Busy Day at LAX in 1959

[tgibson 11]

Hi all,Someone asked what I was doing with AITraffic, TTools, etc. Here is a shot of my FS LAX in 1959 at 5pm. While it was certainly not the mega-complex it is today, it could still get pretty busy!http://members.aol.com/tomgrr/la59.jpgI used AFCAD to alter the taxiways and runways AI traffic use to fit my 1959 LAX scenery, and opened up both runways (25L/R) for takeoffs and landings. The SAS DC-7C in the foreground will be departing for Winnepeg (on the polar route to Copenhagen) at 11:55 pm tonight, while you can see lots of American and Western aircraft at the nearest two terminals (there is an American DC-7 and DC-6B out of the shot to the right too). The American DC-7 to the right will be heading for Chicago, and the Western DC-6B taxiing out will be one of many headed for San Francisco during the day. The Continental Viscount will be departing for Chicago at 9:10 pm. Down at the next two terminals you can see a Pacific 404 and United DC-6B's. The TWA L-749 on the left will be heading up the valley to San Francisco via Fresno in a couple of minutes, while the L-1649A to the right will be leaving for New York Idlewild later tonight. You can also see the ubiquitous Bonanza F-27's, shuttling in and out from Las Vegas and other SoCal cities. Also, in the distance you can see aircraft taxiing out to the runways, including 2 more United DC-6B's and another Pacific 404. The ground frequency is nonstop, with lots of radio chatter from all the departing planes (I redid the AI GVP file to include voices for airlines like Western, Pacific, Bonanza, West Coast, etc.). The controllers can barely keep up with all the requests. All you hear are male voices, though - no females in 1959 (unfortunately!). BTW, my AI propliners are available at http://simufly.comHope you enjoyed the look back! -- Tom GibsonCalifornia Classic Propliners: http://members.aol.com/tgfltsim/index.htmlAlcoHauler Locomotive Page: http://members.aol.com/alcohauler/home/alcohaul.htmlFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.com/ San Diego Model RR Museum: http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/Drop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Guest]

Tom,What a splendidly evocative post and screenshot. Do you have any BOAC visitors ? I would have been 8 at the time, and never dreamed I would visit Los Angeles, never mind by air....it seemed about as likely as visiting Mars. Only the wealthy could travel by air then, of course - praise be to Boeing and Mr Branson for making it a reality for one older but still hopelessly enchanted dreamer. It must have been an even greater adventure in those days.....

[Guest Martin]

...and when FS is totally perfect (whenever that's gonna be ;-)), when you change the year everything will be correct: in 1959 LAX will see propliners, and males only. Ten years later you will see jets if you go there, and so on.MartinIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing

[tgibson 11]

Thanks for the kind words!BOAC didn't fly into LA at that time, but they did fly into San Francisco. I also have a 1959 SFO, and a BOAC DC-7C makes it's appearance once a day, from New York.Take care,-- Tom GibsonCalifornia Classic Propliners: http://members.aol.com/tgfltsim/index.htmlAlcoHauler Locomotive Page: http://members.aol.com/alcohauler/home/alcohaul.htmlFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.com/ San Diego Model RR Museum: http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/Drop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Guest]

What a GORGEOUS memory jogger!!! Well done!Makes me want to duplicate Atlanta back in the early to mid 50's. Yeah, even then, I was a bit older than 8 years old! :)Back then, the KATL terminal building wasn't much more than a trailer (yeah, a mobile home type building) not even half the size of an average barn. Couldn't have been more than 1 fairly short runway back then. And 4-6 aircraft waiting on the tarmack at any one time was a really busy day!If you were seeing off your relatives, you actually got to walk them up the rollaway stairs into one of the old Eastern Airlines Lockheed "Connies" and see them to their seat before having to get back off and wave goodbye to them! :)Oh for the good ole days! :)

[Guest]

Martin, What a really intriguing idea - then, with a little tweaking from the FS gurus, you could re-enact the two 'Twilite Zone' time travel episodes where the (I think DC7) crew goes back to prehistoric New York due to an incredibly fast jetstream, and where the WW1 pilot appears in his Nieuport at a 1960's AFB after hiding in a cloud from a dogfight. (Don't let my wife see any of this stuff! );-)

[tgibson 11]

Yeah, Bill, it was definitely a different era! LAX in 1959 actually had little pedestrian subways between the terminal buildings (off to the left) and the long low gate buildings you see in the image. And it was Passengers Only Beyond This Point, surprisingly. This was because the main road for airport vehicles ran between the terminals and the gates. Guess LA was a "big city" even in those days... However, the observation platform above the restaurant gave a great view (it was opposite the gates where the Western DC-6B is taxiing out).However, I spent most of my youth in Sacramento, where you were right up close to the planes, behind a waist high chain link fence. A plane lovers delight! And the terminal at SFO when I managed to get there also had a great observation platform, right next to the United, TWA, and Pan American planes. Wow!Take care,-- Tom GibsonCalifornia Classic Propliners: http://members.aol.com/tgfltsim/index.htmlAlcoHauler Locomotive Page: http://members.aol.com/alcohauler/home/alcohaul.htmlFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.com/ San Diego Model RR Museum: http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/Drop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Guest]

Ah yes, the observation platform! :)What I was describing before was early to mid 50's. By the late 50's, we too were not able to actually go out to the planes without a ticket.But we had a platform up on top of the main terminal building from which we could see the entire airport. NEAT! :)And we had little nickle-buys-5-minutes speakers from which we could hear live ATC to pilot radio transimissions too! Boy does that bring back memories.Today there are only a couple of places you can even get close enough to a runway to see the planes and those are VERY WELL HIDDEN! They are both well off the airport property and not easy to find unless you are a real "junky" like me! :)Heck, it wasn't very long ago that you could still go out to the concourses and get to see them nose-to-nose (through the glass) at a gate. But with all the paranoia in recent years--not to mention 9/11--I'm afraid those days are long gone!Oh well, all this reminiscing is getting me down. Better quit! :)But thanks again, Tom, for the nice journey!