What Was It Like To Fly In The Interwar Period?

Often thought of as the Golden Age of aviation, flying in the first half of the 20th century was a world away from what it’s like now. In particular, the years between the end of World War I and the outbreak of World War II had a unique glamor to them, and some unique passenger experiences too.

The end of World War I brought with it some step-changes in aviation too. Nations found themselves with copious amounts of spare aircraft around, and not just fighter planes. Transport aircraft and support planes were also ready for a new lease of life, but were very different from the airplanes of the pre-war times.

The most notable difference was that these were no longer airplanes made from wood and canvas. The war had seen a switch to manufacturing aircraft from metal - making them more durable than anything that had gone before. They were also more resilient to temperature changes, meaning they could cope with flying from very cold climates to much warmer ones with ease.

This transition to metal aircraft also allowed airlines to push the boundaries of flying, with planes that could fly faster and higher than anything that had gone before.

In the early post-war years, flights were not climate controlled and were very noisy.

Toilets were only introduced in 1928, but as most flights couldn’t travel for more than an hour or two without stopping, that wasn’t such a problem.

Flights were operated by the likes of the Fokker F-10 and the Ford Trimotor 5-AT, and were competing with the more comfortable and affordable dirigibles for passengers.

Onboard in the 1920s, passengers would often be bundled up in warm coats, furs and blankets, because it sure got cold up there with no insulation in the fuselage.

This also meant it was very noisy, with nothing to protect passengers from the roar of the engines. Despite being able to fly higher and faster, encountering bone-shaking turbulence was the norm. As such, many passengers got horribly sick on their flights, but endured it nonetheless.

During the 1920s, air travel was seen as an adventure more than just a mode of transportation. Tickets cost in the region of $300 - twice the price of a brand new car - making options limited for all but the most wealthy of travellers.

The experience was seen as a glamorous and once-in-a-lifetime journey. As such, you’d often see passengers dressed in their finest when boarding the plane.

Despite the discomforts, flying in the ‘20s was far more luxurious than it is today, with flight attendants dishing out delightful food and drink, and even inflight entertainment on some services. Of course, you couldn’t hear the film, but that didn’t matter since most movies were silent in those days anyway. Airlines would put up a projector and screen, and the whole cabin would enjoy the film together while they flew.

Tickets cost in the region of US$300 - twice the price of a brand new car - making options limited for all but the most wealthy of travellers.

In the 1930s, air travel was still in its infancy, but was growing at pace. In the year of 1930, just 6000 Americans traveled commercially by airplane. Just four years later, that number had multiplied by 75 times, with 450000 air passengers taking flight in 1934.

Four years on again, and that number had ballooned to an incredible 1.2 million air passengers, two hundred times more than had flown at the turn of the previous decade.

Many of the problems of the ‘20s persisted, such as frequent turbulence, short ranges of aircraft and high ticket prices.

Technologies made flying more comfortable in the cabin. Insulation was improved, making flying less noisy and temperatures more bearable. Airlines introduced heating and cooling systems to assist further with this, and uncomfortable wicker seats were changed out for upholstered armchairs and recliners.

Carriers like Imperial Airways broke boundaries in long-haul flying, offering world-spanning services to connect the British Empire.

However, taking a flight on these services was a test of endurance in itself. Flying to Australia from London was a 12-day adventure, with multiple stops along the way, but was offset by the increased speed of connection compared with traveling by ship.

For these long flights, many airlines offered berths that converted into comfortable beds for sleep. Service was stepped up a notch too, with cabin crew moving from purely safety-related roles to something more akin to a five-star hotel. Lavish food was served on proper flatware, with white linen tablecloths covering the tables.

Despite these improvements, heavy turbulence often meant people needed stomachs of steel to avoid getting sick on the flights. Cabins were still unpressurized - and would remain so until the 1940s. As such, some airlines chose to provide oxygen tanks at passengers’ seats, to avoid altitude sickness becoming a problem.