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Yesterday, through Open House New York, the iconic TWA Flight Center at Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport was open to the public for four and one-half hours. TWA was the first airline I remember having an account with and earning miles with. Walking around the terminal brought back so many memories. The design is phenomenal – Saarinen was a genius! It was a special day.
I am sharing the photos in two formats – first, all photos one-by-one and then (scroll down) to view the photos in gallery format. A third possibility would be a slideshow format. Please tell me what you prefer, as this is a work in progress and I learn from your comments.
Now, here are the photos in gallery format:
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A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
Kathy,
You cannot imagine how much I enjoyed these photos! I am so sad I was not in NY for this event!
I have so many fond memories of this building. My dad worked for TWA for 44 years, and I was a child when the building was constructed. He was so proud of the new terminal, although to be fair he spent more of his time in the TWA hangars, where he started as a mechanic and worked his way up, eventually to a regional management position.
The first flight I remember taking – to SFO on a constellation – left from Idlewild Airport, but my first international flight took off from the new TWA terminal, just months before Idlewild would be renamed to honor the recently deceased JFK.
Because we flew non-rev, many hours were spent at the terminal, hoping that there would be enough seats to enable our family of 4 to take the trip we’d planned. More than once the plane left without us, and sometimes dad had to get permission from the pilot to sit in the jump seat in the cockpit because there were only 3 seats. I am sure that would not be permitted today! Upgrades were easy in those days. Non-revs were often moved into First as a courtesy, but in later years we had to pay all of $10 to guarantee a coast to coast upgrade!
As you captured in your photos, the building made headlines around the world. Like the Panam Terminal, it was an amazing feat of design and engineering. I remember my dad explaining that they had to pour the concrete around the clock until it was completed. I had forgotten the little grey tiles that were also used, but one quick glance at your photo of the stairs and they came back to me too.
It sounds like it was great fun to see the building again. Thanks for providing me a virtual tour too!
I am so honored to have you as a friend. Thank you so much for reading this blog and for your valuable contributions.
Aw…. thanks. You too!