Saturday, August 27, 2011

Anything Goes Saturday - Airport

I have a fondness for vintage photos of airports and airplanes... they harken back to an era when travel by air was still a special experience. Men and women dressed up for the occasion, and the promise of getting to your destination in just 6 or 7 hours was almost unbelievable. Lucky kids got metal "Junior Pilot's Wings" or "Junior Stewardess Wings" with an actual sharp pin on the back. I also remember trips to various airports when I was a tadpole; even then I found the experience fascinating (instead of tedious).

This "Anything Goes" entry is unmarked and undated, but it is almost certainly from the early 1950's. As for the location of the airport, I haven't a clue. The presence of those Italian cypresses on the hills in the distance makes me think this could be California, but... who knows. The fact that it is apparently on top of a hill might help one of you readers to identify it. I love the stubby little propeller-driven airplanes! No giant jumbo jets here. And the old cars in the parking area are cool too!


I showed this photo to a friend, and he said, "It looks like Northern California to me." Pause. "It could be Texas...." - pause again - "... it could be anywhere!".

18 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

I wonder where the photographer was when they took this pic? In the control tower? In another airplane that was landing or taking off, perhaps?

Chiana_Chat said...

Guessing control tower or observation platform? Looks really clear to be through a plane's window.

PsySocDisney said...

Well, not anywhere... it sure ain't my hometown Tucson, AZ... that strange green color on the ground is a dead giveaway. It does give off that North Cali vibe though so I'll go with that.

Connie Moreno said...

Unlike you, I am not into old planes or airports BUT...I couldn't stop looking at this photo! What is that red vehicle in the center? Looks like it's a fire department vehicle. Were they on a drill? Was there an emergency we can't see? Is TWA still in business? LOL. Great photo, Major!

Graffer said...

The red truck is an old aviation fuel truck.

Anonymous said...

I vote for somewhere in Europe, like Frankfurt or Geneva.

Chuck said...

I think the photographer set the camera's timer, jumped really, really high, and threw it as high as he could. I wonder how many exposures (and cameras) he went through to get this shot?

Vaughn said...

I remember my mother taking us down to SeaTac to watch the planes take off and land. You could get close to the action then, like in the photo. Very exciting and you were not suspected of ulterior motives. We would even have lunch there overlooking the runways.

Very cool pic.

Orange Co Native said...

The photograph I would say was taken in the United States. Not any European country. The cars and the trucks are definitely American style. European cars in the 1940's -1970's had their own distinctive style and look. Those cars are the big Detroit gas eaters.

Phoenix and Tucson Arizona can definitely be crossed off as possibilities. Too green. Especially back then. There were few attempts to green up the areas in comparison to today. The sky looks like it has a marine layer to it. It possibly could be California. It could be Oregon as well.

It is difficult without more to go on.

Major Pepperidge said...

TM!, it seems hard for me to believe that the photographer was in the control tower - but I don't really know where he/she was standing. Maybe there was an observation platform or deck, as Chiana suggests.

Hannahx2, I think we can rule out the desert, in general!

Connie, Graffer beat me to it, but that is a fuel truck.

Anon, that is not a bad guess, but I think I agree with OC Native's comment.

Chuck, it is probably more likely that the photographer was wearing those old "Moon Shoes" (boards with springs on the bottom, that you strapped to your feet)!

Vaughn, that sounds like a trip I would have enjoyed.

OC Native, you can't see the signs in this small jpeg, but they are all in English, which would also rule out Europe.

Anonymous said...

To bad you cant see any of the licence plates, that would tell you the state.
If you look at the red tail on the plane in the background, it indicates that is an forest service air tanker.
From the limited view I would guess it is from northern cali, maybe around Chico or Oroville.

Chuck said...

Is there an obvious regional accent to the signs?

Nancy said...

very cool to walk on the tarmac and up the stairs to board a plane...simple pleasures mostly gone nowadays. i think i have been at 2 airports where this was done b/c they were smaller.

esp love the view of the city below there to the right...beautiful place!!

Roger Colton said...

I doubt this is Northern California. Look at the logo's on the white structure in the foreground. Those look like Canada Dry beverages to me. My vote goes to somewhere in the midwest. Cincinnati anyone?

Major Pepperidge said...

Roger, do they have Italian Cypresses in Cincinnati?

JG said...

I used to get Canada Dry drinks at the Selma airport in CA in 1967, the year my Dad soloed for his flight license.

I don't care where it is, it's a cool pic.

Thanks Major.

JG

Unknown said...

AGC Allegheny County Airport southeast of Pittsburgh, Pa

Major Pepperidge said...

Don Barnes, thank you!