In summer 1954, I was 10 going on 11; the “going on” part is important when you’re 10. My father was in New York for some reason or another, and my mother and I were to join him there for a month. It was the first great travel adventure of my life. Born and living in Los Angeles, I had never been outside California, and now I was to go 3,000 miles away, to another city in another state. Maybe I would see Niagara Falls.
First Flight as a Child
Key Takeaways:
- The author vividly recalls his first cross-country airplane trip as a 10-year-old in 1954, traveling with his mother on a Douglas DC-7 from Los Angeles to New York.
- The journey highlights the early days of transcontinental air travel, characterized by the marvel of technology, the need for formal attire, and the palpable anxiety experienced by some passengers, including his mother.
- The narrative contrasts the author's childhood wonder and fascination with the powerful aircraft with his mother's fear, and later, the distinct experience of seeing America from the air versus on a road trip.
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