What It Felt Like to Fly In 1979 Way Before 9/11. An Innocent Experience.
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2023
- I made this television infomercial in 1979. The only airport that gave us permission to film without restriction was Dulles Airport in Washington DC which was owned and run by the federal government.
I recorded this infomercial in just one day and every traveler that I stopped and interviewed was so excited and friendly and willing to say how they felt to me behind the camera. Being in an international airport at that time felt global. Like the world was opening up. Like adventure awaited everyone who got on an airplane. Most were excited. Some were nervous as this short film indicates.
There was no major security at that time. Pilots left their doors to the cockpit open and you could actually walk up front and talk with the crew both on the ground and in the air. I did that by getting out of my seat during takeoff and since I had a camera, no one objected.
After 9/11 of course, security changed and we now accept that (sort of) as a part of life when you fly. Old folks like me remember the time when it was pure excitement. I am hopeful that this short video gives those who were flying back then a bit of nostalgia and those younger, a sense of the flying experience circa 1980.
Most of those who flew still called the cabin crew "stewardesses" although the airlines were trying to get passengers to use the words "flight attendant."
Here are some of the specific differences between 1979 and 2023:
Security: There were no body scanners, and passengers didn't have to remove their shoes or limit the amount of liquids in their carry-on luggage. However hijackings and other security threats were still a concern leading to the implementation of metal detectors and X-ray machines for luggage.
In-flight entertainment options were limited. Some airlines had overhead projectors that showed movies on a large screen, while others had individual screens for each row. Music was often available via shared headphone jacks with limited channels. Personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops were not yet widespread.
Smoking was allowed on many flights in 1979 with airlines designating smoking and non-smoking sections. However as public awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke grew, smoking bans began to be implemented in the 1980s and 1990s.
Airline seats tended to be more spacious and comfortable in 1979 with more legroom and wider seats. This was partly due to fewer seats being installed in the aircraft to accommodate passengers although it varied between airlines and aircraft models.
Complimentary meals and beverages were common on most flights even on shorter routes. The quality of the food was generally higher than today's standards, as airlines competed for customers by offering better in-flight services.
Passengers dressed more formally for air travel in 1979. It was common to see men wearing suits and women wearing dresses or business attire. Flying was considered a special event, and people generally dressed up to reflect that.
In 1979 tickets were typically issued as physical paper documents that passengers had to present at the check-in counter. There were no online bookings or electronic tickets like today. Airlines generally had more lenient baggage policies with fewer fees for checked luggage or overweight bags.
Some subscribers have asked me for advice on ticket purchases and airline travel etc. I suggest searching these words/phrases:
ASAP tickets flight, ASAP airlines, Delta Airlines vacation packages, United Airlines group travel, Alaska Airlines visa signature, American Airlines group travel, Singapore Airlines book flights, air ticket agents near me, British Airways vacation. These will help you find what you may be looking for.
I know that I have said this before but I am asking those who watch this and enjoy it to click the super thanks button below the video screen. I am an independent documentary filmmaker who these days is depending on UA-cam for the financial support I need.
Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker
Here is another airplane moment to remember. How many of you do? ua-cam.com/video/52plFb5a1Zk/v-deo.html
"Remember 9/11??? Here's 1979!"
Bit of a jump, no?
David, I saw your youth cafe video of those who ran away to New York in 1976. This is the 2nd of your videos I've seen. Nice work, capturing the moment. Good editing.
When I was in my mid-20's I had to take a business trip and forgot my dress shoes. This was a few years before 911. My parents were waiting with me at the gate, and my dad ran home to get them and came back. The plane was already boarded and I saw him come onto the plane, wave to me and hand them to the stewardess who brought them to me.
This would ne er happen today 😂. Great story lol
A commentary on both airline policies back then and your wonderful parents--how caring of your father to dash back home to pick up your shoes!
That’s awesome!
@@texaswunderkind yes and no. Considering inflated prices inside terminals, like 8 dollars for a coke!
@@anonymoususer1824 And who should we thank for that issue?
“The trouble is that we get so used to these things that we forget how much of a miracle they are”
Yeah. 10yrs ago I was still using a flip phone.
18 working on an airport. whenever i see a plane take off i just think "modern marvel" and go on about my business lol
@@sawderf741 That's sad, not even I was using a flip phone back then and I was 9 years old.
Everybody know that bin Ladin and his family were billionaire sheiks in that lot and had gone to American schools and European schools so he was not some dumb guy living in a cave he was part of the elite social circles that modern-day billionaires are still part of today but it really was was the rich the people who don’t let you know how wealthy they are the trillionaire families didn’t like seeing Americans having actual freedoms and happiness they wanted To instill fear so they could take our rights away and if you look at before 1995 up until today we have easily lost more than half of the rates are grandparents were easily able to enjoy on a daily basis without blinking an eye. And it’s been proven that all the security that they go through nowadays with TSA is completely useless and provides no actual security the whole point is to again instill fear in people’s hearts so they can maintain control
@@blizzunt420e Go outside
What sticks to me as a reminder of flying in the 70s and 80s was being trapped inside the airplane with smokers. It was like being in a Vegas casino and you had nowhere to go during the entire flight. They had designated areas for smoking but the whole plane was a haze of smoke. So that's something that has gotten better now vs then.
Second hand smoke is worse than smoking itself. It’s probably why everyone was getting cancer.
That's a great point you have made. We often look at the past with rose-tinted glasses.
Id trade the trashy people on todays flights with the 1970s cigarette smoke.
Yeah. Now all we get to smell is people's farts. I'd rather it be smoky.
@biffxannen no
That older guy at the end who is very likely not with us anymore nailed it. "We haven't seen anything yet compared to what our children and grandchildren will eventually see l'm convinced of that"
the new order
Ironically passenger air travel being one area that has comparatively barely changed. We travel the same speed because it's more efficient and therefore cheaper, not because we can't.
@@Sam-es2gf Good point. Very true.
Captain Obvious over here …very likely he’s dead?? He would be the oldest person ever if he was alive…what he said was the basically the definition of technology and the future.
@@Mu5icPr0ducer thank you
Just drove my wife to the airport today. I'm 43 and I barely remember being able to accompany your friends or family up until they board the plane, and you could watch them fly away if you wanted.
Yep. I’m your age. Hope your wife has a safe trip. I remember a trip to Europe when I was in college and my parents met me at the gate when I landed. I flew internationally a few months ago and watching the elderly have to remove shoes and belts was quite degrading because they were slow and confused. It seemed so unnecessary. If terrorists can highjack a plane with box cutters, then what’s the point? Someone could make a crude blade from a soda can. All this security is a bit much. It’ll keep getting more and more invasive and restrictive. It’s just the nature of society at this point. The liquids thing is arbitrary as well. So I can take 3 small containers of sunscreen but not one big container? And I could take 3 small containers and one large empty container, which would then mean I could theoretically mix them together on the plane anyway ?! Makes no sense
I live in New Zealand. There is no security on domestic flights here. Just walk right up to the gate with your family and friends.
@@ZagnutBar Same in Australia. You have to have your carry-on xrayed, but everyone can go to the gate.
i am 43 too, my first flight was when i was 17 and leaving for the military, my parents saw me off at the gate.
The best was when your cousins were flying in from several states away - you would wait in the arrival lounge and see them walk out of the plane... BS with your cousins while on the way to the baggage claim while your mom and aunt spread gossip amongst each other. :P
Or, if you were an aviation geek, just pay to park in the lot at the airport and sit down at a gate with a nice view of the apron and runways - you had to pass metal detector screening but nothing else, and you most certainly did not need a ticket to wander around the gates and concourses.
In the 90s they used to invite kids to the cockpit to look around. I've always wanted to be a pilot so I knew most of the controls and gauges in the cockpit even at a young age. The pilots were so impressed they asked me if I wanted to sit in the jump seat in the cockpit during landing! I got to wear the headset listening to atc and watched the whole thing. Also it was a night landing so it was beautiful seeing all the city lights and the runway in front of us all lit up.
Good thing this is not allowed anymore
@@WiffGiff sounds like someone is jealous
Amazing
@@WiffGiff Why, a kid might have an unforgettable experience?
I remember that, I was invited in the cockpit when I was a kid in the 90's. Then the J did 9/11 and it never happened anymore.
February 2001, myself and two friends went on a Caribbean cruise. Just us three young women. On the way from Toronto Canada, to Miami Florida (first class), we were invited to visit the cockpit. Myself and one friend were thrilled and jumped at the chance. The other girl was too scared, so she stayed in her seat. It was so incredible, seeing all the instruments and staring straight ahead into the morning sky. I think the pilots just wanted to chat us up because we were young and pretty, but I'm a total nerd. I geeked out, asking all sorts of technical questions. The plane was on autopilot, of course. There we were, everyone having a laugh, the cockpit door wide open. How were we ever so naive and innocent?
Sounds wonderful. Flying was a much better experience back then, no doubt
Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s - I was a “frequent flyer” on an Airline called “PSA” - which I earned by the time I was just 9 years old. (I used to visit my Dad every other weekend while he was serving in the Marine Corps.) This was during an era when flying was an actual civilized form of transportation among the public masses… I’m not sure if this is something that had to do with PSA in particular - but I will always remember how extremely beautiful all the flight attendants seemed to be… Extraordinarily so, even! And, the way they served their passengers was so incredible - so much so that it could rival the south for the hospitality that they are famous for.
They didn’t cram people into every seat that they could possibly fill, I remember how it wasn’t even all that uncommon for a passenger to have an entire row of seats all to themselves… This was back when flights were not just tolerable, but actually - enjoyable…
AND... The peanuts!!! They'd serve peanuts that were toasted, salted or roasted - and you got to CHOOSE which one you wanted! AND - they were always free - and even unlimited! Children passengers were almost always invited to come to the front of the plane (usually during mid flight) where the flight intendants would introduce them to the pilots flying the plane - They would even open up the cockpit so that we could peer in and marvel over all the crazy gadgets, gizmos, and endless array of buttons and switches.
Getting to experience this first hand as a child - was a very special and almost indescribable experience … Being allowed to peer out of the windshield straight from the pilots cockpit - while being in mid air, mind you - is something that I wish all kids got to experience the way I got to… It was unforgettable - and sadly - it will never be allowed to happen again on a commercial jet.
By the time the visit to the cockpit was over - you had a pair of your very own wings that were given to you from the pilot himself… Flight attendants usually offered to help pin them to your shirt the way the pilots wore theirs - truly a sweet and unforgettable experience.
Weak men create hard times.
@@totaleXess Times aren't particularly harder now than they were in 2001.
Today you would be lucky to be invited in the cockpit at the gate.
I flew as a kid/teenager in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1991, and 1993. The airflight was always part of the vacation, for me and my family. Not anymore. Today, the flights are much more of a "Just endure this part to get to your vacation" experience.
I flew as a kid/teenager around that time too, and feel the same way. Although, I think my perception altered because of a change in myself, not the environment.
It still is for my kid
nah you just grew up. No adult, even back then, liked spending hours in cramped spaces like a plane
Kenny Kistler, there are still people such as yours truly who do enjoy the flying experience. Although I do not like travelling by train, I love traveling by plane, and even going to the airport. Every time I have to travel by plane, I wake up very happy that day, and somehow feeling like a kid each time
@@newmankidman5763 To be clear, I still marvel at the miracle of flight, and I always will. But when it comes to everything surrounding air travel -- airports, security, baggage, customer service, flight perks, fellow passengers, etc., it just isn't the same as it used to be. And as for other comments above, it doesn't really have to do with getting older, because my parents enjoyed everything about air travel when I was a kid, but in more recent years, their opinions of it all had changed for the worse.
As someone who was just a little kid when 9/11 happened, I don't know what it was like to be in an airport before the attacks. I like seeing things like these.
The way the man spoke about the aesthetics of a plane
"you look at the design of the plane and it's all so ridiculous but there you are you get on the plane".
This observation is so odd to me as a geriatric millennial🤣.
Planes have always looked that way to me... whatever "normal" is. lol
look further back, back to a time when they actually had a lounge, or a bar in the plane.
it wasn't particularly different.
I remember it. It used to be such a pleasant experience to fly. Now it’s stressful and i hate it.
The difference is it felt like it went from freedom to Stalinism.
And the flight attendants used to be so nice and helpful now they don’t see their job as serving customers and making them have a pleasant experience but as safety staff to watch over people they don’t regard as valuable customers. I absolutely hate to fly now.
I'm sorry
Anyone here remember the days when you could go to the airport to pick up your loved ones and go directly to the gate to meet them when they got off the plane? Nothing made you feel loved like getting off the plane and seeing your loved ones standing right there at the gate, waiting to hug you. Kids make fun of us “old heads” when we wish for the old days… but when we reminisce about those days, it’s stuff like this that we’re nostalgic for.
Whats a loved one?
@@xzxxx-km4vy an appropriate question for the day and age
@@xzxxx-km4vy They used to have loved ones back in the day. I think they were like life coaches or something.
And it's your generation that changed it.
oh no now you need 5 more minutes
Here is another short video that captures a moment in time quite different from today - ua-cam.com/video/8e1g-0n8iGo/v-deo.html
Wow 6 hours ago
As a 15 year old in 1969, I flew on a 3 engine plane (maybe a Boeing 727) from Sydney to San Francisco & on to Dulles Airport. It required a stop-over in Fiji for refueling back then. Returning to Australia 5 years later, it was on the new 747 which was almost empty. My sister & I were allowed upstairs to the lounge & were given banana daiquiris as if we were in first class. It surely was a different time. Custom officials even smiled at you back then.
They gave alcohol to a bunch of 15 year olds What
@@Hungryghost01 15 plus 5 years equals 20 in my book.
We can make the world this way again. It is only a choice.
I believe you have the aircraft types reversed. The DC-10 didn't come into service until July 29th, 1971 with American and United being the first to operate the aircraft for scheduled flights. The 747 began regularly scheduled service in 1969 with Pan Am being the first airline to operate the aircraft.
@@ericschminke8233 Ahh - must have been a DC9 then. I was only 15, so that was a fair while ago. The 747 was a Qantas flight.
They courted us with fine service and extras when they wanted more people to fly. Once flight was common enough, the extras disappeared, followed by the seat space. After 9/11 they weren’t the “friendly skies” anymore…because they had become a necessity, and humans are remarkably adaptable to incremental change. Thanks David, I almost forgot people used to smile in airports.🖤🇨🇦
The internet has really been a threat to air travel, in the business sector at least.
That’s all due to the economy crashing several times, one is due to 9/11 and people not wanting to fly. Sad times for millennials and gen z
Flying was way more expensive back then too. The maket change as it is now cause, people would rather pay less than get all these extras
You can still get that service if you wish, but air travel is much more accessible now
Now we have Spirit.
The customer service was much different too. In either 2000 or early 2001, my family checked in for a domestic layover flight, and they told us there was another flight leaving in maybe 30 minutes if we were interested in switching for free. You'd never see that today
We've actually had that happen recently
I love seeing people in the past saying things like this, “what our children and grand children will see” while I’m watching on my pocket computer that looks nothing like people imagined in the 80’s science illustrations. It was so cool seeing an interview from the 1960’s where a man was talking about computers and has his kid with him saying “I won’t see it, but he will one day check your bank statements on a computer or read the morning news”. It was so cool.
Yes, it was. I flew on Continental to start a course at Rochester University in 1988. I got the whole smoking area at the back of the 747 to myself! A very different world.
I always booked my seat in the smoking section, but even as a smoker - couldn't stand the smell. ;)
@@sarahg1583 in the Boeing Maintenance Manual of the Aircraft at the time. to find pressure leaks in the entry doors.. you could locate it easy by the tobacco tar generated by the smokers in the cabin that sque
Yes, now it's 3rd world.
a smoking area in a plane always sounded to me one of the stupidest things wver
I'm an aviation enthusiast and born after 9/11. It saddens me knowing I'll never get to walk into an airport and go airside just for the heck of it without flying. Seeing stuff like this is really awesome. Thank you for uploading!
It was wonderful.
@@risk5riskmks93 I remember going to the airport and waiting at the gate and seeing my grandparents walk up the ramp at the gate at MSP at Christmas. I also remember TV newscasts of families waiting for their adopted Vietnamese babies at the gate at MSP. Now, I fly out of IAD, and it is sterile. We never knew how good we had it. Luckily we have EK A380 with its impeccable space and service, and AF B777 with its free-flowing French champagne to assauge our sadness. You have to deal with surly traffic cops who want you to move your car, jersey walls, underground Starbucks, etc. Now, meet & greet is done by text messaging. I remember growing up in the 1970's, and the 1990's seemed to bring it all together. Now, I only feel sadness when I fly. It never will be as good again as back then. I feel sorry for my friends who don't understand how good it was.
Become a pilot or flight attendant and you can go in anytime you want.
I love aviation too man, it's why I'm trying to become a pilot.
It was a “thing” to go and see your loved ones off before a flight. You could sit with them in the boarding area, enjoy a snack together, and literally see them onto the plane. When someone arrived, you could hold up funny or cute signs and see them as they got off as a surprise.
Even in the 90s, you could wait at the gate for your loved ones to arrive, and you could actually buy a ticket AT the gate. It was a truly wonderful time.
The number of hijackings and the lack of security that caused them to be so frequent in the 70's was absolutely wild. Something that doesn't get talked about much anymore.
people are wearing pink nostalgic glasses totally ignoring the reasons why we have such a tight security nowadays
@@zakur0hakolarge security theater that isn’t tight at all
Unless it's D.B. Cooper.
Seriously, whenever Gen X complains about the world today and how much simpler and peaceful their childhood was, I just want them to remember all of the serial killers running around in the 70s and 80s.
@@javierreyes786The only change that was significant is locking the cockpit door.
I clearly remember flying Sept. 7th 2001, it was so convenient. I arrived early at airport, ran to the gate and changed flights, and walked onboard in like 10 min.
Then few days later, everything changed and it has only gotten worse
The terrorists won
Just like the entire world.
Those terrorists also found it pretty easy 4 days later.
@@SpecialJay conveniently?
@@Bandy1036is there something we can do? And if there is what is it and I will do my best to fight for it
My last pre 9/11 flight was aboard TWA. It was shortly before they went out of business. The ticket agent bumped me up to first class. Really miss when flying was a pleasurable experience.
And now it has come to the point where people pray they don't get kicked out the plane for no reason lol
@@retiredbore378How do they go out of business with that kind of service?
@@retiredbore378 Maybe the pilots also had the business class experience...
@@icyblu9836 the government basically monopolized trans Atlantic/pacific flying with other companies like United, essentially forcing TWA to remain a domestic carrier, ultimately crippling any future growth of the company. Mainly because companies like United were more economical, so in the end like most things, it was because of money.
Its by design that it is not a pleasurable experience. Fly charter/private, you'll never go back
this video also shows how brilliantly nice and simple commercials were back in the day
Some commercials , anyway (yes, this one.)
What’s crazy about this video is that the majority of people interviewed are probably no longer around, and the kids are full blown adults 😢
Its okay, progress waits for no one. You, I, and everyone else now can just live our lives to the fullest
time is of the essence !! better not waste it
I flew to Japan for a new Job in July 2001. Two months later I was shocked as I watched the tragedy unfold live on my evening news. I led a tour for Japanese tourists to Canada in July 2002 and I remember how drastically different things were. The airports were chaotic and security employees were screaming at everybody. Everyone was a suspect. Old grannies were pulled aside and swatted for possessing things that old people needed. Children were harassed for carrying plush toys. It was madness.
It was not madness, it was common sense.
What tragedy ?
@@stoicazoo7845 definitely madness
@@Tasboy2 nah
@@stoicazoo7845 please explain how it is common sense to harass children and the elderly as stated by OP.
My granddad took a flight in the late 80s for the first time since the 50s. The cabins had gotten so crowded in that space of time he was terribly disappointed and said "I'm never flying again.Its awful. In wwii we were getting to shot at (he was a b17 crewman), in the 50s the whole damn plane was smoking cigarettes, and now its so damn crowded its like flying in a cattle car!" He was serious too, he and my grandma bought an RV the very next year lol.
Seems like he never had a positive experience with flight,lol
Lots of people touring Europe in RV's You're always home.
Must’ve been awful flying in a plane for many hours with all that second hand cigarette smoke.
I remember when people were allowed to smoke on airplanes. They had to sit in the back of the plane because it was the smoking section. But the whole thing was a total joke because the air filters through an aircraft so whatever they were smoking the rest of us were breathing. In fact, some flight attendants have come down with lung cancer from working in those days.
This is a genuine treasure of video documentation, thank you for making and preserving this!
I'm old enough to remember when they used to let little kids into the cockpit to meet the pilots. 😭
And it was sad to see that last gentlemen who confidently and optimistically predicted that his children and grandchildren would enjoy much better travel technology. Instead our travel technology has stagnated, and the overall experience is much worse due to security paranoia...
they still do if they can! Pilots are usually nice to children.
But the tech is updated! Haven't you noticed they added all those no smoking symbols?
They don't let the kids in the cockpit anymore?!?!
They did let me on international flight from Prague to Jerba, Tunisia. Back in like 2006/7, I’ve been a small kid back than. They have even let me steer the airplane.
"...and the overall experience is much worse due to security paranoia..."
Not to mention lowlifes, entitled assholes, ghetto people, douschebags with their bogus emotional support animals, the list goes on an on. Society was a more unified and polite as a whole back then. These days, nothing but obnoxious, entitled assholes.
As a kid I flew to Honolulu and got to see the cockpit, my first and only time, still have a picture of me in the cabin. I recently checked the date of the picture and it was July 2nd 2001. As an adult I appreciated getting to experience something that even most people my age probably missed out on.
I did that in '97 but unfortunately ii don't have any cool pictures
I'm aware it is really a "no go" zone, but weirdly enough, I remember getting to see the cockpit back in 2010-2011 in a Lisbon-Sao Paulo flight in TAP (portuguese airliner). Don't know if they broke a major rule of post-9/11 flying to let a kid like me see the cockpit, but I do have that memory
I flew a lot as a kid in the late eighties and nineties, and we were always given a pin and always asked to see the cabin and say hello to the pilot - and they always took us up to see them. Sometimes they even asked us if we wanted to go up.
It was common back then. Not so anymore.
I’m a grown adult and I’ve gotten to see the cockpit a couple times… just ask, you’d be surprised
Ive gone in there a few years ago (I was in middle school at the time) but I honestly forgot why
It was great. Flew all around the world as an unaccompanied minor in the mid 70s. Got my wings for crossing the equator and Pan Am playing cards every trip. Always got a tour of the cockpit and hung out upstairs in the 747s. Got the pants scared off me by the Garuda pilots coming in 20 feet off the ocean in Bali.
Flying for work now is just a nightmare. Thanks for taking me back to those days. 🙂
The flight attendants used to be amazing. The blonde lady from Southwest Airlines in about 1991, just wow. I was an awkward 20 year old and gave her my phone number on a flight from Nashville to Los Angeles. Of course she never called, but at least I took a shot. She was absolutely stunning. Truly one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.
I don’t mean to brag, but a flight attendant once gave me HER number. We flirted near the galley as I waited for the restroom. I noticed her reading a Dostoyevsky book, and made a comment about it. I sheepishly went back to my seat, kicking myself for not making a move, but made myself feel better by telling myself they probably get it all the time. Eventually we landed and I got off, kicking myself all the way down the jetway. When waiting for a cab, I got an Instagram notification on my phone. It was her. She’d looked me up by looking at the flight registry and I was stunned. We never did meet up, but we spoke a few times over the phone. Anyway, that’s my flight attendant story. I admire you for giving one in 1991 your phone number! I bet she was one of a kind.
Yeah because beauty is what matters most. Sheesh.
Found the fat body.
Thank you David for all these incredible time capsules!
My family and I flew to New York on Christmas Eve when I was 14 years old. Being Christmas Eve there were only a handful of other passengers on the 767. The flight crew was so cheerful and chill, the usual restrictions were relaxed, it was like everyone comfortably let their guard down. They suggested that we passengers make ourselves as comfortable as we'd like on the plane, since there was so much room, -- we could lie down across an entire row of sears if we'd like, -- any row of seats, there were so many available. Descending into snow & Christmas light-covered New York City to land on the beautiful Christmas Eve of 1996 is a memory I will never forget.
Makes me want to cry..in a good way. I miss these days.
@@clairebearie87 ❤️
We can still lie down in the plane. We have m lay down plenty of times on planes recently
@@seemaab Do they let you lie across an entire row of seats? That's cool if so!
@@LaurenThompsonIsMyRealName yeah we flew saudi airlines and Turkish airlines
This was such a carefree time for travel and leisure and I miss our 1970s America and we were safer and happier and a great time to be a child!! Thank you for these extraordinary films, sir!!
I was born in 66 so ya being a kid in the 70s was great .. all i had to do was check in now and then but was out all day with friends riding bikes and making forts ... those were the best days
the 70s were not safer, rather the opposite
@@joescambait Nuh uhhhhhhh .. the 50s were the best!!! 🤣
The 70s were far less safe.
lmao "we put asbestos in everything! what a safe time to be alive!"
My dad worked for an airline back then and it was magic going to see him and watch the planes. Obviously we got to fly alot too and I enjoyed every flight. It was a wonderful time full of possibilities. The older gentleman who talked about technology advancing couldn't have been more right.
Damn, considering how I’ve flown to and from Dulles many times, it’s so fascinating to see how it had evolved since the tragic events that changed American history forever.
Dulles is the airport I fly from the most, still my favorite airport. I kinda miss when you had to ride on the people movers. I love that the main concourse still pretty much looks the same
I feel so fortunate to have made it into adulthood before 9/11. Although I was only 24 when the planes struck, it was a good run. Last time I flew was around 2000. Mr. Hoffman, always a pleasure to see a new upload, I hope 2023 is treating you well.
Anyone happen to know the name of the voiceover talent? That's one of the voices from my childhood.
Of course I know his name. He was Peter Thomas. An old friend and my favorite narrator.
David Hoffman filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker Thank you!
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_hijackings
That’s so crazy. I’m 25 now (only 4 when it happened) What was your memory of that day if you don’t mind me asking?
I remember when travelling was an experience and people dressed for the occasion and passengers were not treated like criminals for simply wanting to enter an airport. We didn't yell or argue in the planes and definitely not with the flight attendants. Even shopping in the terminals felt more refined, people had no problem waiting their turn. There were much less people in the world back then, that makes a difference in how things function.
"treated as criminals" is an exaggeration. Screening to identify criminals has to include everyone. Criminals don't wear badges identifying themselves. I used to work as a bank teller. Some of the customers I didn't know would get upset when I asked for their driver's license in order to cash their check. They would ask, "Don't I have an innocent face?" My reply was that criminals had innocent faces, too.
Yes there most certainly was. There is this information source called the internet, you should look up some facts before sounding like a complete retard.
@@16m49x3 The world population has more than doubled since 1970.
@Haiiry Cake 2020: 7,794,798,739
1970: 3,700,437,046
Did you mean to say "a lot less" instead of "not less"?
@@16m49x3 1970 there were about 4 billion people 2023 there are about 8 billion. Big differance
David, I love how your content compels people to share old memories in the comments.
The two elderly men remind us of how fast things can actually change. One thinks of it as a miracle because, when he was young, he probably wasn't thinking about planes being used commercially in such a normal or normalised way and the man at the end realised how fast it all went and that our generation will be able to be in other places in a way never seen before. In other ways, nowdays you don't even have to leave your home to see the face of another person
Gets me wondering how life will be in the next 20-30 years
I lived in Queenstown New Zealand from 2018 to 2019. Domestic flights were amazing. No security of any sorts. You show up 20 minutes before your flight. No ID required. All you needed was a boarding pass. It was wonderful.
Hey mate! Still the same. Just boarding pass. That's it. No ID required for domestic flights.
It’s the same in the UK for domestic flights
@@santinz It’s a blessing to be treated like a human. I get treated like a criminal when I fly in the US.
Qtown is my favorite airport in the world to fly into... stepping out of the plane onto the tarmac = unreal beauty!
@@davidpiper3489 Lake Wakatipu between the Remarkables and Mt Crichton is beautiful.
It never lost its magic for me. My grandpa told me stories about japan and india. He traveled there for the first time somewhere in the early 1970s(from central europe). I grew up seeing pictures of him in a different world. Somewhere far away from home. When the internet came around, and i had the money, I researched the most places that he visitied, including some old ryokan. I boarded the plane and hat a strange holiday seeing the places ive seen so many times before, for the first time. Very emotional. Seeing an airport and flying has since never lost its magic. I think back for the first time I boarded a plane and remember my grandpa and his stories as a kid. Even now that I flew way to many times for work, im still like a little child at the airport and watch planes and be happy to fly with them. A grown adult little kid with a suit and a laptop of course :).
thank you david hoffman this is truly a gift! i am 21 and have had a much different experience flying. cheers from california! :))
The biggest thing I remember was my grandparents would be waiting for me at the arrival gate. It was a completely different feeling when your loved ones were waiting at the gate.
Here in Australia we can still do that! My mother often goes to the gate and waves me onto the plane and is sometimes there when I arrive home.
@@Tasboy2Australia is like America but with a smarter government
Wish I had loved ones that did that for me, but they don't want to pay the train fair to travel to the airport from home! xD
@@circleinforthecube5170 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
@@joshualyons2854 your corrupt officials are still somewhat sane, you have public transportation and free Healthcare
I remember in the 90s as a kid I would go with my parents to the gate of the flight my family was on to see them get off or say goodbye right at the gate too! and vice versa, I would get off the plane and be so excited to see family. Basically, security let anyone in even just to watch planes from the gate. different times now. I was 11 years old when 9/11 happened.
what an interesting story!
Greeting people at the gate or being greeted at the gate is something I miss post-9/11. Especially when someone came to greet you that you didn’t expect to be there. Just a wonderful surprise after landing.
@Sputnick Spooner I was still doing that in the early 90's. I really miss those days of flying. Now we have to be vetted and groped to get on a plane and then deal with misbehaving adults once there.
Watching this video brought back nostalgic memories of a time when flying was a glamorous and exciting experience, it makes me grateful for the memories I have of flying before 9/11.
It blows my mind that airplanes and rocket ships were invented so early on but good-quality photos and videos didn’t exist until the 2000s
Flying was a positive experience in the 1970's and 80's. I took my Grandpa, a WW2 vet on his first ever flight and he was like a little kid! From LGA to Atlantic City! We bought the tickets, checked-in and walked up to the gate. I loved flying. I miss the meal service on the coast to coast flights. Now it is hit or miss. I can remember taking family members to the gate and waiting in the terminal until they took off. In contrast, post-9/11 they wouldn't let us walk my friends elderly mother to the gate. It was sad because they didn't even have a Skycap available.
That's cool listening to history like this. I recently transferred my work place from JFK to LGA airport and WOW let me tell you LGA has changed SO much.
For how much it used to cost it better have been positive
@@HaydenLovie My first time traveling NYC was in 1997 and I was flying in from Miami. It was a bright clear morning so the view in was amazing. I was so excited right up until I actually got to see the inside of the airport - what a dump! LOL. I had to wait there for about 4 hours for friends that were arriving in later flights. It was a REALLY long 4 hours.
You can get an airport escort pass these days. You just have to show an id.
I still love flying.
The thing I miss most about flying pre-911 is hugging and saying goodbye to loved ones, exchanging waves and goodbyes until we could no longer see them at the bend of the gate. Also equally important was the embrace you received from loved ones as you exited the gate 😢
So much love in the airport. I think you were in the wrong place.
@Lee That happens today, any US based airline allows visits if the plane is at the gate before/after, at captain's discretion. It's the airlines outside the US where that policy varies. And you can no longer visit during a flight for safety reasons. My kids visit all the time - pilots let them wear the hat if they have it. Both Delta and Southwest, no issues at all.
I have fond memories of standing at the gate, looking at each person as they popped out, hoping the next one would be my grandmother.
To have your family or loved on waiting for you after you emerge from the gangway.
Even when traveling alone, the joy of families reuniting at the gate was beautiful to behold and hear, cheering up your day to know that on a future flight, you could expect the same.
I used to fly alone to Vermont every summer to stay with my grandparents. I started doing that when I was four and there was never a time when I felt scared and neither my parents nor my grandparents were nervous that anything would happen to me . I would always get a little stewardess pin and would get to sit up front with them and always felt so important. I’m a pretty anxious person generally but, this was just never an issue.
For a day out of the house my dad used to take me to Logan airport in the early to mid 70s ... we used to be able to get up to the gates and enjoy watching the planes take off and land
My dad took me to the airport to watch Air Force One (carrying Bill Clinton) land at the Boise airport. We went up to the gate windows as close as we could get to the plane, but it was still pretty far away. I thought it was so cool.
My first flying experience in 1963 I was.12 years old and I was allowed to fly without a parent or guardian. As a young adult in 1969 I enjoyed flying a great deal. I remember the casual atmosphere about the terminals. People actually dressed up for the trip and took pride in there appearance. No flip flops or cutoff jeans and torn T Shirts then. The seats were large and comfortable. I also remember you could buy an unused ticket offered in the want ads. The food was quite good and served on real plates, coffee came in real cups. The snacks were better, smoked almonds were everyone's favorite. Stale mini pretzels is the popular offering by airlines today.
I could go on but you get my point. We get less for more and there's a generation that will never know what they are missing.
Ya, flying as a minor, my seat got bumped, so I had to make arrangements to rent a room, paid cash; and had the cabby give me a tour of this city I had never been to.
That would never happen today.
I was around 12 and flew from Chicago to Evansville IN. It was something. My grandparents stayed with me at the gate. It was totally different than now.
Traveled at age 12 by myself, flight attendant lady if I had enough money for when we landed.sweet times
@@timothydempsey3763 The whole atmosphere of kindness and concern was so different than today.
I had my first solo flight 2 years ago when I was 15 and it was delta airlines Orlando MCO to Boston BOS and I almost missed it because I thought the people waiting in the gate were from my flight but it was for another flight and it confused me
First flight I ever took was in 2003 when I was 9 years old. Even growing up post 9/11, I'm still in awe of airplanes. My dad worked for Boeing (Wichita) for over 30 years and my grandfather was a fighter pilot in WW2. I'll always appreciate this technology, no matter how annoying the business side of it becomes!
Amen!
Your work is so wonderful, David.
I was over in England last year and decided to take a ship to Ireland rather than flying. Sure, it would have been much shorter, but instead I took a train to a port in Wales and got the a ship called "Ulysses" -- It was a massive car ferry but 4000 tons heavier than Titanic! Had everything from restaurants to bars, movie theaters to staterooms (incase you wanted to nap, shower, or just be away from people) Shopping and lounges -- It took 4 hours to get to Dublin but it was absolutely WONDERFUL. So leisurely and spacious. I paid extra to have access to a private lounge toward the bow that had a small buffet, floor to ceiling windows all around. It was incredible. I just sat there checking my emails and then looking out onto the ocean. Took a stroll on the boat deck a few times. I love it so much that in December, I had an idea. I had been wanting to see a place in Mexico call Chichen Itza (Mayan) Instead of flying, I decided book a cruise and then book the excursion. My main goal was to see Chichen Itza and was just basically using the ship as my means of travel. And, again, it was amazing. I think not focusing or expecting much from the actual cruise itself made it even more pleasurable and relaxing.
About a year ago I took a ferry from Belfast to Liverpool. My experience was a lot like yours! It was great :)
Yes, boats are nice, but they also produce the most pollution per mile.
@@kenlewis2253 yeah, remember that next time you buy something made in China.
Oh, so you went from Holyhead then? 🥰
@@GrisouGismo Yep! Exactly! I stayed one night there and enjoyed it 🙂
I just came back from New Zealand a few weeks ago and their regional airports are what it was like pre 9/11. No security at all. You can walk right up to the gate. It was amazing.
Sounds wonderful. Too bad that in some other parts of the world you act do need some level of security and supervision. I do feel, however, that here in US we have taken things WAAYYY too far
I live in New Zealand and fly domestically regularly...it's a very easy process, just turn up and fly. The TSA in America makes flying such a drag
Same thing in Iceland, in-country air travel there is super chill
My friend forgot her suitcase on the plane, so I just walked out of the building onto the apron, went back to the plane and the flight attendant handed me the suitcase
@@Foreskinflavourednuts Tell that to the families of the people who jumped out of the top floor of the Twin Towers.
@@Cheximus I recommend watching 9/11 The New Pearl Harbor. It’s free here on YT
Great work again which is no surprise Mr. Hoffman, well done and thanks for the upload for a look many years back.
Thank you for uploading your infomercial! There are so many obscure videos sitting in peoples attics or garages in boxes on VHS and reel-to-reel. Every time one gets uploaded is exciting.
I agree. From time to time, people send me their old analog videos because I have the equipment to transfer everything at high quality. It is quite thrilling to see the old stuff.
David Hoffman filmmaker
The last guy sure nailed it. Super computers in our pockets that do it all and instant communication worldwide 🌐 👏 🙌
Thanks for taking us back David.
I grew up in the 90’s and even then I can remember being able to go meet your friend at the gate, or have your family waiting for you at the gate while you walk off the plane. All you had to do was go through security! Now it’s definitely more of a hassle, but if it helps prevent just one unnecessary death I’m okay with it.
Pre 911, i asked to see the cockpit and was allowed sit for a while and ask the copilot questions. Must have behaved well, cos i was invited back to the cockpit for the landing. I sat quiet as a mouse behind the copilot as they landed the jet, at night. Unforgettable experience and i'm still amazed and thankful to the staff who gave me that experience!
This footage doesn't only shows how people use to fly back then, but also normal people in a normal society. People who understood what they were allowed and not allowed to do. People that knew how to behave.
Well said 👏🏻.
I think it's mostly acted. Because it sounds a lot like an ad. Edit : I didn't read the description lol
@@subu_versus It might be. But if you ask old timers they'll tell you the same thing
poor man trying to be normal bcs society requires you to.. better be you, like these days you can
@@bass2092 what a surprise that older people tell you that people were better back then. They are not a very objective reference.
I feel like whether you were an adult living in the 60s, 70s, or a kid living in the 80s and 90s, or really anything in between, we are all looking back now for different reasons and will forever understand that thing can change before you know it, and you should appreciate and make the best of what you may not realize are amazing, miraculous times. Because one day we learn how ugly and chaotic things can get.
Lived in VA for 14 years until 2022, only about 20 minutes away from IAD. Even so, my jaw dropped seeing all the greenery surrounding the airport in the intro scene.
If you compare it to how it is today, it's almost unrecognizable.
You have captured such precious parts of our past.
The narrator seems so familiar. He’s THE voice of the 70s and 80s. I do think the people interviewed here would be shocked to know that, not only has air travel not improved, but the FAA and some of the airlines are using computer technology that is not much beyond what they had in 1979.
A lot of the people interviewed are still alive! In their 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's! 🤣
I bet that guy worked 40 hour weeks just doing commercials back then.
Sounds like Neil Ross
@@JohnLattier awesome, those old announcers were great
I'm not too old (50), but it's just day and night now. I actually miss the meals. I flew quite often in the 90s and have flown less than 10 times since 9/11. I try to drive or get a direct flight now because it really is a hassle and delays are eminant.
Thank you United techs, for making this video back in the day...
It was kinda enlightening really to see the people, the faces, the bygone era, and the simple times...
This is a fascinating video, thank you for sharing.
I grew up in an airline family. My favorite flight was STL to ORD on Ozark airlines. A quick 45 minute jaunt but they served a mini submarine sandwich with a split bottle of wine in a cute little basket. Fun video David!
My family was in charge of that.
@@texaswunderkind YUCK! Yeah I remember in general airplanes smelled really bad because of the smoking, constant food service and I don't think they were cleaned as well as they are now. Barf is one of the worst smells.
Ozark and their DC-9s?
I can remember multiple great moments in airports pre-9/11 that I’ll never experience again. One was the first time when my sister and I were really apart from our parents for any significant time, when they took their first trip to Europe in 1987. My sister and I were with my grandparents, and we followed them all the way to the gate to see them off. Then we waited by the window watching their plane pull away. It really helped us with the moment, and made it a little exciting for us too. Another moment was when I first moved away to go to college, moving from Michigan to Florida. My parents had helped me settle into my apartment, set up utilities, and generally get set up with things. I took them to the airport, and again followed them to their gate and watched until the plane had pulled away. I had never lived anywhere else in Michigan, much less another state in another region, and I knew it would be months until I saw them next, and that I was now totally on mg own. I can remember walking back through the terminal after their plane pulled away, feeling very nervous and sad about this, and teared up a little. But it was a better send off than if I would have simply dropped them on the curb outside the airport. I know flying is safer now, but pre-9/11 things were just so much more laid back. I do miss those days. It’s scary to think that you could have been on a flight so easily hijacked though. But just like school shootings, things like that just rarely ever happened or were thought of. I feel like the mental health of the world’s population was just better in some ways.
Everybody looked so chill and happy
To hear Peter Thomas' voice is always a sure way to fill me with joy. I used to listen to cassette tapes of stories he narrated. Casey Jones, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and any others I could get my hands on.
How neat to hear the people and places. I loved this one David ❤️
When I was a kid flying with my family to UK my dad asked the crew if I could see the cockpit and they let me up to view it. We were at cruise altitude at night full moon over the atlantic and it was such an amazing experience. Never could do that again.
Was it a clear sky
This was the year I was born. I remember when you could wait for people by the actual gate. I remember when cockpit doors were actually open the whole flight. Man, it's crazy to think how much things have changed.
All those old fellas sound so sensible thoughtful and clued in.
Im lucky to have experienced the last remnants of free America in the 90s. It must have been AMAZING to have been in your 20s and 30s in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Flying is terrible now. It used to be fun going to the airport and less of a hassle. And most airlines tried to treat you like a king on the flight. You could see people off at the gate and when they arrived.
You’re still flying 35,000 feet above the earth while sitting in a chair going 600 MPH, that will arrive. 2000 miles away in 4 hours. You’re a Greek God,
You're sitting on a chair IN THE SKY! YOU'RE FLYING! Stop complaining
This is beautiful
Just think that old guy interviewed was probably a child when the Wright Brothers made their 1st flight! He grew up alongside the start, rise and evolution of aviation. From the early biplanes in his youth, to the pinnacle of prop planes as young adult, to jets and then jetliners when he was middle age, and now here he is in his 70s the cost/novelty dropping enough that he is watching people catch a plane almost as easy as they would a bus. It must have been both fantastical and a tech whiplash for him to witness all this. Ive seen this a lot in these older interviews where the older generation is interviewed, they speak in an almost mystical bewildered awe about it all.
I was 15 on 9/11, and traveled by airlines several times in the 90s with my parents. It really was a different world. I'm still not sure if it's a blessing or a curse to have experienced how good things could be.
I was 17 for 9/11. We got a shitty hand. We have no memory of planes being pleasurable. Airlines were already deregulated in our conscious years and cost-cutting like crazy.
We thank Islam and it’s destructive Murdering followers for destroying our freedom and the pleasure of travel prior to 9/11. I am 62 and thank my lucky stars that as a young man life was so wonderful and free I would not want to live my youth today kids may have technology at their finger tips but what they will never have is freedom real freedom and that is a tragedy.
@@MikeLikesChannel Sure, flying in 1999 was nothing like it was in 1979 or 1969. But it was a LOT better than 2009. Especially with airport security vs TSA.
@@PsRohrbaugh with TSA pre it pretty much restores the pre 9/11 experience. I had work pay for it. One business trip and it lasts 5 years.
@@PsRohrbaugh You mean easier, not better. With increased international and domestic security risk with attempts to carry, trust me you'd rather have the excessive security now than what we had in 2009.
I remember those days even though I was pretty young back then. I remember family taking me to the airport and sitting with me until it was my turn to board the plane. I also remember once being late arriving to the airport with only minutes to spare and running through the airport to catch my flight. Would never make it now with TSA in the way. Even before 9/11 restrictions were being put in place. I remember hoping they would be short-lived restrictions, instead "security" only got tighter.
I remember when I was just a kid in the 1980s, my Dad used to take me to Newark International in NJ to watch the Planes. Back then you could literally walk up to the Gate without a Boarding Pass or going through a Security Check Point, and watch the planes landing and taking off. Short Term Parking was free too. Wonderful memories.
This was wonderful, thank you 😊
I was working at Krogers in 2001 when the twin towers went down, I was 24 years old. 1979 I was 3 years old. Thanks for sharing this video David Film maker 🎥🙂🎞️ I've never been on a plane also. I do road trip alot.
Road Trip >>> Flying!!! no doubt about it.
Try to have a time to do it at least once. Plan it out, pay good money for how you'll get there. Maybe even splurge out on business class tickets. I prefer a road trip, but something about the feeling of the plane shaking as it lifts up into the air is amazing.
I was only 9 when 9/11 happened, but I still remember flying before then. I remember being able to meet my mom or dad at the boarding gate. It meant being able to watch all of the planes taking off and landing while we waited. I remember always being able to go into the cockpit and meet the pilots who would show me the different instruments and what they did. I remember the less strict security. It makes me sad that we live in a world where kids can no longer experience these things.
I also remember my first year flying after 9/11. It was about 7 months after. Going through security was terrifying as a young kid. I felt like I had done something wrong.
This is why we must enjoy each moment to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised. 9/11 painfully taught me this also applies to the death of an era. 😪
I had just started first grade when 9/11 happened, but I do have some memories of airports before that time from when I was a really little kid. My mom used to go on a lot of business trips, and I remember whenever my dad and I would drop her off at the airport, we'd always walk with her all the way to the gate, watch her get on the plane, and we'd stand right there at the gate window waving as the plane took off. And then we'd be right there at the gate to see her walk off the plane when she came back home, too.
Thanks a lot, Osama.
Loved it keep it up you are an awesome videographer
I thought this exact thing as I just took a train ride. No stress on the exact size or weight of my luggage, no stress on my liquids inside, no going through endless screenings and lineups. Just show up 20-minutes early and board.
@@thekaren1111 You too, can be strapped Karen
@@thekaren1111 Don't you understand? That terror is irrational.
@@thekaren1111that's really silly.
@@magnusanderson6681 But it’s not. Mass shootings happen everyday. How is it irrational? If no one checks my bag I could bring anything on right? What’s to stop me? Or you? Or any horrible person?
I remember being able to get on the airplane and hug my grandmother when she landed around 1999.
hi carsondavis have you become a flat earther yet? If not I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
It was a crisp autumn day in 1979 when Sarah arrived at Dulles International Airport, her heart pounding with excitement. She was about to embark on her first international flight, and the prospect of visiting a foreign country was almost too much for her to bear.
As she made her way through the bustling airport terminal, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. She had never seen so many people in one place before, all bustling about their business, their voices blending into a cacophony of sound.
Sarah eventually made her way to the gate where her flight was departing from. It was a huge plane, one of the largest she had ever seen, and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous about boarding it. As she took her seat, she looked around at the other passengers, wondering where they were all headed and what adventures awaited them.
As the plane taxied down the runway, Sarah felt her heart skip a beat. This was it. She was really flying. The feeling of the plane lifting off the ground was exhilarating, and Sarah couldn't help but let out a little whoop of excitement.
As the plane climbed higher and higher into the sky, Sarah was treated to a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. The colors of the leaves on the trees below were a riot of red, orange, and gold, and the sun was setting in a blaze of pink and purple.
As the flight progressed, Sarah settled into her seat and tried to relax. She had brought along a book to read, but she found it difficult to concentrate on the words as the plane soared through the clouds.
Before she knew it, the flight attendants were announcing that they would be landing soon. Sarah peered out the window and was greeted by the sight of a glittering city below. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, and she felt a thrill of anticipation run through her.
As the plane touched down, Sarah gathered her belongings and made her way off the plane. She felt a sense of excitement and wonder at the thought of all the adventures that lay ahead, and she knew that this flight would be one that she would never forget.
Beautifully written. Looks like something that Chatgpt created.
David Hoffman filmmaker
As the son of a airline captain, I was able to experience sitting in the cockpit jumpseat during the flight and it was an amazing experience. We were also able to visit him in the crew area if we were flying and he was at work. Showing us the airport staff areas and around where he worked. Everything changed after 9/11, but I am glad I had the chance to experience it. :) Thanks pa
I watched a video of a pilot who let his child drive the plane and everything went terribly wrong. I saw this on mentor pilot yt page. Sorry when you said this it reminded me of that episode
I flew every year starting at 8 years old to visit my dad. At first the pilots showed me all the buttons and instruments, had dreams of being a pilot. Everything changed so fast.
This being Dulles is even better. I’ve flown out of Dulles 80+ times and all post 9/11. Oh those lines around the building for security stress me out to this day.
Even today, when I go to the airport, I look around and just wonder where everybody is going. That's not lost on me and I'm only in late 30s. It's still amazing despite it not being what it was.