Customer Reviews

As Pistons Flew

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Back in 1944 Pan American began hiring women to join the men working as stewards. Jane Gottschall became one of the first women to work as a cabin attendant on Pan American World Airways and her narrative is about what it was like to fly international routes in the 1940s and 1950s. Gottschall's description of flying the job and leisure time also reveals aspects of "woman's place" in the world during the mid 20th century. For starters, the women in her cabin attendant instruction class were under 27 years of age and were required to be unmarried.
Women working the flight attendant job in the 1940s and 1950s had short tenure due, in part, to arbitrary no-marriage rules and their narratives and interviews often cover "snapshot" glimpses of their short careers. By contrast, Gottschall's account covers almost two decades and she relates experiences of global routes to Africa, Europe, the Asian sub-continent, and Asia. She gives personal insights as she shares her life, friendships, romances, and observations of a world that was on the brink of rapid change.
This reviewer found Gottschall's book informative and easy to read. As Pistons Flew is recommended for airline workers, historians, and readers interested in a special time and place when propeller driven airplanes offered the world's fastest transportation.
Georgia Nielsen, historian and author

Jane wrote a fascinating book about days when flying was a luxury and the world was just opening up to being explored. Her descriptions of places and events made you picture them in your mind. It seems that every trip was an adventure. No comparison to now, when the airplane is like a bus. I would recommend this book to anyone..............

For those who like to re-live history on the ground or in the air, this is your opportunity, through the eyes of one who lived it. AS PISTONS FLEW is a marvelous blend of nostalgia, real-life experiences, humor and history.

PanAm was a unique organization that never should have been allowed to die. This book reveals many of the governmental machinations that caused it to fail, despite valiant efforts by the company to stay airborne.

PanAm employees were a special breed, exemplified by the spunky former stewardess who authored this breezy book.

She could offer me "coffee, tea or milk?" anytime, and I regret that I will no longer have that opportunity.

By the way, although not mentioned in Jane Gottschall's book, did you know the one totally impossible aspect of that classic movie, "2001?" Although that date will arrive next year, there is no way that the smooth commercial flight to the Moon will occur as depicted in the movie...... The stewardess and the space vehicle were provided by PanAmerican.

A neglected piece of overseas air travel history told by one who experienced it first hand. Tales of commom people and celebrities, some pleasant and some not so pleasant, that shared travel in the more tedious era of propeller driven aircraft, before the jet age. The author tells a remarkable story and had a remarkable life, though not always a happy one. Its safe to say that she has seen the world,(and lived to tell about it). Especially the trips to the far east, which brings back memories of when I traveled to many of the same places, on the same types of propeller driven aircraft, when serving in the armed forces. (Though not as extensive an experience as the author has.) Worth reading.

From cover-to-cover, "As Pistons Flew" is a thoroughly enjoyable autobiography. Author Jane Gottschall, who was a stewardess for Pan American Airlines for many years (following WWII), quite candidly describes her many unique air voyages (and destinations) on some of the unique commercial passenger planes of the pre-Jet era (DC-3, DC-6B's, etc...)

Almost like reading a good Hollywood screenplay, Gotschall lures the reader from page one with an unexpected crash landing in Central American jungle. Although the peril facing our heroine (and author), diminishes a bit after the climactic opening, the pace of the story falls doesn't lag a bit.

In her descriptive narration, Gotschall includes fascinating cities and towns, which jump into imaginative clarity. People she meets, both casually and personally, are represented in a truthful tone and not painted with melodramatic color. One reason for this might be that the author had produced this book (pieced together from old journal entries) much later in her life, and the emotional tempest, which often shrouds youth, has somewhat abated. Her judgments and reflections in "...Pistons..." are carefully analyzed by the "older and wiser" Jane Gottschall of the 21st century, and not necessarily the carefree and adventurous youth depicted primarily here in the 1940's and 50's. In this sense, Gottschall is much more introspective with her prose, both in regards to people she encounters in the story and even herself. Gottschall's writing style is simple and straightforward; thankfully, the author appears to have no interest in trying to overwhelm the reader with narcissistic literary "catch-phrases" or pretentious dialogue (she could have you know, it's HER story to tell after-all).

Some of my more memorable quotes from "..Pistons.." **********

"Something about youth makes you believe that death is not today, nor tomorrow; maybe when you are old, but never today." (p. 16)

[On the heavy usage of DDT to kill insects] "Even after we had sprayed, local officials might come aboard and spray again. The spray could be so severe; it left clouds in the cabin. If DDT was discontinued after its deadly effect upon birds' eggs and animals, I wonder what it did to the lungs of humans? Perhaps the insects had the last laugh." (p. 37) ************

From cover-to-cover, "As Pistons Flew" was a thoroughly enjoyable autobiography. Author Jane Gottschall, who was a stewardess for Pan American Airlines for many years (following WWII), quite candidly describes her many unique air voyages (and destinations) on some of the unique commercial passenger planes of the pre-Jet era (DC-3, DC-6B's, etc...)

Almost like reading a good Hollywood screenplay, Gotschall lures the reader from page one with an unexpected crash landing in Central American jungle. Although the peril facing our heroine (and author), diminishes a bit after the climactic opening, the pace of the story falls doesn't lag a bit.

In her descriptive narration, Gotschall includes fascinating cities and towns, which jump into imaginative clarity. People she meets, both casually and personally, are represented in a truthful tone and not painted with melodramatic color. One reason for this might be that the author has written this book (pieced together from old journal entries) much later in her life, and the emotional tempest, which often shrouds youth, has somewhat abated. Her judgments and reflections in "...Pistons..." are carefully analyzed by the "older and wiser" Jane Gottschall of the 21st century, and not necessarily the carefree and adventurous youth depicted primarily here in the 1940's and 50's. In this sense, Gottschall is much more introspective with her prose, both in regards to people she encounters in the story and even herself. Gottschall's writing style is simple and straightforward; thankfully, the author appears to have no interest in trying to overwhelm the reader with narcissistic literary "catch-phrases" or pretentious dialogue (she could have you know, it's HER story to tell after-all).

Some of my more memorable quotes from "..Pistons.." ********** "Something about youth makes you believe that death is not today, nor tomorrow; maybe when you are old, but never today." (p. 16)

[On the heavy usage of DDT to kill insects] "Even after we had sprayed, local officials might come aboard and spray again. The spray could be so severe; it left clouds in the cabin. If DDT was discontinued after its deadly effect upon birds' eggs and animals, I wonder what it did to the lungs of humans? Perhaps the insects had the last laugh." (p. 37) ************

Six stars and more to Jane Gottschall who I never had the pleasure to meet. I read the entire book over one weekend, neglecting all my other tasks. This book was fascinating, humorous, exciting and held me spellbound as it took me back to my own years with PanAm's management. Having been in more than a hundred countries myself, I felt I was traveling with her on many of her journeys, to the same destinations, to some of the same accommodations and even a few of the same restaurants. We even met some of the same celebrities and took in many of the same sights. The book is accurate, honest and meticulously written. It is so sad for us who dearly loved PanAm and worked so hard and faithful to make it the best airline in the world to see it all end one day.

Jane Gottschall takes you with her all over the world with early Pan American Airways - the true pioneer in international air travel. She not only describes what it's like to fly all over, she takes you with her as she explores and lives all over the world. Her style is down to earth and crystal clear, and her tales are interesting - very interesting. She tells of a period of travel that will never happen again; true pioneering in aviation by one of the world's great airlines. Great read!

Jane Gottschall's memories, accumulated over an extensive period in the "good old days" (from a WW II pilot's point-of-view) tell a fascinating story from an entirely different perspective. In these days when passengers hardly notice when a Flight Attendant is assaulted in the aisles, it's hard to recall that these ladies were once held in high esteem by everyone, not just high- ranking professionals but by everyone who saw the pretty ladies in their snazzy uniforms whom everyone trusted to know and do the right thing no matter what the occasion. Families never hesitated to entrust their children to The Stewardess, even for long trans- oceanic passages.

This is an exciting tale with a romantic theme woven throughout leaving the reader wanting more. Sensibly, Gottschall terminates her tale as commercial aviation moved on into the jet age. For armchair adventurers or those who actually travel for fun and/or profit, this reader heartily recommends AS PISTONS FLEW.

JANE IS A VERY DEAR FRIEND OF MY WIFE & I FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS. WE HAVE HEARD MENEY OF THESE TALES FIRST HAND OVER THE YEARS FROM JANE. HER WORD PICTURES ARE MARVELOUS! WE BOTH READ THE BOOK AS SOON AS WE RECIEVED IT. IT IS AN OUTSTANDING PIECE OF FLYING HISTORY MADE MOST INTERESTING AS WELL AS BEING FACTUAL. I COULD GO ON & ON APLAUDING THE BOOK & AUTHER. IT WAS JUST A JOY TO READ!