Alistair Gordon

So it was sort of an attempt to humanize a place that seemed so inhuman to me.

What's the beginning of the story? That took a long time to figure out. It was Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh, flying into Paris.

What's the beginning of the story? That took a long time to figure out. It was Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh, flying into Paris.

What's the beginning of the story? That took a long time to figure out. It was Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh, flying into Paris.

Lindbergh was literally a barnstormer, right? So he's this guy who's an incredibly youthful, athletic, handsome American taking off from Long Island where he barely got over the trees.

Lindbergh was literally a barnstormer, right? So he's this guy who's an incredibly youthful, athletic, handsome American taking off from Long Island where he barely got over the trees.

Lindbergh was literally a barnstormer, right? So he's this guy who's an incredibly youthful, athletic, handsome American taking off from Long Island where he barely got over the trees.

And he comes in, and when he's trying to land, it's at night, and he couldn't believe that Bourget, Le Bourget, which was the first big urban airport in Paris, he couldn't believe that it was an airport because it looked too big. He thought it was a factory. He thought he was about to land at a factory or something. And it was this huge, you know, incredibly well-designed airport.

And he comes in, and when he's trying to land, it's at night, and he couldn't believe that Bourget, Le Bourget, which was the first big urban airport in Paris, he couldn't believe that it was an airport because it looked too big. He thought it was a factory. He thought he was about to land at a factory or something. And it was this huge, you know, incredibly well-designed airport.

And he comes in, and when he's trying to land, it's at night, and he couldn't believe that Bourget, Le Bourget, which was the first big urban airport in Paris, he couldn't believe that it was an airport because it looked too big. He thought it was a factory. He thought he was about to land at a factory or something. And it was this huge, you know, incredibly well-designed airport.

In terms of history of airport evolution, the Europeans were way ahead of Americans. In Europe, there was this sort of tradition of beautiful urbanistic railroad stations, and they kind of adapted that for their first airports. Most American airports were barns, you know, or hangars with nothing. Maybe there was a little room put aside in one of the hangars for passengers to sit and wait.

In terms of history of airport evolution, the Europeans were way ahead of Americans. In Europe, there was this sort of tradition of beautiful urbanistic railroad stations, and they kind of adapted that for their first airports. Most American airports were barns, you know, or hangars with nothing. Maybe there was a little room put aside in one of the hangars for passengers to sit and wait.

In terms of history of airport evolution, the Europeans were way ahead of Americans. In Europe, there was this sort of tradition of beautiful urbanistic railroad stations, and they kind of adapted that for their first airports. Most American airports were barns, you know, or hangars with nothing. Maybe there was a little room put aside in one of the hangars for passengers to sit and wait.

But the Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan, was the first that I could find. Comprehensively designed American airport. Had a terminal that was just for passengers. So you weren't in danger of being, you know, chopped in half by propellers and stuff. Was that happening? Were people getting chopped in half by propellers? Yeah, it was dangerous. Also, you know, there were so many crashes.

But the Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan, was the first that I could find. Comprehensively designed American airport. Had a terminal that was just for passengers. So you weren't in danger of being, you know, chopped in half by propellers and stuff. Was that happening? Were people getting chopped in half by propellers? Yeah, it was dangerous. Also, you know, there were so many crashes.

But the Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan, was the first that I could find. Comprehensively designed American airport. Had a terminal that was just for passengers. So you weren't in danger of being, you know, chopped in half by propellers and stuff. Was that happening? Were people getting chopped in half by propellers? Yeah, it was dangerous. Also, you know, there were so many crashes.

I mean, it was pretty horrible. You know, there was a good chance the plane was going to crash and you were dead. So people were very, very... nervous about flying.

I mean, it was pretty horrible. You know, there was a good chance the plane was going to crash and you were dead. So people were very, very... nervous about flying.

I mean, it was pretty horrible. You know, there was a good chance the plane was going to crash and you were dead. So people were very, very... nervous about flying.

I mean, basically, the first commercial air travel in America was the mail service because you could make money from the government carrying air mail. And passengers were almost like a second thought. Most of them in the beginning were salesmen, you know, who could beat out the guy taking the train to Detroit by flying there, but at a risk, at a huge risk, right?