BOAC The Golden Age of Flying

Philip Hogge first learned to fly in 1958 by completing a gliding course with the Air Cadets. He then obtained an RAF Flying Scholarship while still at school and learned to fly a Tiger Moth, gaining his Private Pilot’s Licence. In 1962 he joined BOAC where he flew the Britannia 312 (the last propeller service across the Atlantic), then Brooklands built VC10s, Boeing 707s and eventually 747s. He was Flight Training Manager on 707s and then 747s, before becoming Chief Pilot on 747s, and finally GM Flight Operational Services in British Airways’ flight operations department.
Airline flying in the 1960s was still an era of glamour, adventure and excitement in what Phil fondly recalls as the Golden Age of Flying. He has written two volumes of short stories in which he recalls, in fictional form, the challenges and enjoyment he and his colleagues shared in those days.

[@alberciik]

Brilliant. Thanks for posting this. This throws me back into sweet nostalgia, when I joined British airways in 1994. Although it’s much later than BOAC, the BA of 1994 still resembled BOAC much more than, than the low cost mass transport BA of today. People would STILL dress up to come on the airplane, and in economy, even there they put much nicer clothes than what you see today. We had wonderful amazing long trips, with plenty of time off down route like 10 day Seychelles, 10 day Harare, 10 day Lusaka, just there and back, that’s all. Then 21 day australia New Zealand trips, or 12 day Rio de Janeiro Santiago de Chile trips, with plenty of time down route. And the crew still had the old BOAC pay and conditions, and the proper time off after trips, and this amazing old BA / BOAC LEGACY CULTURE , which later, with the arrival of willie Walsh , just fell apart. What a shame. But what wonderful years I’ve head flying all over the world on long haul with BA for about 20 solid years , before it started to fall apart culture wise like I said during the seven years after.

[@davidlibby5740]

First time flew BA151/LHR/ANU/BGI on Saturday 06 July 1974 aged 19 years.
I was in the airline industry and was able to fly as staff. I still regarded it as BOAC during that time. Fantastic service, incredible meals in economy and we viewed a film during the flight with plastic ear phones. A superb flight!
Thank you British Airways/BOAC Boeing 707 service.🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@davegrace7979]

Phil Hogge was a highly respected manager in British Airways and for various reasons, no one had more respect for him than me.

[@jonathansmeth2501]

Thoroughly enjoyed.
My first ever experience of BOAC was on a B 707 from London to Hong Kong Kai Tak in the 1960s where as a young child I vaguely remember the Middle East and Far East stops en route together with my brother and I being spoilt to bits by the stewardesses who so I was told made little beds up for us in the back luggage parcel section of the aircraft.
And in the 70s I remember the BOAC Super VC10s on the Heathrow Antigua route and the AC ceiling unit frequently leaking above the passengers heads and the cabin crew rushing to mop it up.

[@eamonnosullivan5412]

Fantastic lecture ! My Dad was a BOAC ground engineer and later a flight engineer with Kuwait Airways. I remember how glamorous flying was in those days.