What happened to TWA? (TWA)

Member Name: jdidlock

Product:	TWA
Date:	07/07/00 (471 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Impressive history

Disadvantages: Hardly exists anymore

I remember the days when TWA and Pan Am (who?) were the only US transatlantic carriers and they were both marvellous. In fact, Pan Am was probably the world's leading airline. It used to have two round-the-world flights, Clipper One and Clipper Two, one eastbound and the other westbound and basically apart from equipemnt and crew changes, they flew continuously. When I was an Air Traffic Controller in the Gulf in the early 60s, one of the delights of night duty was this cool baritone American "Daddy is taking us flying" voice checking in as he passed - "This IS the Clipper One, Sharjah, time check please!" - he probably had a more accurate watch than us but must have known how lonely night duty was!

Reminds me of the old joke - an unknown aircraft calls for a time check. "If it is Pan Am it is 17.15 hours Zulu, if it is BOAC, it is 5:15 GMT, if it is BEA it is quarter past five in the afternoon and if it is Aer Lingus, the big hand is on three and the little hand on five". (Sorry, Irish readers, no offence intended, substitute any airline you care to!)

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