I normally post old photos of L.A. and Hollywood but thought I’d do this one because (a) it’s of the era, and (b) it’s such a marked difference to the way we fly now. This is a shot from the mid 1930s of the main cabin of a Pan Am Clipper, the sort of aircraft that was flown on the long haul flights, like from Los Angeles to Manila. Compared to the sardine cans we’re used to now, this looks positively luxurious…until you realize that a flight to Manila took about 60 hours, there were no pressurized cabins, and the noise and vibration was probably pretty terrible. Plus to you had to endure it all in a collar and tie. All in all, I think I’d rather take a boat and cruise the Pacific for 10 days.