Once upon a time, air travel was exciting.
Transatlantic flights were novel, and passengers often dressed to the nines -—a far cry from the sweatpants-and-flip-flops travel wardrobes of today. Aviators like Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and Howard Hughes were national heroes, and airline stewardesses were considered to have some of the most glamorous jobs in the world.
Air travel today has its benefits. Flights are faster and more frequent, go to more places, and we're able to dress more casually. But many people feel a certain nostalgia for the days when all air travel was considered luxury travel and people behaved as such.
We rounded up 25 great photos that exemplify the glamour and excitement of early air travel.
December 17, 1903 - Orville Wright maneuvers the Wright Flyer as it makes its first flight ever over Kitty Hawk, NC. The plane, made of wood, wire, and cloth, traveled 120 feet and flew for 12 seconds.
1927 - A young Charles Lindbergh stands next to the Spirit of St. Louis, which he famously flew from Roosevelt Island all the way to Paris.
June 26, 1928 - "Aviatrix" Amelia Earhart arrives in Southampton, England after flying the "Friendship" from Burry Point, Wales.
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