Image

April 7, 2017 Original Story With US and UK authorities announcing a ban on iPads and other large electronic devices on flights to the Middle East, we recall what else was once permitted at 35,000 feet. 1. Smoke Ah, the golden age of flying. When air hostesses were glamorous, passengers were both dashing and polite, and fliers could enjoy an unfiltered cigarette with their G&T. Given that smoking is now banned in just about every public place in Britain, and the terror fears that grip the aviation industry today, it seems mad that air passengers were permitted to light up a Lucky Strike in the sky as recently as the 1990s. “Having a smoking section in the plane was like […]

By Robert Silk March 1, 2017 Original Story It’s just past 6:30 on a Saturday evening in Pacoima, Calif., in February, and a well-heeled crowd of approximately 60 people has gathered in an unsightly warehouse district in this San Fernando Valley town, 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, for a most unique dining experience. Jim Atwood, a recreational pilot and the chairman of the Wine & Food Society of Oregon, has traveled here from Portland with his wife, Dana. Rob Ekern of Phoenix has come with his date, Barb Cecrle, who lives in Tucson. Drake Bell lives locally, in the community of Silver Lake, and he’s arrived dudded in a garish blue suit that could only have come from […]

By Drake Bell February 21, 2017 Original Story

By Tina Malave February 5, 2017 Original Story LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Get out and do something fun today! Maybe you have guests from out of town, or you just want to do something you haven’t done before. Well, here is your must-do list covering everything from vintage cool to the futuristic! Union Station Union Station originally opened on May 7, 1939, and it has been brought back to its former glory. After the station was purchased by the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2011, it underwent serious renovations that maintain its original Deco style. Additionally, the Metro Art Presents series produced by the station is a must see for locals looking for a night out on the town […]

By Business & Commercial Aviation February 3, 2017 Original Story Talaat Captan is founder and CEO of Air Hollywood, an aviation-themed movie studio that has everything found at an airport—except planes that fly. The studios and props are used not only for entertainment purposes, but also to assist families living with autism overcome the anxiety of air travel by experiencing the process first through their Open Sky for Autism program. Read more of William Garvey’s interview: Questions for Talaat Captan, Founder & CEO Of Air Hollywood. http://s2.content.video.llnw.net/smedia/4afbdcc40baf44d3830c4f79d6b39567/ub/wvbnT0RIlnKC5GbSHXrk4-X4DNX--6WXvaeKAdQfs/february-2017-fast-five.mp4

By William Garvey January 25, 2017 Original Story Talaat Captan Founder & CEO Air Hollywood Los Angeles, California After civil war erupted in 1975, 17-year-old Captan decided to leave his native Lebanon and seek his future elsewhere. Once granted entry to the U.S., he quickly settled in California where he attended Palomar College. Invited by a college friend to assist in his distribution of VHS and Betamax films in 1980, he did so until another distributor offered him a job selling films internationally. Even though “they kept giving me movies nobody wanted,” he analyzed the tastes and expectations of his clientele and “was able to sell.” That success prompted him to launch his own distribution company and later to make […]

By Farley Elliott December 29, 2016 Original Story From plush seats to cart service, this dinner experience has all the nostalgia you could ask for Do you long for the days of the quality in-flight meal, when attendants would pass through ample airplane cabins serving food fit for kings — but at 10,000 feet? If you’re truly jonesing to relive the golden era of airline travel, all you have to do is head to the Valley for a seat inside the Pan Am Experience. You may have heard of the Pan Am Experience before — the limited-run dinner event has been happening on and off since 2014 — but you may not have actually driven out to Pacoima to make the […]

By Kathy Strong December 3, 2016 Original Story If you long for the nostalgic days of flying when passengers dressed up, wined and dined and enjoyed plenty of personal service, then now you can take a “fantasy flight” to relive a romantic era when flying was one of the best parts of your vacation. Before the long security lines, cramped seats and packaged food, airline travel was an experience, especially flying first class on Pan Am in the 1970s when comfort and service were a given. Pan Am’s famous jet-age blue globe logo has remained in our culture long after the airline’s demise in 1991 as a symbol of American belief in economic, technological and social progress. Now you can […]

By Bev Cohn November 19, 2016 Original Story Have you ever longed for the good old days when luxury travel was, well, luxury travel? Back in the day, there were no security lines or body scanners and whoever accompanied you to the airport, could actually sit with you at the gate until you were ready to embark. When you walked onto a Pam Am plane, let’s say, you were greeted with lovely, smiling hostesses who were not being distracted by cell phones and most cordially escorted you to your seat. Well folks, if you would like to relive that glorious time, I have just the spot for you. Air Hollywood, a well-known motion picture studio specializing in films requiring interior […]

By Michael Juliano November 14, 2016 Original Story We’ll spare you the hack airline jokes, and cut straight to the point: air travel is a stressful bummer. But one L.A.-based film studio has been adding luxury back to in-flight service by channeling the Golden Age of air travel for a retro dinner series in the Valley. The Pan Am Experience whisks Angelenos back to the 1970s with a dinner and cocktail series aboard an exact replica of a Boeing 747. No detail is spared, with a check-in desk, vintage memorabilia and service from flight attendants decked out in original Pan Am uniforms. Even though you never leave the ground, the experience doesn’t come cheap—Clipper Cabin tickets run $245 and First Class tickets […]