Watching: 6 1/2 Magic Hours

Overview

A celebration of transatlantic commercial jet travel: 6.5 hours from New York to London. Columbus took two months, Lindbergh took 33 hours, but by 1954, Pan-Am's Boeing 707 Jet Clipper flew 575 miles per hour at 35,000 feet, crossing the ocean in less than seven hours with twice as many passengers as prop planes. The flight begins at a new terminal at Idlewild; cargo and mail go on first; the flight is comfortable, vibration and anxiety free, with good food, capacious restrooms, and little noise. The result is a more restful flight and more time at one's destination. After a preview of London, the film ends with a quick visit to Paris, only seven hours from New York.