Saturday, July 23, 2011

Anything Goes Saturday - View From An Airplane

I've been on my fair share of airplanes, but I still love to peer out the window, particularly when the aircraft is at relatively lower altitudes. I'm just fascinated by the geometric patterns of farmlands, the miles of highways (with teeny tiny cars visible), and cities/towns down below. The cool kids just want to read their John Grisham novels and "People" magazines. How I pity and despise them!

This all has a point, believe it or not. I found today's photos in a group of slides; both were taken from the window of a passenger jet in July of 1964, and I got a kick out of them. The jet took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City, and our photographer snapped a picture looking southwest. You can see the huge green rectangle that is Central Park (you can even see the reservoir in the middle); to the left is the Empire State Building. In the middle of the East River is narrow Roosevelt Island, and closer to us is the Triborough Bridge (now the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge). Not to mention a thousand other details!


As the jet flew a bit further, we see something BIG going on down below. Why, it's the 1964 New York World's Fair! How cool is that?


Here's a closer view of the fair, with a few labels on some notable landmarks to help you get your bearings. Get out your parachutes and go to the fair.


The moral of the story is: Be sure to look out your airplane window, you might see the 1964 World's Fair.

11 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

These photos are way cool, Major! Thanks for labeling the close-up of the fairgrounds for us.

I rarely have my camera out during a flight, but I remember flying over WDW once in the early morning and seeing school buses that were still sitting in the parking lot (the park had closed early the night before for a Grad Nite party). Also, on a flight from L.A. to Seattle, we flew over the Queen Mary in Long Beach and then over Garden Grove where I could make out Disneyland in the distance (even though we weren't flying directly over it). I should've had my camera out both of those times!

Connie Moreno said...

This is GREAT! Even though I am afraid of heights, I always get a window seat when I fly. Go figure! And, I always have my camera out. I think you are not supposed to shoot in the cabin now but I do it anyway, LOL. No flash, natural light setting.

The Viewliner Limited said...

These pics are great. They remind me of an old Twilight Zone episode called "The Odyssey of Flight 33".

Here is the wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_of_Flight_33

But this time its the 1939 NY Worlds Fair. One of my favorite episodes.

Major Pepperidge said...

TM!, I have to admit that I never have my camera out. Of course the best thing of all is to fly over landmarks that you recognize, whether they are famous or not.

Connie, I like window seats because of the view, and because I can lean against the side of the plane if I decide to snooze!

Viewliner, you don't have to tell ME about "The Odyssey of Flight 33"! ;-) I almost mentioned it in this post. I still remember the few seconds of stop-motion animated brontosaurus thrilling me when I was a kid.

Jason Schultz said...

It wouldn't surprise you to learn that I have taken several thousand photos out of airplane windows--and have most of them labeled with where exactly they were taken. But I have never seen the 1964 New York World's Fair outside the window. :(

Major Pepperidge said...

Progressland, I am NOT surprised!! But keep looking, you might still get to see the fair one day.

TokyoMagic! said...

Oh yeah, Connie...I forgot about that. They don't want any electronic devices out during and for some time after take-off, or just before and during landing. There is a chance that it can interfere with the pilots ability to communicate with the tower.

210Frwy said...

The reference to the 39 fair made me think about time. If you were born at the right time you could have gone to the 39 World’s Fair, the opening of Disneyland (55) and the 1964 World’s Fair.

210Frwy said...

By the way thanks for going the extra mile and doing all the labels! It made viewing the pictures extra enjoyable.

outsidetheberm said...

Oh man, David! Do you realize how close you came to having a great aerial shot of Freedomland? In the first shot, we've almost flown right over it!

Love the World's Fair, though. Thanks.

Major Pepperidge said...

210 Frwy, you're welcome for the labels! And yes, you could have also gone to Woodstock! ;-)

Outsidetheberm, I didn't even think of that. Now I'll look at the bottom of the photo as if I can somehow move the edge down to see the distinctive outline of Freedomland!