Essay: Were the 1920s really the “golden age” for air travel?

Before the 1920s, air travel for the masses seemed like little more than a pipe dream, and anyone who thought they could make a career out of aviation was considered crazy. Suddenly though, everything changed, and the decade saw huge advancements in the world of flight, with the transition from wooden planes to metal, milestone journeys, and a never-before-seen rise in both private and commercial aviation. For this, the 1920s are often regarded as the golden age of aviation, although other periods in the history of flight, most notably the jet age of the 1960s, beg the question: Were the 1920s really the “golden age”?
One of the most significant catalysts for the rise in aviation during the 20s was World War I. Prior to the war, airplanes were scarce and rarely used, but as nations mobilized for battle, thousands of new airplanes were produced. Military flight showcased the efficiency and capability of airplanes, causing governments and aircraft manufacturers to  investigate its further use. More powerful engines meant planes that were bigger and much faster than their prewar counterparts. In America though railroads still provided much more comfort than airplanes and were quite nearly as fast, leaving aviation to remain a government run rather than a commercial enterprise.1 This was in contrast to Europe, where countries such as England and Germany encouraged commercial aviation to transport goods and people across mountains and water, where railroads could not.2 In 1917, the US government began a joint airmail service between the Post Office and the Army, which by the mid-20s was flying nearly 15 million letters a year. By now the government had confidence in aviation as a form of transport, and the Kelly Airmail Act of 1925 was signed, giving the Post Office the authority to award air contracts to private companies. This was the first step in establishing a commercial airline industry in the United States. The winners of the first mail contracts would later grow to become United Airlines, TWA, American Airlines, Eastern Airlines, and Pan Am.3
In 1927, Juan T. Trippe formed Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am. Pan Am began service delivering mail between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba.4 With prohibition in full effect, Americans were keen to travel to Havana, where they could drink freely and gamble. Havana was where Americans sought casinos and clubs, before the development of Las Vegas.5 With its mail routes, Pan Am was perfectly positioned to take them there, and through aggressive Latin American expansion and the buying out of smaller airlines, Pan Am was soon able to acquire a monopoly on international air travel. To expand further, Pan Am enlisted Charles Lindberg, the most famous pilot of the time, to help negotiate landing rights in other countries.6 The actions of Juan Trippe would later pave the future of commercial air travel.7
With airlines such as Pan Am, regular Americans for the first time, began to follow and grow invested in aviation. It wasn’t just the airlines though; the 1920s also saw pilots turn into celebrities. Charles Lindbergh turned into an American hero when he flew nonstop across the Atlantic in 1927, with his arrival in Paris attracting tens of thousands of spectators.8 Following in Lindbergh’s footsteps, Amelia Earhart went on to become the first woman to complete a transatlantic flight in 1928.9 Both pilots were given awards, parades, sponsorships, book deals, and magazine spreads–not to mention their public status’ as stars. In the wake of his fame, Lindbergh became an instrumental factor in the expansion of Pan American Airways–as mentioned earlier–and Amelia Earhart invested in both TWA and Northeast Airlines.9
The 1920s are likely regarded as the “Golden Age of Aviation” due to the huge technological advancement of airplanes, the commercialization of air travel, and the overall transformation of aviation into something in vogue for all people. There are however other periods in history that challenge the 1920s for that title; most notably, the 1960s. While the 1920s saw the transition from wooden planes to metal, the 1960s saw the transition from propeller planes to jets–ushering in what is now known as the “jet age”.10
As was the case with the 1920s, a lot of the technological advances in flight that were seen during the 60s, were attributed to the recent world war. World War II saw the development of technologies such as radar, which were able to improve both the safety and efficiency of airplanes, as well as the construction of runways all over the world–even in the most remote regions. Then came the Cold War, where in its arms race against the Soviet Union, the US funded advancement in aviation, and out of this, came jets. Boeing developed a jet plane called the KC-135 for the military, and later revamped it into the first American passenger jet, the Boeing 707.10 The 707 was capable of reaching speeds over 500 miles an hour, allowing people to travel to Europe in just six and a half hours, and take vacations over just the course of a weekend. Before the jet, trips would take much longer and would require much more planning. The increased engine power also meant greater capacity, meaning for the first time, air travel was turning into something to be utilized by the masses, rather than just the upperclass. That is not to say though that the upper class of fliers did not have benefits. The era was known for the luxurious “jet set”, with airlines such as Pan Am and BOAC offering caviar, lobster, and a wide choice of cocktails.11 The jet made the world a much smaller place, in the sense that Americans could now go to alluring destinations all over the world with the ease of booking a ticket. When people today look back and talk about the “good old days” of air travel, that is, when the stewardesses were friendlier, the seats were more luxurious, the food was better, and everyone dressed up to fly, more often than not, they are referring to the 1960s. The era inspired pop culture hits such as Frank Sinatra’s song “Come Fly With Me” and the appearance of Pan Am 707s in the first two James Bond movies, taking agent 007 to exotic destinations such as Jamaica and Turkey. From 1964-1968, a man named Frank Abagnale, Jr., was so caught up by the jet set, he masqueraded as a Pan Am pilot. His story is depicted in a broadway musical, and the 2001 film Catch Me if You Can starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Abagnale later described Pan Am as the “Ritz-Carlton of airlines” and went on to note that the days of luxury in airline travel are over.12
While the 1920s saw huge advancements in aviation, it cannot deservingly be called the “Golden Age”, as most Americans never got to be truly invested in the field. Pilots, with their celebrity status, were above the general public, and the passengers consisted entirely of the upper class. It was not until the 1960s with the integration of the jet engine that regular Americans could take to the skies. Not only were there more passengers in more diverse socioeconomic status’, the quality of flight was also greatly improved. In the 60s the planes were quieter, more spacious and luxurious, and commercially, offered better service. So, while the 20s saw flight develop for a few pilots, it was the 60s that saw flight develop for the mass populous, and for this, it is more fitting that the latter be considered aviation’s “golden age”. Pan Am’s CEO, Juan Trippe, once said that “Air travel can enslave the common man, or it can free him.” and “Mass travel by air may prove to be more significant to world destiny than the atom bomb.”13 Trippe understood that the true purpose and goal of aviation was to be something that the general population could use and be a part of. As this was not achieved during  the 1920s, it is unfit to be called the “golden age” of aviation, and rather that title would be more aptly assigned to the 1960s.