Flying high: Remembering Pan Am

It was an aviation pioneer, and became a symbol of America during the Golden Age of air travel. But while Pan Am no longer flies the friendly skies, many of the women who proudly wore the Pan Am uniform talked with Conor Knighton about the glory days - when flying was glamorous, complete with gourmet food on board.

[kenfrank]

I worked for Pan Am at LAX, as an avionics tech. My job was interesting but not glamorous, working through the night maintaining 747s. I recall when flight 103 was bombed. Our crew worked on that 747 two nights before it was lost. It was sad and upsetting to think about the loss of the flight crew and passengers. The FBI sent two agents to LAX to interview each of us individually. I also remember when Pan Am shut down. I was on vacation at the time, and I found out about it on tv news. A couple of days later I arrived at LAX, terminal 2 to pick up my tools. The place looked like a ghost-town. But mostly I have great memories of my co-workers and of Pan Am. One of the best jobs I ever had.

[BesttBi]

The Pan Am ladies are a wonderful group of cool history! Wonderful to see them still rocking those beautiful uniforms for the occasions!

[SleepyArcticBirds-ftlb]

Those really were the days…. I flew for eastern airline as a flight attendant and remember the many times standing alongside Pan Am flight attendants going through Miami customs. I loved their uniforms and that matching hat. Within a couple of years TWA, PAn AM & EASTERN all closed😢I wonder how many of us still look at these YouTube videos and reminisce❤

[gabrielhalston]

I'm a retiree (flight attendant) of old Continental Airlines from the 1960's and '70's. I was based in Los Angeles, our HQ back then. On my days off, I usually chose Pan American for my non-rev travel to Asia and Europe for vacation. Pan Am's service was superb and I was treated royally, as airlines would try to do with employees of other air carriers. We may have worked for different airlines, but we were all one big family. I loved and miss Pan American World Airways!

[wonderglory]

I believe it's such a shame the historic Pan Am Worldport at JFK International Airport was demolished. One of my greatest wishes would be for it is to be reconstructed, rebuilt and named the Pan Am Hotel. That would be really wondrous.

[sheilat]

I was an employee of another airline all those years ago, from 1969 to 1979. As part of our amazing and wonderful travel benefits(trust me, they were even better than you might imagine), I flew on Pan Am several times, mostly in first class because that's how it was back then. Yes, we usually flew first class, but we were required to be discrete about it, and we were always obligated to make sure the cabin crew knew we were airline employees flying for free, otherwise known as "non-revs", meaning non-revenue passengers. Hope that makes sense. As a non-rev we were supposed to be at the bottom of the pecking order for meals, but I must say that we were always taken care of. Airline employees look after their own. More to the point, Pan Am was an amazing airline, and it's a crime that it no longer exists. Oh, and if there are any former flight attendants reading this, what was the champagne you served back in the 1970s? I remember it as being very dry and crisp and I liked it a lot. I would love to know what I was drinking back then.

[carlel]

We want Pan Am back please....You will have our support. Car crashes kills more people. People should not have stopped flying Pan Am. You were the best airline....an Icon of the United States of America...come back Pan

[bkk]

So TRUE whether you started flying when Bette did or when I started my WONDERFUL CAREER in 1985 with Eastern...WONDERFUL EXPERIENCES..a wedding in Bangkok or getting together with friends in Hong Kong for shopping you can NEVER trade those memories..thank you God for the wonderful gift of being a flight attendant 🥰

[Angellady]

My grandmother was a Pan am stewardess flight route:fes to New York. A little girl from rual Morocco became a pan am stewardess in 1948 speaking Arabic, French, English, Italian

Too bad she’s not here anymore

[wll]

2:51

Can you imagine what those folks were thinking? "Gee, this is the life! I wonder how great air travel will be in 50 years?"

And now look at us

[paulphillips]

My mother was a stewardess for Pan Am in th 40s. These women were perfect in apparance and comportment. How things have changed.

[sheilat]

In 1976 I went to Iran. I was an airline employee for an airline that no longer exists, alas. In Iran I stayed in the hotel the Pan Am crews stayed in, and wound up making friends with them. I went to the market and bargained for souvenirs. The next day I guided a new Pan Am crew to the bazaar. Pan Am was absolutely the best.

[sethsteener]

my mom always flew on Pan Am to visit her family. those beautiful 747's, such graceful birds,

[elizabethmatos]

Pan Am makes the going great! My bf worked for Pan Am he introduced me to wonderful people.

[AnnetteAmsel]

Forever in our hearts...Thank you for the wonderful memories...

[barrywhitley]

Great video. Would loved to have flown in those days. Thanks for uploading.

[britishairways]

My dad was a captain and he found my mom on pan am and I am a captain for American Airlines and I found my wife on American Airlines ha just like my old man

[antietamcv]

I worked in Aircraft Maintenance from Mechanic Helper to Air
Craft Maintenance Supervisor.Met a lot of nice guys had a good time in my jobs.Herman Minkin JFK.ORD.Augusta, LAX

[dianarutherford]

Praise to Jesus who sticks closer than a brother! God bless you all. And hi Stuart, love your fellowship! Look for you every day, except Wednesday when you are busy with Bible study! God Bless.

[saffronwarrior]

Pan am reminds me of a brave Indian stewardess who sacrificed her life saving so many lives when pan am was hijacked 1986 brave Neerja Bhanot 💐