING
PEACE AND LOVE ❤🌷
great stuff...my dad worked for Pan Am for 30 years...the TV show deserved another year.
Amazing video and a reminder of how the world has changed and in a way became less civil. My dad's side of the family was connected with Pan Am (his brother was a mechanic) and it brought back memories. Thank you!
What a treasure trove you have here! Just think: service to Rangoon (and, as I recall, Saigon, too); Beirut in the pre-civil war days; approaching the glory days of the Shah's Tehran, when an American could freely walk along the streets and not be vilified (I loved the young man in the background who kept trying to keep himself in frame); and Hong Kong, while you could still see magnificent views of the harbor, and not just a solid mass of highrises. Thank you, Ms. Bigelow for shating this with us.
This was the way to fly!! The Summer of 69 I went to Europe on a
study tour for three months. Everyone dressed on the plane, we were
served two meals. Roomy seats. The memory of that will stay with me
forever.
amazing, truly, ty. so nice to have met you...b nice to listen to you...the stories..from all ...
A treasure. My father started as a 707 copilot in 1964 and headed to many of the places you filmed. Your film is excellent. Well done.
What a blessing of video! Wonderful and thanks for sharing!
A wonderful memory of good times. Thank you for sharing your time with us at a great airline.
I was in junior high school 1963-1965 in New York. Upon graduation I visited the Pan Am & TWA terminals at JFK, became enamored by the sophistication and glamour of the in-flight personnel that I became a flight steward in my heart at the tender age of 14.
That passion manifested itself to the recruiters & I was hired by and flew for Pan Am as a flight attendant/purser 1973-1984.
Thank you so much for paving the way for me to realize my dream job & thanks for the awesome video!
Antonio
this is precious and priceless. I wish I lived in the 60s... thank you for sharing this to the world
Awesome! As a current American Airlines flight attendant, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you Mary Lou!! “Pan-Am gone but not forgotten” not ever! My mom can attest to the outstanding experience she had on Pan American of that era. It brings tears to my eyes, what I would have given to fly like that as opposed to the sardine cans of today!😊🛩
Thank you for this beautiful and touching memoir. I too was young in those days (although I dare not say handsome) and flew on Pan Am as a passenger. You will always be young and beautiful as far as I am concerned.
What a delight to have stumbled across this little gem! I loved flying on Pan Am, particularly on the 707 Intercontinental back home to Hong Kong. Thanks to the generosity of the inimitable Johnson Yip, Pan Am’s man in HK, and a friend of my father, I was always bumped up to first class. Pan Am stewardesses were the best - intelligent, friendly, stylish, and so kind. Their smiles were genuine. And the food - the best in the air bar none.
Thank you for posting this, and kind regards from Hong Kong.
PS I still have some Pan Am stationery and my Pan Am flight bag.
No! In my capacity as a stewardess and then purser, I flew out of New York across the Atlantic as far as Hong Kong from 1962-1964. It was exquisite service and a great airline. Loved every minute of my time with the airline. Thanks for commenting!
Marry Lou Bigelow
Wow that be fun working for Pam Am flying back then is lot better than flying today. Did you had many rude passangers back then on Pam Am.
Thank you for sharing your memoir Miss Bigelow. I'm a flying enthusiast and a proud owner of a Pan Am bag that has been my "wing man" so to speak. It has struck up conversations with friendly folk anywhere from Amsterdam, Rome, Manila and the like. In fact, after my United 747 Narita - San Francisco journey a few weeks ago on a top floor business seat, I asked the friendly flight attendant to take my pic with "the bag" before deplaning, and they were so sweet to have offered a visit to the cockpit. Not only was I suddenly eight years old again, but I was reminded of how traveling today can still be special in spite of all that has been lost since the more glamorous days.
As the carrier that pioneered the exploration of the horizon, I fondly remember flying Pan Am in 1980, when even the economy class really sported unrivaled service and cuisine. You were and are definitely a part of history that makes many passionate travelers proud. Thanks again!
Thank you for your comment! I am so happy that my little video brings back nice memories for you!
Both of my sisters were stewardesses for American. Thanks for bringing back the memories of those days.
My father flew for Pan Am out of Rio, 1949 to around 1955, then was based in Hong Kong from 1955 to around 1960....Then Lufthansa out of Frankfurt........He flew for Lufthansa out of Beirut, 1965-1967 until the 6 day war forced all "Europeans -White People" out of Beirut....wow. This video brings back memories. From the time in Hong Kong till he retired, I can remember the flying...nothing like it...especially being Chief Pilot's little brat. I remember going to the floating Restaurants !!!! In the Beirut video, the scene of the water-skiing was the exact place I learned to water ski. My dad used to take us for diner at the Phoenician, top floor had the restaurant. When the water-ski part scans to the right, you'll see a raft...that was part of the British Club where my brother and I hanged out with the British kids since they were more cool than the Americans. All of that is gone.
I worked for Pan Am as my first job out of college as an Operations Rep. at "Idlewild" airport (subsequently changed to JFK). The Pan Am umbrella building was a delight, especially on summer evenings, as crowds of people appeared, and how guests could accompany passengers onto the new jet airliners (Boeing 707s and DC 8s), and then leave when notified that the flight would be leaving.
I never thought I would see the end of Pan Am or the security nightmare that flying has turned into worldwide today.
What I miss the most about Pan Am was the beautiful and bright stewardesses, who were usually multi-lingual, and incredibly nice people. Now it's sadly all changed.
We all loved our airline! We were lucky to have had the experience!
I wish the show had continued. It was so great to see my old uniform again!
It was rare that anyone shooting Super 8 film in 1962 knew how to properly hold the camera, refrain from silly smash zooms & pan slowly to allow the viewer to digest what we are seeing. Even the use of color film & shots that last longer than a few seconds. We take all of these techniques for granted in 2022 but 60 years ago when Super 8 cameras were activated by depressing a trigger most home movie enthusiasts shot barely watchable content. Their shots were typically jiggly whip-pans of random 3 second scenes that present with zero rhyme or reason. Exacerbating the issues: most people mugged for the cameras like they were having a still photo cameo taken; resulting in bizarre, jilted human behavior that doesn’t represents who they were. These are truly unique pieces. They should be submitted to flight museums. Some curators, somewhere would definitely use the footage. Thank you for posting this. I’ll likely tweet it out to my 26k this afternoon. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@antoniogooding Thank you watching it! We all felt so lucky and proud to fly or work for that great airline. We are family.
I was a flight attendant for Pan Am from 1987 until December 4 1991 when they closed down it was a very sad day
It was a great experience. The Pan Am family still keep in touch through organizations as well as facebook groups and annual conventions. We had to leave when we married in those days.
We are approaching 30,000 hits! Who would have guessed!
Mary Lou - it is no surprise to me you are getting So many hits! Your home movies bring up memories we had long supressed and many we wish we could relive, knowing what we know today we would certainly appreciate those times much more. Thank You for sharing your home movies!
I was very fortunate to have flown with Pan Am. I wish it was still around!
Good stuff, Mary Lou. My dad flew 707s/720s for Pan Am from '66 to '78. Based at SFO, LAX, JFK, MIA, SEA.
I wonder if our dads knew each other. Mine was also based MIA, SFO,LAX,HKG,SDY.
My father Captain George Knuth was a Pan Am pilot from 1945-1964 when tragically lightning struck a fuel container casing an explosion. The plain crashed in Elkland MD. PAN AM gave my family free air fair. My. Brave Mother took her
Four children on a trip around the world.
Thank you for the video, it was fantastic, and great to see the Levant before the events of the '70s unfolded.
My mother was a Pan Am stewardess from 1964-1970. Same destination cities as well. I’ve always been super jealous of what she experienced. Thanks so much for putting this film together! ❤️
Awesome.... sure brings back old memories!!
I was a Passenger on Pan Am in late November 1962 out of LaGarde Airport, New York as a member of the US Army on the way to Ankara Turkey. We stopped in Paris and Rome on the way before arriving in Turkey. 18 months later in May 1965 I returned on Pan Am for the states again stopping in Rome and Paris before landings at JFK in New York. Brings back a lot of memories. I remember on the way back, we spent a lot of time sitting with the stewardess back in the lounge in the tail section of the Aircraft and having drinks when they were on their breaks. Civilians were buying us drinks. The stewardesses were not having drinks, we soldiers were. Celebrating our return to the states. After we landed at JFK, we were trying to figure out how to get downtown and once again we saw the stewardesses who told us to come with them on a Pam Am bus downtown. They helped us immensely to find the Port of Authority. .
I could have served you on that flight! 😆
Hi Mary Lou, this is a wonderful film and as an ex British Airways steward ( long haul 747 84-92) its lovely to see you showcase the decades before my service. I had a wonderful time, as I'm sure did you. Thank you very much. From Oxford UK.
GREAT!!! ITS BEST THAN ABC PANAM MOVIE!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING! ITS A REAL SPIRIT OF 60S!
Great video, thanks for posting. Brought back a lot of memories. This was when flying was fashionable and Pan-Am ruled the world.
What a wonderful and precious gift you gave to all the world by sharing this video!
Of a time when flying was elegant...😃
Just watch the little Pillbox hats and WHITE GLOVES!😃
And if I may say so, these girls in fashionable skirts (1962!!!) WHAT BEAUTIFUL LEGS! 🤭🤗
I mean this as a compliment!
Not to forget, for me as a German, PAN AM was the most favourite airline to go to Berlin from 1961 to 1989!
During Cold War. So This Airline is a very special memory to many Germans!
Thanks a LOT!🌹🙏👍❣️
I was a little girl when I first flew on Pan Am to Hong Kong I truly do not remember much but I do remember the flight attendants were super nice. They always made sure everyone was comfortable.
The 2nd time I was 18 years old and flew again on Pan Am. This time I was on the 747 and went to Hong Kong again. This time I remember how quiet the plane was and how the flight attendants were always in their nice uniform.
I did forget to mention I received a pair of Pan Am pin to wear too.
Terrific video. Those really were the golden years of civil aviation for everyone involved.
How sweet! Thank you for the thought! It was fun to put this together and relive a few moments back in time.
My mother, Carmen "Taty" Kondé, was a PAA stewardess about the same time. Watching this video reminded me of her stories and pictures of her time with the airline. Thanks for putting this together.
Great stuff Mary Lou, thank you!
Fun footage. Loved the hats among so many other things...Thanks!
Comment !!! Pas un seul commentaire en Français !!!
J' ai - comme plein d'amis à moi !!! - passé de merveilleux moments à la PANAM !!
Mon dernier emploi, apres les Communication, leTraffic
Passagers, ce fût les Public
Relations et dont j'avais la responsabilité à CDG AIRPORT et de venue Nr 1 dans ne Monde.. !!! De merveilleux souvenirs.
Merci à ce film.!!
À Tous mes amis PANAM : Manifestez-vous !!! Et très amicalement à Vous Tous.
G.ch.
PanAm was the best airline in the world and I miss it! I do wonder in this world where people travel in flip flops and dirty t-shirts would it still be the same?
Thanks for the great video.
I recognize you coming out of Hangar 14. Loved the 707's, except for the 720B with those @#$% bayonet tables. We saw a lot of them at MIA. Glad you had the presence of mind to film some of this AND save it! Many thanks!
The 60s were awesome!!! And traveling in a Pan Am Clipper, My God!!! Thank you for this special footage, realy enjoyed!
Thanks for sharing your great experiences with us. I was a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines from 1982 to 1998 and had a blast. There was still a bit of glamor left; but, those old 737-200's and 727-200's we flew were loud, loud, loud! Makes me laugh when I see the old Pan Am 707 ads touting how that jet was "whisper quiet!"
My only memory of Pan Am, was watching the crew board a 747SP to HKG from LAX.....I was envious. Great video, thank you.
So many memories! Thank you for doing this, it was a pleasure to watch it and remember.
Hello Mary Lou,
Thank you for posting this wonderful video. I am listening to this 1993 recording by the late, great Joe Sample. It so reminds me of those glory days of aviation, flying Miami to Rome aboard the DC-8, guided only by the stars. Long before the days of computers
The "Jet Set" era in all it's glory... Days gone by, but thanks to the internet, saved through time for everyone to see. Thank you for this video Mary, God bless you.
What an absolutely gorgeous woman you are! And what a beautiful airline, you were so lucky to have such an amazing job at the time you did. Beautiful!
Very good!! I was a stewardess (flight attendant) in a brazilian airline (VASP), for 10 years. What a great and beautiful experience!! Proud of being a flight attendant! Kisses to you all !😘
The time back then didn't seem to be to threatening to you but these days I don't know what it would be like. Thank you Mary Lou and others for this wonder view of your memories of flight. I always have respected flight crews their job isn't always glamour and fun all the crew asks of any is to listen and fallow instructions and observe the safety features of the aircraft but some people can't do that. My hats off to you all for a great job and making a flight more enjoyable. I never got the chance to fly Pan Am. My very first commercial flight was to South Carolina from Pittsburgh for recruit training at Parris Island. A few years later and I was on my way overseas to Okinawa via St Louis, and Ontario California on a Flying Tiger DC-8 it seemed to take forever.
Very nice. I was born in '63. You ladies had style back then! I love the outfits and those fashionable hairdos! Thanks for posting!
Thank you for this video and the footage of Bangkok, Hong Kong, Teheran, and Beirut.
Hi Mary Lou...One of my first and fondest memories of flying was on Pan Am in 1967...We flew from Boston to SFO on a TWA 707 and then Pan Am to HNL on another 707...I went onto flying in the Navy, and then the airlines too...Now, I'm working as an instructor in my "retirement" job...
I was based in NYC form 1966 to 1970 and flew to the same cities as you Mary Lou. Everything was the same except for the hat which must have been updated sometimes in 1965. Thank you for sharing your memories with all of us who didn't have the foresight to take videos. It was great ride indeed!
Vey fun compilation, thank you for making it! And what an extraordinary life you've led!
Just watched your video……and am having flashbacks to my own Pan Am experiences. My flying days were from 1962-l964 as well… I do have the photo album of those days…but, regret not thinking about video after seeing this post. Thanks for the memories…. I have stayed in touch with my original roommates all these years.. It's a sisterhood that's lasted a lifetime….even if we live on different continents at times… Thanks again!
Hi Irene,
Did you fly for Pan Am those years? Are you in any Pan Am facebook groups? If you flew with Pan Am, did you fly out of NYC across the Atlantic? Perhaps we flew together. Thanks for watching the video!.
May Lou, thank you so very much for this video airline memorabilia. Very kind of you to share! Thanks!
Awesome video, Mary Lou! As far as I'm concerned, you had a great career with the world's #1 airline!
Great job of recording for the time, there are guys today with more sophisticated cameras who still can't shoot very well!
Thank you. Thank you very much. Many of us hope you and your loved ones are well. Take care always.
Nice video, brings back many memories. I was living in Miami Lakes when Pan Am died, and also Eastern, very sad times, all good things come to an end, memories never die.
Mary Lou you are such a Blessing
Thank you very much for sharing this unique historical video footage!
I'm ex-FA of Aeroflot (1987-96).
Great Job Mary Lou... You even included my home town Tehran. Really nice video :)
What a great video!! Thoroughly enjoyed seeing the far flung places you traveled to Mary. What a different world it is now, Iran continues to be a no travel zone, and Lebanon endured a bloody civil war for many years. Being able to travel to different countries and learning about different cultures helps to lessen the tensions in the world.
Truly amazing and Thank you for Posting. You were the true pioneers in this field. Jets and Long Haul Internatioinal. What a trreasure to have this available and it is soooo GOOD!!
Enjoyed this very much!
What a wonderful video, and thanks so much for posting! I have so many fond memories of travelling Pan Am to and from Hong Kong. The service was always top-notch, and I still have some Pan Am stationery ... and my Pan Am travel bag!
Very interesting and fun video. Thank you for sharing!!
wonderful footage. thank you for posting.
great memento mori of Pan Am as a metaphor that once ruled the skies as Britain ruled the waves before...
Thank you so much for posting. I flew out of HNL and LAX . Pan Am 1979-1991 I loved this.
What a lovely travel in time!
What a great video to watch! I have tons of pictures from early in my career but no videos. I really enjoyed watching yours. Thanks for posting
What a remarkable film.
Thank you so much for reminding us of the true 'Glory Days' of jet travel. I was a small child in the years you were flying, but remember very well the elegance of the flight crews in those days when I flew with my parents.
Flying was a social event back then, and people dressed up to travel. Unlike the dreadful cattle transport system masquerading as 'airlines' we have today.
Thank you for giving us a delightful glimpse of what it it was like to 'travel with style'.
Thank you! Very interesting.
Thank you Mary Lou
Thanks so much for the comment. It was the Pan Am show that got me excited about putting this small tribute together. I loved working for the Pan Am and wouldn't mind starting all over again. I have a little more video from that time period that I will use in another one or two short films. Thanks again for looking at it.
Thank you for posting this! Those were the days!
That was great , music cool to Thank you
Thanks so much for getting back to me :) I have a huge interest in Pan Am as an airline :) and would love to pick your brains with a few questions :)
Amazing!
Loved Pan Am my Dad worked for them
Love the home movies.....the music not so much. Thanks for sharing!
My first ever airplane flight was on TWA when I was 14. A one-way ticket from Columbus Ohio (KCMH) to Chicago O'Hare (KORD). It was a $35 ticket and took about 50 mins. Then years later I joined the US Air Force and then the world traveling began.
Nice memories! There's one thing I wonder, was Pan Am expanding so fast,that
it was possible for one to became a Purser after only two years (or less) of flying?
In my time, (in Scandinavia,the 70's) you had to work at least 5 yrs, before you
could even apply.
0:49 Went on to play Mary Tyler Moore in the hit TV series.
Fascinating!
thanks for my Rangoon old airport. This video is super incurable.
Thank you for sharing some of Pan Am's World!
It was a crime to shut down the airline! It was pure sabotage tbh. Such an iconic Airline gone a year prior to when I was born.Such a shame! I really wish I could fly the airline,it had the best flight crew and set standard in aviation industry.Without Pan Am,we might never of had the Boeing 747's and other significant aircraft...Well America lost one hell of an Asset :/