Flying Through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, 1919

For the occasion of the victory parade on the Champs Élysées on 14 July 1919, marking the end of hostilities in World War I, the military command ordered the airmen to participate “on foot” – like the infantry. This was a provocation to the pilots, who regarded themselves as “heroes of the air”.

At a meeting in the Fouquet bar on the Champs Élysées, a group of aviators decided to address this affront by selecting one of them to fly through the Arc de Triomphe during the parade. The choice fell on Jean Navarre, who had 12 air victories and was considered to be an ace among the fighter pilots. However, Navarre was killed in a practice flight on 10 July. With 500 flying hours, Charles Godefroy volunteered for the task. With his close companion, the journalist Jacques Mortane, he inspected the Arc de Triomphe several times to examine the air route and the air currents; then he began to practice at the bridge over the Small Rhône at Miramas.

Charles Godefroy flying his plane, “Bébé” through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, 1919. (Photo by Jacques Mortane)

On 7 August 1919, three weeks after the victory parade, under cover of secrecy and dressed in his warrant officer uniform, Charles Godefroy took off at 7:20 a.m. from the airfield of Villacoublay in a Nieuport 27 sesquiplane. He reached the Porte Maillot shortly thereafter. Coming from the west, he circled the Arc de Triomphe twice and began his approach along the Avenue de la Grande-Armée. He gathered speed and forced the plane down and through the Arc. He did not have much clearance – the width of the Arc is 14.50 m (47.6 ft), not much more than his aircraft’s wingspan of 8.21 m (26.9 ft). He passed at a low level over a tram in which passengers threw themselves to the ground, and many passers-by ran away frightened.

Godefroy then flew over the Place de la Concorde and returned to the airfield, where his mechanic checked over the engine. No one at the airfield had taken any notice of the flight, which had lasted half an hour.

When the story broke the next day (August 8, 1919), authorities were livid. The military and political leaders were quick to react. Their primary fear was that other pilots would attempt to repeat Godefroy’s feat — they were wrong, of course, because once it had been done, few others felt it would be worth the risk. Jacques Mortane’s movie cameras both worked perfectly and he had the film of a lifetime, yet when he approached the theaters, authorities learned of the film’s existence. They banned its showing, fearing that it might incite others.

Godefroy attempted to keep his participation secret, but eventually, he was found out. Nonetheless, to avoid a public flogging and trial, authorities only issued him a warning. He received no disciplinary action. Even if he was never punished, Godefroy would give up on flying permanently. He returned to his wine business at Aubervilliers and lived out the remainder of his life in relative anonymity.

That Likable Look: 1950s Grooming Tips for Stewardesses at the Air Career School

A lovely vintage flight attendant from 1957, smartly attired as members of her profession were required to look during the golden era of airline travel.

Hair clean and shining
A soft feminine hair style
Skin soft and smooth
Delicate flattering make-up
Teeth clean and healthy
Voice well modulated
Modest tasteful clothing
A minimum of jewelry
Hat and gloves for street wear
A well fitted girdle
Fresh lingerie daily
Hem lines of becoming length
Body skin fresh and clean
A light, pleasing fragrance
Daily use of a deodorant
Armpits hair-free
Hands soft and manicured
Legs smooth and free of hair
Feet well groomed and well shod

From the expectation that one would (or perhaps had to) wear a “well fitted girdle” to the fact that platinum nail polish was out the question, it’s fascinating to look back at this list of dos and don’t and think about what airline hostesses of days gone by had to comply with in order to keep their jobs.

Pretty, Thin, Young and Single: Here Are Some Bizarre Requirements for Stewardess in the 1950s

To be an airline stewardess — you know, what we call a flight attendant now — back in the early part of the jet age, you didn’t need technical skills, geography knowledge, safety know-how or travel experience. What the airlines were really looking for was simple: women who were pretty, slim, young and single.

Here’s a look at the some of the requirements and preferences that put you in the running for a coveted stewardess job back in the 1950s.


1. Soft and Feminine Hairstyle

Back in the 1950’s, one requirement was that the women had to have a soft and feminine hairstyle to make them look as much of a woman as they could. Their hair had to be short but lady-like.


2. Delicate but Flattering Makeup

The flight attendants in the 1950s had to wear makeup but it had to be light. In other words, they had to be pretty but not too pretty.


3. Hands Soft and Manicured

They had to make sure their hands were soft and manicured lightly. Light enough to look as natural as possible.


4. Light Jewelry

Although they were allowed to wear some jewelry, it had to be light. They were allowed one strand of pearls with one charm and maybe a pair of stud earrings.


5. Maximum Weight: 135 Pounds

Back in the 1950s, the female flight attendants were actually weighed before they started each shift. If they were over 135 pounds even by a little, they weren’t allowed to work. However, they did away with this requirement decades ago, thankfully.

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Here’s What It Was Really Like (And It's Actually Crazy) to Fly in the 1950s

Air travel has come a long way since the 1950s, this we know. But in the ’50s, flying was something different. It was something magical and marvelous. Air travel exploded into its Golden Age, and airplane trips weren’t just a means of getting to your vacation –– they were a vacation in themselves. Passengers dressed in their finest to fly. They lined up for group photos before boarding. Riding an airplane made them feel like a movie star because it pretty much took the salary of a movie star to do so.

But not everything was so rosy. If you took a flight in the 1950s...


1. Turbulence Could Snap Your Neck

Early commercial planes were powered with pistons, not jet engines. As a result, they were loud, vibrated fiercely, bumped like crazy in turbulence and were grounded often due to weather (things got smoother after the first commercial jet debuted in 1952). In the ’50s, pressurized airplane cabins were relatively new to the scene. And a non-stop flight? Not likely –– getting across the country could require multiple layovers.


2. You Had Insane Amounts of Legroom

Coach seats had three to six inches more legroom than they do today –– 1950s economy class looked more like business class does now. And first class was clearly about as spacious as a modern hotel room.


3. Your Flight Attendant Wore a Girdle and Had a Weight Limit

Flying was an over-the-top luxury experience, and leggy, chatty “hostesses” were part of the show. One stewardess recalls her airline’s rule that she wear high heels at all times –– only after takeoff could she switch to flatter shoes. Hair had to be short enough so as not to touch her collar. A flight attendant manual mandated that stewardesses be single, stay under 125 pounds, and maintain “high moral standards” during employment.


4. You Might Have Paid Up to 5% of Your Salary for a Ticket

In the ’50s, a flight from Chicago to Phoenix could cost $138 round-trip -- that’s $1,168 when adjusted for today’s inflation. A one-way to Rome would set you back more than $3,000 in today's dollars.


5. Lobster Counted as Airplane Food

With commercial plane travel a new market, airlines struggled to one-up each other by offering the fanciest meals. One vintage ad lists TWA’s “full meal” to be served in-flight: soup, meat, salad, vegetables and dessert. Real glassware and roast beef were typical sights.

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Manufacturing Concorde, the World's First Supersonic Passenger Jet

Concorde remains one of the most iconic and most beautiful aircraft ever to take to the skies and as a result many aspects of its development and its operational career have been covered frequently both in books and magazine articles.

In the late 1950s, the United Kingdom and France were considering developing a supersonic transport. The British Bristol Aeroplane Company and the French Sud Aviation were both working on designs; the British one was called the Type 223, and the French one the Super-Caravelle. Both were largely funded by their respective governments The British design was for a thin-winged delta shape transatlantic-ranged aircraft for about 100 people which owed much to the work of Dietrich Kuchemann. While the French were intending to build a medium-range aircraft

Manufacturing Concorde at BAC’s works at Filton, Bristol, 1967.

The designs were both ready to start prototype construction in the early 1960s, but the cost was so great that the British government made it a requirement that BAC look for international co-operation. Approaches were made to a number of countries, but only France showed real interest, mainly because the British were the only nation that had the possible engine, the Olympus 593. It would of taken the French years and cost millions to to develop a engine of their own. The development project was negotiated as an international treaty between the two countries rather than a commercial agreement between companies and included a clause, originally asked for by the UK, imposing heavy penalties for cancellation. A draft treaty was signed on 28 November 1962. By this time, both companies had been merged into new ones; thus, the Concorde project was between the British Aircraft Corporation and Aerospatiale.

The director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, or RAE, asked Morien Morgan, who would later be known as “the Father of Concorde”, to form a committee to study the supersonic transport concept. The program initially cost around $90 million, but it would soon encounter huge overruns and delays, causing it to eventually cost over $1.6 billion. This extreme cost became the main factor in the production run being much smaller than anticipated.

Twenty Concordes were built and operated from January 21, 1976 to October 24, 2003. It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04, or 1,354 mph at cruise altitude, cutting international flight times in half. It was celebrated around the world and had so much to offer, but now it’s gone...

A Concorde model at the Farnborough Air Show Exhibition in England, Sept. 9, 1962.

A wooden mockup of the Concorde nose and cockpit under construction at Filton factory in Bristol, October 1963.

A wooden mock up of Concorde at Filton in Bristol, Oct. 24, 1963.

Designers and passenger stand-ins in the cabin of the Concorde, April 1964.

A model lineup of the various designs suggested for the shape of the Concorde, with the eventual design at the far end of the row. May 28, 1964.

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Hughes H-4 Hercules, The World’s Largest Flying Boat That Flew for Only 26 Seconds

In 1942, the U.S. War Department needed to transport war materiel and personnel to Britain. Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean was suffering heavy losses to German U-boats, so a requirement was issued for an aircraft that could cross the Atlantic with a large payload. Wartime priorities meant the aircraft could not be made of strategic materials (e.g., aluminum).

The aircraft was the brainchild of Henry J. Kaiser, a leading Liberty ship builder and manufacturer. Kaiser teamed with aircraft designer Howard Hughes to create what would become the largest aircraft ever built at that time. The aircraft was designed to carry 150,000 pounds (68,000 kg), 750 fully equipped troops or two 30-ton M4 Sherman tanks. The original designation “HK-1” reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration.

The HK-1 aircraft contract was issued in 1942 as a development contract and called for three aircraft to be constructed in two years for the war effort. Seven configurations were considered, including twin-hull and single-hull designs with combinations of four, six, and eight wing-mounted engines. The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport then built. It would be built mostly of wood to conserve metal (its elevators and rudder were fabric-covered), and was nicknamed the Spruce Goose (a name Hughes disliked) or the Flying Lumberyard.

While Kaiser had originated the “flying cargo ship” concept, he did not have an aeronautical background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn Odekirk. Development dragged on, which frustrated Kaiser, who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminum, and partly on Hughes’ insistence on “perfection.” Construction of the first HK-1 took place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract. Kaiser then withdrew from the project.

Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation H-4 Hercules, signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded slowly, and the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over. The plane was built by the Hughes Aircraft Company at Hughes Airport, location of present-day Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California, employing the plywood-and-resin “Duramold” process – a form of composite technology – for the laminated wood construction, which was considered a technological tour de force. The specialized wood veneer was made by Roddis Manufacturing in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Hamilton Roddis had teams of young women ironing the (unusually thin) strong birch wood veneer before shipping to California.

A house moving company transported the airplane on streets to Pier E in Long Beach, California. They moved it in three large sections: the fuselage, each wing—and a fourth, smaller shipment with tail assembly parts and other smaller assemblies. After Hughes Aircraft completed final assembly, they erected a hangar around the flying boat, with a ramp to launch the H-4 into the harbor.

Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee in 1947 over the use of government funds for the aircraft. During a Senate hearing on August 6, 1947 (the first of a series of appearances), Hughes said:

“The Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That's more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I have my reputation all rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it's a failure, I’ll probably leave this country and never come back. And I mean it.”

In all, development cost for the plane reached $23 million (equivalent to more than $283 million in 2016.)

Hughes returned to California during a break in the Senate hearings to run taxi tests on the H-4. On November 2, 1947, the taxi tests began with Hughes at the controls. His crew included Dave Grant as copilot, two flight engineers, Don Smith and Joe Petrali, 16 mechanics, and two other flight crew. The H-4 also carried seven invited guests from the press corps and an additional seven industry representatives. Thirty-six were on board.

Four reporters left to file stories after the first two taxi runs while the remaining press stayed for the final test run of the day. After picking up speed on the channel facing Cabrillo Beach the Hercules lifted off, remaining airborne for 26 seconds at 70 ft (21 m) off the water at a speed of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) for about one mile (1.6 km). At this altitude the aircraft still experienced ground effect. Nevertheless, the brief flight proved to detractors that Hughes’ (now unneeded) masterpiece was flight-worthy—thus vindicating the use of government funds. The Spruce Goose, however, never flew again. Its lifting capacity and ceiling were never tested. A full-time crew of 300 workers, all sworn to secrecy, maintained the aircraft in flying condition in a climate-controlled hangar. The company reduced the crew to 50 workers in 1962 and then disbanded it after Hughes’ death in 1976.

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Before Merging With Air New Zealand: 26 Fabulous Photos Show the NAC Air Hostess Uniforms From the 1950s and 1970s

Founded 1947, New Zealand National Airways Corporation, popularly known as NAC, was the national domestic airline of New Zealand from 1947 until 1978 when it amalgamated with New Zealand's international airline, Air New Zealand. The airline was headquartered in Wellington.

National Airways Corporation (NAC) air hostesses between 1959 and 1975 showing off their uniforms

By the time of the merger with Air New Zealand, the fleet consisted of 25 aircraft comprising Boeing 737s and Fokker F27s. Engineering workshops were set up at Christchurch, Whenuapai (Auckland), Palmerston North, Gisborne and Nelson.

Before merging with Air New Zealand, these fabulous photos from Archives New Zealand of National Airways Corporation (NAC) air hostesses between 1959 and 1975 showing off their uniforms.

Air Hostess Uniform 1959 Summer and Winter

Air Hostess Uniform 1959 Summer

Air Hostess Uniform 1959 Summer

Air Hostess Uniform 1959 Summer

Air Hostess Uniform 1959 Summer

Air Hostess Uniform 1959 Summer

Air Hostess Uniform 1959 Summer

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The Golden Age of Flying: A Look Back on Air Travel in the 1950s and '60s

The 1950 and 1960s have become known as the "Golden Age" of flying. It was a time of glamorous air hostesses and gourmet meals, and of great leg room for all.

While it might have become known as the Golden Age of flying, taking to the air in the 1950s and 1960s had its downsides. For a start it was much more dangerous, and far more expensive. Then there was the smoke from all those cigars, cigarettes and pipes. And, once you’d looked out of the window there was not a lot to do but twiddle your thumbs. But there were upsides to flying back then too – like ever-flowing drinks and a party atmosphere.

These old photos will give you a glimpse into the air travel during this era.

PanAm Boeing 747

A view from the control tower of the Greater Cincinnati Airport

American Airlines

Boeing 707 and 720

Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Columbia, SC

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Concorde Over Hatton Cross Tube, London, 1976

Until the extension to the Heathrow terminal was opened in 1976, this station was the closest Underground stop to the airport.

(Photo by John Wender/ Transport for London)

Hostesses in Hotpants and Boots: Pictures of Sexy Pacific Southwest Airline Flight Attendants in the Early 1970s

Sexy stewardesses were exploited by airlines to sell more tickets. It’s Southwest that takes the commercial cake from the groovy 1970s. Playing by the old adage, “sex sells,” the airline produced one of the period’s most iconic marketing moments. Amenities and then cutting-edge cabin features were ignored completely in favor of the airline’s one true talking point of the era: hotpants.

The stewardess field was competitive, with very few openings. Most airlines wanted applicants to have some college education, and interviewers screened out women who didn’t fit the corporate standards of beauty. There were compulsory finishing schools where the basic requirements of passenger safety and comfort were taught alongside classes on posture, cosmetics, and physical fitness.

Once on the job, stewardesses suffered pre-flight weigh-ins and could be forced to wear girdles or other form-contorting underwear. There were on-brand makeup schemes and fines for smoking while in uniform. And no matter how perfectly coiffed and catwalk ready a stewardess was, no matter how professional and dedicated to her job, she could not be married. A stewardess could not be pregnant. A stewardess could not grow older than her early thirties.

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20 Vintage Photos From Between the 1940s and 1970s Show How Glamorous Flying Used to Be!

Although flying today is cheaper, safer, and faster than it's ever been, it's becoming an increasingly unpleasant experience as airlines cram more passengers into planes, causing overcrowding and delays.

It's enough to make travelers wish for the golden age of aviation.

Here are some vintage photos from 1946 to 1970, sourced from Iberia, KLM, Delta, British Airways and Air France, that show just how glamorous flying used to be.

We're grateful that smoking is no longer permitted on planes, but we can't deny this guy's got style. We're grateful that smoking is no longer permitted on planes, but we can't deny this guy's got style. (Courtesy of KLM)

With today's lie-flat beds in first and business class, not all that much has changed since 1949 on a KLM flight. With today's lie-flat beds in first and business class, not all that much has changed since 1949 on a KLM flight. (Courtesy of KLM)

Seats on Delta have definitely shrunk since 1959. Seats on Delta have definitely shrunk since 1959. (Courtesy of the Delta Flight Museum)

We'd love to see bunk beds (on KLM) make a comeback. We'd love to see bunk beds (on KLM) make a comeback. (Courtesy of KLM)

Flight attendants used to really dote on passengers. Flight attendants used to really dote on passengers. (Courtesy of Iberia)

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Before Accomplished Landing the First Humans on the Moon in 1969, Here Are Historical Photos of Apollo 7 Mission (1968)

Apollo 7 was an October 1968 human spaceflight mission carried out by the United States. It was the first mission in the United States' Apollo program to carry a crew into space. It was also the first U.S. spaceflight to carry astronauts since the flight of Gemini XII in November 1966.

The AS-204 mission, also known as "Apollo 1", was intended to be the first manned flight of the Apollo program. It was scheduled to launch in February 1967, but a fire in the cabin during a January 1967 test killed the crew. Manned flights were then suspended for 21 months, while the cause of the accident was investigated and improvements made to the spacecraft and safety procedures, and unmanned test flights of the Saturn V rocket and Apollo Lunar Module were made.

Apollo 7 fulfilled Apollo 1's mission of testing the Apollo Command/Service Module (CSM) in low Earth orbit.

The Apollo 7 crew was commanded by Walter M. Schirra, with senior pilot / navigator Donn F. Eisele, and pilot / systems engineer R. Walter Cunningham. Their mission was Apollo's 'C' mission, an 11-day Earth-orbital test flight to check out the redesigned Block II CSM with a crew on board. It was the first time a Saturn IB vehicle put a crew into space; Apollo 7 was the first three-person American space mission, and the first to include a live TV broadcast from an American spacecraft. It was launched on October 11, 1968, from what was then known as Cape Kennedy Air Force Station, Florida.

Despite tension between the crew and ground controllers, the mission was a complete technical success, giving NASA the confidence to send Apollo 8 into orbit around the Moon two months later. The flight would prove to be the final space flight for all of its three crew members—and the only one for both Cunningham and Eisele—when it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on October 22, 1968. It was also the only manned launch from Launch Complex 34, as well as the last launch from the complex.

Here below is a Hasselblad image collection from Project Apollo Archive that shows the mission of Apollo 7 - Earth Orbit in October 1968.

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