Fourteen hours from New York to London. Things have change a bit since then. But they did travel in class….
Sunday, Oct 26, 1952
Dear Folks,
Our time in Washington is rapidly slipping away. I hope you got my telegram saying we were cleared and would be leaving soon. They have asked for our plane reservations to leave on Wednesday the 29th. Seems like there are lots of last minute preparations to take care of.
The following is the schedule we have asked for but won’t know about reservations until Tuesday morning.
Leave Washington 1/29 12:24 pm
Arr New York 10/29 2:15 pm
Leave New York 10/29 4:00 pm
Arr London 10/30 11:00 am (London time)
Leave London 10/31 5:55 pm
Arrive Beirut 11/1 5:40 am (Beirut time)
Leave Beirut 11/4 4:35 am
Arrive Calcutta 11/4 11:40 pm (Calcutta time)
Leave Calcutta 11/6 6:30 am
Arr Rangoon 11/6 10:55 am
Will go from here to Calcutta on Pan American Airways and from Calcutta to Rangoon on India National Airways.
With the rest stops in London, Beirut and Calcutta it should break up the trip and make it more enjoyable. In Beirut, especially, we will have a chance to see a few things.
I think the least expensive and fastest mail service for you to write us will be on the airmail sheets such as I’ve enclosed. They go for 10 cents and come with the stamp on them. You can buy them only at the post office.
We are sitting on the banks of the Potomac doing our letter writing today while the boys run and play. It’s a nice sunny day just a little on the chilly side.
On Friday evening we took the boys to Bob Wilson’s to watch TV while went to a reception at the Burmese Embassy. We thought it was to be a small reception for a delegation of Burmese who have been here about three weeks and are now returning. It turned out to be this but in addition a most delicious buffet supper. Lots of prominent people there as well as those of small importance such as us. We did have an enjoyable time and I had met most of this delegation at the Dept. of Agriculture so didn’t feel too much out of place. It gave Virginia a chance to meet several of the Burmese people with whom I’ll be working in Rangoon.
… I assume there was more to this letter but that is the end of what I have.
Here is an interesting film promo from 1950 for Pan American Airways.