5 minute read
Friends of the World
On Pan Am and the myth of flying
Text: ELIZABETH STURSBERG | Illustration: ATELIER MAVE
THE BEGINNINGS OFTHE ICONIC AIRLINE
PAN AM was founded in 1927, initially for mail transport. But it didn’t take long before passengers were also on board and increasingly longer routes were commissioned. The network soon included the CARIBBEAN and LATIN AMERICA, and eventually Pan Am was one of the first airlines to fly intercontinental routes. During the SECOND WORLD WAR, the company provided the Allies with training capacities and infrastructure for radio communications and personnel, thus ensuring its continued existence during a turbulent time for civil aviation. The golden age of air traffic began after the end of the war, when the volume of commercial air traffic rose rapidly. PAN AM benefited particularly from a newly emerging international network of flight routes. In addition, the 1950S also brought decisive technical progress. Once again,the company was at the forefront. So many new jets were ordered from BOEING and DOUGLAS in 1955 that their production reached maximum capacity, again giving PAN AM a clear advantage over its competitors.
A LEGEND IN THE JET AGE
Today's myth about Pan Am is rooted in the Jet Age era. In 1958, the airline introduced the logo with a globe on a blue background, which itself became an icon.
PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS (the name had only been extended to include »WORLD« in 1950) developed into a synonyme of the AMERICAN DREAM and became a symbol of the cultural and otherwise dominant world power. An important factor in the emergence of the myth was precisely this cosmopolitan radiance, which was only partly related to its exotic goals. That flying only commercialised gradually and remained exclusive to the wealthy class also played a role. While a long-haul flight in the mid-1930S would have cost as much as a car, prices began to
fall. Nevertheless, air travel was by no means affordable for everyone, as it is today – nor should it be. The aura of exclusivity was an essential part of the corporate culture. A scene from the series PAN AM illustrates this. When asked: »ARE YOU A FRIEND TO THE AMBASSADOR?«, stewardess Kate confidently answers: »I'M APAN AM STEWARDESS. WE'RE FRIENDS OF THE WORLD.«
The film CATCH ME IF YOU CAN illustrates how the radiance of the PAN AM brand and the reputation of its pilots mutually reinforced each other. The moment FRANK ABAGNALE acquires the uniform and mannerisms of a PAN AM pilot, the behaviour of his fellow human beings changes visibly: passers-by turn to him on the street, a small boy addresses him admiringly, and the uniform seems to have a particularly strong allure to women. As long as he pretends to be a PAN AM pilot, Frank magnetically lives a luxurious life.
Of course, the stewardesses also contributed significantly
to the myth. PAN AM employed only the most beautiful. Candidates were selected according to the strictest criteria and had to follow a detailed code of conduct. In return, they enjoyed admiration from all parties. The series
PAN AM, which portrays the enchanting stewardesses (played by CHRISTINA RICCI and MARGOT ROBBIE, among others), also provides a telling example in this regard. In one scene, the crew's chief officer, TED VANDERWAY, and his friend and captain DEAN LOWRY watch »their« stewardess as Ted insistently states, »SEE THATTABLE OVER THERE? THATIS NATURAL SELECTION ATWORK, MY FRIEND.« (Certainly
not an unproblematic attitude, but the statement sums up the opinion of many people at that time).
THE GLOBAL ERA & PAN AM'S FALL FROM GRACE
Newly developed jets not only made it possible to carry more passengers on one flight from the second half of the 1960S, but models such as the BOEING747 JUMBO JET also made a significant contribution to reducing costs and making long-haul flying more profitable, which increasingly attracted competition. Further challenges for PAN AM arose from fluctuating oil prices, the effects of economic deregulation in the United States, and not laeast the wishes and requirements of a rapidly growing but changing clientele. A terrorist attack in 1988 led to the crash of a PAN AM jet over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, which led to a loss of confidence in the company. In 1991 PAN AM was finally taken over by DELTA AIRLINES and disappeared in its original form. The world had changed and it seems from today's perspective that PAN AM – as formative as the company had been for decades – was and remains a relic of the same old world.
THE PILOT PROFESSION TODAY
The mythical status of the pilot has cracked – even before details of the working conditions at RYANAIR became known. Nevertheless, the admiration, or at least fascination and interest, of pilots is still strong. After all, initiation procedures and training continue to be extremely selective and demanding, working conditions are enviable compared to many other jobs, and, last but not least, a pilot's job is still among the best of all.
For even more (contemporary) inspiration, it's worth taking a look at these very successful Instagram accounts of pilots who document their lives and work:
@pilotmaria
@flymalin
@flywitheva
