My Grandparents' Slides: Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, 1950s

Kinja'd!!! "Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
05/26/2017 at 07:10 • Filed to: None

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DISCUSSION (21)


Kinja'd!!! kanadanmajava1 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 07:43

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Nice pictures. Maybe some special event going on? There are quite alot of people walking towards the terminal and no-one is carrying any luggage. Or maybe airports were just popular places to visit in those days?


Kinja'd!!! Roundbadge > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 07:52

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These pics led me to do some more investigation, as I didn’t know anything about Capital previously. It’s hard to believe they were still attempting to operate those DC-4s in 1960. Apparently their entire fleet of Viscounts was foreclosed on.


Kinja'd!!! punkgoose17 > kanadanmajava1
05/26/2017 at 08:54

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It was popular to visit the airport go shopping and watch the planes.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 09:28

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The newest car in the last pic appears to be 1958, if that helps with anything.


Kinja'd!!! Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > punkgoose17
05/26/2017 at 09:37

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Could very well be the case here and the opening of a new terminal.


Kinja'd!!! Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Roundbadge
05/26/2017 at 09:39

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Interesting. Thanks for the comment.


Kinja'd!!! user314 > fintail
05/26/2017 at 09:41

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Looks like the East Dock is under construction, and that opened in 1959, so ‘58 sounds about right.


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > kanadanmajava1
05/26/2017 at 09:56

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Back then, you could wander in and out as you please - no security or anything. My dad grew up near O’Hare, and they used to go out there to watch the people (seriously, a busy airport is a great place to people watch) and the airplanes taking off/landing.


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 09:57

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Awesome stuff! I particularly love that shot of the Connie—


Kinja'd!!! Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > WilliamsSW
05/26/2017 at 09:58

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No tip tanks, so maybe an earlier model.


Kinja'd!!! kanadanmajava1 > WilliamsSW
05/26/2017 at 10:12

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Sounds awesome. Flying is nowadays cheaper than ever, but the airports suck so much. I wish there would be a time when I would actually want to visit an airport.


Kinja'd!!! punkgoose17 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 10:14

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I’ve been told it was popular to go shopping at the airport until the 1990's until security increased. The airport is on the opposite side of the city from where I grew up (making it inconvenient), and we couldn’t afford to go shopping there any way. All the stores are on the otherside if security now.


Kinja'd!!! Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > punkgoose17
05/26/2017 at 10:17

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Yup.


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 10:20

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Actually appears to be an L-1049 Super Constellation - they didn’t all have tip tanks. Long nose and square windows, but still had Cyclone radial engines. I think the Super Connie is the prettiest - the longer fuselage makes it just that much sleeker—


Kinja'd!!! Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > WilliamsSW
05/26/2017 at 10:27

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They are beautiful airplanes, for sure. You’d know better than I which one that one is. My favorite commercial prop plane would be a turboprop Electra.


Kinja'd!!! ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 10:28

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Dat 240. Neat pictures. How did you come across them?


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > kanadanmajava1
05/26/2017 at 10:29

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So true. To me, the airport is the worst part of air travel - unless you’re lucky enough to get lounge access.

My dad also tells the story of he and a buddy walking up to the United ticket counter (in the ‘63-’65 time frame) and asking when their next flight was - anywhere. They ended up going to Denver for no particular reason, wandered around a bit, and came home.


Kinja'd!!! ttyymmnn > punkgoose17
05/26/2017 at 10:31

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About 20 years ago, my wife and I drove through Chicago and we made a stop at O’Hare just to go sit in the Seven Continents lounge and watch the airplanes. I have no idea if the lounge still exists, but you couldn’t get to it any more with TSA. Bin Laden ruined everything.


Kinja'd!!! WilliamsSW > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/26/2017 at 10:33

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Oh, I Googled it, believe me - only because I thought it looked long. The Electra is a gorgeous airplane, and still a few flying, I think, too (and the P-3 Orion is based on it). The DC-3 is my favorite - I love how it sits nose-high on the ground, as if it’s stretching for the sky. And radial engines just make the best aircraft noise.


Kinja'd!!! kanadanmajava1 > WilliamsSW
05/26/2017 at 10:35

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Awesome. Flying must have been awesome then.


Kinja'd!!! Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
05/26/2017 at 10:40

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Pappy & Grandma’s slides.