Smooth Takeoffs — Rough Landings: The First 75 Years of American Commercial Aviation

Harold Haddock and Jeffery Holmes

Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
September 22 - November 10, 2004
D.O.C. House

Do you remember when flying on vacation or business trips was exciting and fun? Did you ever dream about flying on the China Clipper from San Francisco to Manila — and, along the way, landing in Hawaii and the islands of Midway, Wake, and Guam? Or did you ever fly on a DC-3, Martin Flying Boat, Boeing Strato Cruiser, Super Connie? And have you ever thought how an industry immediately became the allies’ lifeline during WWII? And, are you still wondering why the “Glory Days” of American Commercial Aviation are over and will probably never return?

If the answers are “yes” and you want to relive those marvelous days (plus learn how deregulation changed everything) then 15 lucky passengers will be taking off at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 22, for the first of eight fascinating flights.

Each week there will be a new subject starting with The Aviators; then, followed by The Early Pioneers, The Law Makers, The Routes and Planes, The War — Then The Glory Years. Three sessions of The Hard Landing will complete our eight weeks.

Weekly sessions will commence with a portion of the fascinating video “Chasing the Sun” followed by active group discussions of specific questions and topics relating to important events and/or personalities. Copies of informative reading materials (magazine articles and book passages) will assist in your discussions and will be provided prior to the first week of classes. Throughout this course, group members may be assigned one special topic for a 5-10 minute presentation to the class. Guest speakers are scheduled and a selection of highly informative videos are planned. The background and learning of the overall history of American Commercial Aviation will come mainly from the required reading of Conquest of the Skies ... and the background and results of deregulation will be highlighted in the reading of selected chapters from the best selling Hard Landing.

Class is limited to 15 passengers.

Harold Haddock lives in Grantham where he currently serves as a selectman. He is also a Trustee of Lebanon College and a member of both the ILEAD Curriculum Committee and Study-Travel Committee. He is a retired partner of Price Waterhouse.

Jeffery Holmes is a marketing and communications consultant who has made a hobby of studying and reading about commercial aviation. He is a resident of Eastman and a member of both the community’s Health & Safety Committee and Marketing & Communications Committee.