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The incredible Pan Am Experience at Air Hollywood

The incredible Pan Am Experience at Air Hollywood

Old Sep 10, 2017, 12:55 pm
  #1  
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The incredible Pan Am Experience at Air Hollywood

A few weeks ago, Mrs. SFO777 made the mistake of asking me what I wanted to do for my birthday.

So... tonight we're off to "The Valley" and Air Hollywood, one of the movie industry's biggest suppliers of aviation props, airplane interiors, seating areas, fusilages for film scenes. Air Hollywood is owned by aviation geek Talaat Captan who teamed up with fellow geek and Pan Am obessed memorabilia collector Anthony Toth to recreate the glory days of Pan Am. The result is The Pan Am Experience, a wonderful 4 hour step back in time that includes a nostalgic Pan Am museum, Hollywood show and dinner on board an actual 747-200 rescued from the desert. The experience takes place every other Saturday evening at Air Hollywood's studios in Pacoima. This is one hard ticket to get and I lucked out when I discovered that someone had canceled their Upper Deck reservation on Friday. So we're off up the 405 for the 90 minute drive.



















Inside is a wonderful Pan Am museum and lounge for guests to mingle prior to "boarding". First stop was check-in where we selected our seats on the Upper Deck.







We enjoyed a cocktail and met some other people including a couple (she works for Lufthansa in NYC) that flew in from New York just for tonight.

































In addition to the actual old Pan Am seats, there was some wonderful Pan Am memorabilia on display.





































Cabin crew was announced and they made their entrance before boarding to prep our service tonight.





Boarding began around 7:30p. We boarded last as we stayed back to chat with amiable CEO Talaat Captan.










For more information on this fun experience, visit panamexperience.com

And for more pics and an HD version of this report, please visit SFO777.com where I've posted the onboard and dinner installment.
The Pan Am Experience on the Upper Deck of a 747-200

Will post to FT as soon as possible.
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 1:47 pm
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I never really liked Pan Am. I preferred TWA. I first flew them in 1966 from London to New York on a DC-8 because TWA was on strike. The meals were mediocre in economy. I will never forget the Swiss Miss desert they would serve in economy. A joke.

I did fly in First from New York to Honolulu in the mid 1980s. Nothing spectacular. However in F they offered complimentary helicopter service to JFK from the heliport on 61st street and 1st Avenue on New York Airways which was fun. Interesting exhibit.

I would have loved to fly on their Stratocruiser and a Flying Boat. I remember your report about this when you were in Ireland.

I will never forget Lucy on a Pan Am DC-7 from Rome to New York with a baby doll, pretending it was a real baby but it was cheese. It was one of the funniest Lucy shows I have ever seen.

http://lucille-ball.info/wp-content/...-love-lucy.png

Last edited by Bretteee; Sep 10, 2017 at 7:39 pm
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 1:58 pm
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Very cool, SFO777! Thank you for sharing. My wife and I when we were on vacation in Los Angeles last year thought possibly about doing this, but didn't once we discovered the price ... but it's something I definitely want to do sometime! Looks like you had a great time!
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 2:11 pm
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Happy Birthday.

Thanks for sharing this unique experience with us.
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 2:12 pm
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I read about it in a newspaper. Now I get the first Hand experience^
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 3:09 pm
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I used to fly Pan Am a lot, in the late seventies, in the eighties and in the very early nineties before it sold its European Routes to Delta. The photos brought back a lot of memories.

Thank you and Happy Birthday
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 3:23 pm
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Saw a recent YouTube visit to the experience as well. Thanks for the photos. Looks like a cool night out.

TheAAdmiral likes this.
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 7:40 pm
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Incredible
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 10:46 pm
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This is very cool! Thanks for sharing and Happy Birthday SFO777!
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 11:17 pm
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Happy Birthday. I have a decade birthday next year and thought about doing this. Opinions thoughts from the OP? How was the food?
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Old Sep 10, 2017, 11:45 pm
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Looks like a super cool experience, SFO777.

You'll be happy to know that Pan Am will be still flying in the year 2049, at least according to the Blade Runner movie anyway.
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Old Sep 11, 2017, 2:14 am
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That's a very nice experience and great way to spend the evening for an aviation enthusiast!

Good to know how your wife is so accommodating for it as well! Hope she enjoys that experience as you did!
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Old Sep 11, 2017, 4:10 am
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This is a really well run production, and I thoroughly recommend it if you can get tickets. ^
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Old Sep 11, 2017, 7:04 am
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Wow! And a belated Happy Birthday! :-:
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Old Sep 11, 2017, 8:11 am
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Originally Posted by Bretteee
I never really liked Pan Am. I preferred TWA. I first flew them in 1966 from London to New York on a DC-8 because TWA was on strike. The meals were mediocre in economy. I will never forget the Swiss Miss desert they would serve in economy. A joke.
I did fly in First from New York to Honolulu in the mid 1980s. Nothing spectacular. However in F they offered complimentary helicopter service to JFK from the heliport on 61st street and 1st Avenue on New York Airways which was fun. Interesting exhibit.
I would have loved to fly on their Stratocruiser and a Flying Boat. I remember your report about this when you were in Ireland.
I will never forget Lucy on a Pan Am DC-7 from Rome to New York with a baby doll, pretending it was a real baby but it was cheese. It was one of the funniest Lucy shows I have ever seen.
http://lucille-ball.info/wp-content/...-love-lucy.png
Thanks very much Bretteee. I would have loved to have flown on the old flying boat Clipper.
Amazing to see them promoting it as cutting the travel time to Asia from 28 to 7 days! Some of those old Lucy shows were hilarious.

Originally Posted by 757
Very cool, SFO777! Thank you for sharing. My wife and I when we were on vacation in Los Angeles last year thought possibly about doing this, but didn't once we discovered the price ... but it's something I definitely want to do sometime! Looks like you had a great time!
Thank you 757. Yeah, agree that at $490 to $690 a couple, it is a little pricey.

Originally Posted by Martina70
Happy Birthday.
Thanks for sharing this unique experience with us.
Thank you very much Martina70.

Originally Posted by offerendum
I read about it in a newspaper. Now I get the first Hand experience^
Thanks offerendum. You should try it next time your are in LA.

Originally Posted by londonfog
I used to fly Pan Am a lot, in the late seventies, in the eighties and in the very early nineties before it sold its European Routes to Delta. The photos brought back a lot of memories. Thank you and Happy Birthday
Thank you very much londonfog. It is pretty nostalgic especially with their amazing attention to detail.

Originally Posted by ne52
Saw a recent YouTube visit to the experience as well. Thanks for the photos. Looks like a cool night out.
It was indeed. Thanks ne52.

Originally Posted by adampenrith
Incredible


Originally Posted by benjahman
This is very cool! Thanks for sharing and Happy Birthday SFO777!
Thank you benjahman.

Originally Posted by JHIN
Happy Birthday. I have a decade birthday next year and thought about doing this. Opinions thoughts from the OP? How was the food?
Thanks so much JHIN. I loved it. Mrs. SFO777 not so much. You have to be an aviation geek to really enjoy. The food was just OK and the wines meh. Fine dining it certainly is not. But then again, it was more about the experience and probably about what airline food tasted like 40 years ago. If you do this next year, make sure you book the Main Deck First Class seats, and well in advance.

Originally Posted by DanielW
Looks like a super cool experience, SFO777.
You'll be happy to know that Pan Am will be still flying in the year 2049, at least according to the Blade Runner movie anyway.
LOL on the 2049 Pan Am thing. Thanks DanielW.

Originally Posted by quirrow
That's a very nice experience and great way to spend the evening for an aviation enthusiast! Good to know how your wife is so accommodating for it as well! Hope she enjoys that experience as you did!
Thanks you quirrow. Mrs. SFO777 was a good sport... for a while. Let's just say that she was happy to finally leave.

Originally Posted by Majuki
This is a really well run production, and I thoroughly recommend it if you can get tickets. ^
Agree. It was very creative and more like a dinner theatre show. Lots of fun.

Originally Posted by jlemon
Wow! And a belated Happy Birthday! :-:
Thank you jlemon. I appreciate it.
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