Even Grandma Can Go Flying

The early 1950s represented a watershed moment for commercial air travel. Although statistics showed that by 1953, only three-percent of the U.S. population had ever flown in an airplane, non-stop air travel across the country became a reality that year, shaving two hours off the previous 12-hour coast-to-coast flight.

With trains and buses having been the preferred and more affordable modes of domestic transportation for decades, airline advertising agencies had their work cut out for them. Promoting the advantages of traveling by air was a challenge back in those days, and although the word “demographics” hadn’t come into being yet, certain target audiences were identified nonetheless. One obvious group was young children, always shown in airline ads seated wide-eyed at the window with a tray of milk and cookies nearby.

Other groups included businessmen, newlyweds, vacation travelers, and yes, mature citizens referred to back then as “the elderly” and known today as “seniors.” I’m not sure if there was a perception of the rigors of pulling Gs like in a jet fighter, or perhaps hypoxia for elderly passengers even in a pressurized cabin at 25,000 ft. But for whatever reason, the notion of Grandpa or Grandma flying in an airliner was indeed a novel one, whether it was a long-range Lockheed 749 or regional twin-engine Martin 404.

Enter the creative brain trust of TWA’s advertising agency. Their objective was to dispel the concept of having to actually go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house. Now she could ride the airport limo to LaGuardia, Midway, or Sky Harbor, board a luxurious Trans World Airlines Connie and be whisked to her destination at a cool 300 miles-per-hour. Flying in supreme comfort, she wouldn’t even muss her hair. (Note the hands of her family waving as she deplanes, with Mom and little Sis wearing gloves, no less.)

TWA boasted the worlds’ largest fleet of Constellations, flying every model of the graceful triple-tail skyliner. From first deliveries of the 44-passenger, 82,000-lb. Model 049 in 1946 to the pinnacle of the series, the 160,000-lb. 88-seat intercontinental 1649 in 1957, TWA Connies carried more than 50 million passengers during nearly 22 years of continuous service. Many Grandmothers and Grandfathers were reunited with loved ones all around the world during that time period as air travel became more mainstream.

This brings to mind the story of little Johnny, a future airliner enthusiast whose Grandmother came to visit. He was so excited about her flying in a Constellation, and as she hugged him after arriving from the airport, he asked with glee, “So Grandma, what airline did you fly on?” “How would I know, dear?” said the matronly woman. Little Johnny replied, “The airline’s name is written on top of the wing. You can see it looking out the window!”

“Oh yes, I did see the name written on the wing,” replied Grandma with a look of satisfaction. “I flew on NO STEP.”