BOAC Boeing 707

[Garry Russell]

I don't know if this has been posted before...I don't remember it, on the other hand I don't remember much about yesterday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 1iOWJIdIRo

[FlyTexas]

...I don't remember it, on the other hand I don't remember much about yesterday

Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee were ya? But seriously, a really nice video. Thanks for posting it Garry.

Brian

[Vancouver]

Thanks always liked the 707, even better found this when I got waylayed on YT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aujEsOop ... re=related

Its VC10

[Garry Russell]

Ah yes, but we've had that before

[DaveB]

I hope Ian doesn't watch that.. 'Elite Fleet' indeed

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

I was thinking of him all the time...well, not in that way you understand

The elite comment made me realise there were people in BOAC then who'd never heard of a VC 10

Nice to see the ole BOAC blue and polished metal

[DaveB]

Yes indeed.. they did look a treat

Difficult to comprehend BOAC staff not knowing about the VC10 though. I'd have thought those above any would have their fingers on the pulse with regard to all the internal politics the 2 caused! Still.. it was a woman who made that comment so it can be treated with the contempt it deserves 'What aircraft did you fly on'?.. 'Blue and white ones'!

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

T'was a toungue in cheek comment...maybe it's an excuse for not being picked to serve the real Queen

[DaveB]

Ah yes.. a comment made with bitter resentment for being a second class citizen

ATB
DaveB

[speedbird591]

The elite comment made me realise there were people in BOAC then who'd never heard of a VC 10

A what?

Good video - thanks, Garry. I knew all these people but they were very senior and, to a junior steward like me, they were gods and were the subject of stories and fables!

A bit of background for those who might be interested... The video is from the cabin crew perspective and as a generalisation, cabin crew had little interest in the technical aspects of aircraft. They couldn't care less what it was as long as it delivered them safely to their next party. When I joined BOAC early in '72 the 747 had just been introduced and the working structure for cabin crew had just been completely redrawn. There were two 'fleets' - 747s and 'minis'. Minis included 707s and VC10s of all types and crew would fly to any destination served by the aircraft types on which they were licensed.

Prior to the introduction of 747s there were two separate cabin crew fleets - 707s and VC10s. 'Seven Os' were indeed the 'elite' fleet but not because of the aircraft type but because of the destinations. They flew the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Pacific in the 60s. As half of our income was 'allowances' paid in cash in local currency the destinations made an important contribution to our life style. If you were on 707s much of your income was in US dollars, cash in hand, on arrival. Senior crew members would fly only the Monarch services to New York and would be very rich people indeed. We called them the Atlantic Barons and they lived in huge houses and mixed with Lords and Earls. In fact a couple of them did have hereditary titles. Even at work they were as likely to be sitting in First Class chatting to titled customers (who they knew personally) as actually doing any work.

If you were on VC10s, however, you would be welcomed at your destination by a wheelbarrow full of grubby rupees or dirhams and had to spend half your time off in dirty, noisy, dusty souks bargaining with raghead moneychangers for the best exchange rate.

So working VC10s was not an attractive proposition to those from the elite fleet and most of them opted to take promotion to the new rank of Purser to take charge of a 747 and keep flying the Atlantic. Most of them never got over their loss of prestige and became alcoholics, sitting in the back of first class and being served wine and fine food by the junior crew and having nothing to do with the new class of 'ordinary' passengers who were below their social standing!

Ian