This is what it was like to fly in the 1940s (we did the 1930's last issue)
(Submitted by: David Bellamy)
If the 1930s built the bones of the industry, the 1940s were when aviation truly began to flex its muscles, soaring higher, farther and faster than ever before. Here is what it was like to fly in the 1940s.
Pressure! Pushing down on me, pushing down on you. After a decade of air sickness bowls and oxygen tanks on hand for the inevitable altitude sickness that came with flying, Boeing introduced the Stratoliner, the world’s first commercial airplane with a pressurized cabin. Finally, pilots could take their craft up to 20,000 feet, an altitude that the industry marketed as “above the weather.” And while that catchy slang wasn’t entirely true, a smoother flight, and constant, breathable air were made possible at these new heights thanks to pressurization.
