1 Jun
2009
1 Jun
'09
5:29 p.m.
On 1 Jun 2009 at 13:10, James Fogg wrote:
My guess would be it's something for
handling/sorting airline tickets.
Until recently tickets were printed on card stock with various data
fields like mag stripes, barcodes and other things. I never flew until
1988 so I don't know what they used prior, but it was probably
similar, perhaps even regular punched cards.
I think it's airport control. Teletype and facsimile were an
essential part of operations back then (Fax was used to print weather
maps).
My first airplane flight was on Pan Am, with meals served from a menu
on china and silverware. Flying, at one time, was something to be
looked forward to--it was almost like going on a cruise. You were
pampered.
Now, you feel fortunate to be crammed into a sardine can on a late
flight and not handcuffed and strip-searched at the terminal.
How times have changed.
--Chuck