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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1981.PDF
6 FLIGHT International, 2 July 1964 AIR COMMERCE... TWA from Washington ALTHOUGH London and Washington are the main centres ofwestern civil aviation, and indeed of the western world, there has never been a nonstop air service between the two capitals. None, at least, until June 16 when TWA Boeing 707 Flight 704 left Washington Dulles airport for London Heathrow. Flight Inter- national was among the guests on board. At the moment this daily Boeing 707-331 (or -33IB) service is non-stop eastbound Washington - London only. Westbound, like the services of BOAC and Pan American Boeing intercontinentals, there is a call at New York. The reason for this is twofold. First, more Washingtonians—American and British-resident—want to fly to London from Washington than vice versa; secondly, crew- slipping requirements are more economically met by breaking the westbound flight, which goes on to California, at New York than at Washington. According to a TWA official the new service is encouragingly well booked for more than two months ahead, although paying load factors on the early inaugural flights appeared to be rather low. No doubt BOAC and Pan American, both of whom are endorsing Washington - London tickets to TWA, are watching the competitive situation very closely. This Royal Ambassador service, certainly in the first-class cabin in which we were travelling, is sumptuous. In addition to the 707's decor of rose-red ceiling, turquoise chairs and grey and gold trimming—one of the most stylish we have sat and looked at in many a big jet—and in addition to surpassingly elegant and nutritious prandial arrangements (the nosh is good), two special come-ons are offered. The first is the Inflight Strato-Cinema, of which this was our first experience. It is, we have good reason to believe, giving TWA's competitors something to think about because it is apparently proving very popular with passengers. It Was most relaxing to stretch out after dinner on our particular flight and watch The Best Man, a film about US presidential elections. The screen, it says here, is lenticular in construction with over 100 microscopic lenses to the square inch. This means that even if you are sitting far forward and in a window seat you can still get a good picture. We found the earpieces, with their individual foam rubber pads ("discarded after every use") quite unobtrusive for the first hour, though they began to get a little uncomfortable during the last half hour. Each seat has an individual plug and volume control and there is a millisecond time lag between the earpieces (it says here again) "to create a surround sense of stereophony." We enjoyed the film and thought that Henry Fonda would make quite a good President. The film itself does not seem to distract passengers who wish to sleep, as we did on the second crossing, nor with those who wish to read. The only persons who appeared to be in any way discom- posed were the stewardesses; if anyone wonders why a TWA stewardess is permanently bent double he should appreciate the Above, few aircraft get nearer than this to the Washington Dulles airport terminal—the link between terminal and aircraft is by mobile lounge. Below, snapshot as luncheon is served in the economy class cabin "Flight Internationa!" photographs occupational problems of trying to walk up and down the aisle during an Inflight Strato-Cinema show. The other TWA come-on, which we had not experienced before, is the presentation to each passenger of an instant photograph of himself. It is a portrait which, if taken at the end of a TWA Washington - London flight, will be of a subject looking well pleased with life. TWA have just ordered six more Boeing 707-33IBs to bring their fleet of Intercontinental "Dynafan" jets to twelve .TW/S
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