LUFTHANSA AIRLINES HISTORY & PROMOTIONAL FILM GERMANY TIME FLIES XD30294

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Lufthansa presents “Time Flies,” a 1960s color promo film on the history of the German airline. Narrated by Frank Blair, the film is not only about commercial aviation but also about the “conquest of the air.” “In man’s never ending struggle for more time, the conquest of the air has made the clock, rather than the calendar, time’s cardinal measurement,” says Blair at mark 01:25.

Aviation history moved swiftly, the narrator explains starting 01:40, from the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 through developments needed in World War I. As he speaks, scenes of vintage Lufthansa airplanes flash across the screen. In an unsettled Europe following World War I, the need for a more “instantaneously” way to deliver mail, passengers, and other services developed. Enter small, private air services in most European nations. “It took a letter five days to go 250 miles from Berlin to the new republic capital of Weimar,” the narrator explains at mark 02:16. In 1919, the first air service in Germany reduced that time to four hours.

By 1924 there were over 30 airlines in Germany alone, each competing for the very limited business available. To fix the problem, airlines from individual countries merged to form a “national brand.” On January 6, 1926, Deutsche Luft Hansa was formed. (The name of the company was derived from Luft, the German word for “air,” and Hansa, a Latin term meaning “guild.”)

“Europeans were no longer distant neighbors,” Blair says at mark 03:58. As the film shows major European cities by air, the viewer is reminded that the Alps were no longer a barrier, and that glamorous cities such as London, Paris, and Rome were now brought closer to the German people. In the 1930s, Lufthansa introduced passengers to the Junkers G.38, shown as mark 04:55, a “modern” passenger aircraft that featured passenger lounges in the wings as well as a dining room. Scenes from inside the airplane are shown as the narrator discusses the accommodations for 32 passengers.

All that needed to be conquered was the Atlantic — its expanse prohibiting save commercial travel between Europe and North America. A temporary solution was found in 1934 with the development of a route from Europe to South America, at mark 07:20. The route took passengers from Berlin to the west coast of the African continent. After refueling onboard a ship at sea, it continued on to a final stop in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The route was completed by the Junkers Ju 52, tri-motor transport aircraft. The trip took four days.

As air travel became a more accepted means of transportation, the film applauds Lufthansa for helping fledgling airlines from other country get over their crowing pains, the announcer explains at mark 12:10, with the national airlines of China, the Soviet Union, Spain, and many South American airlines all owing a debt of gratitude to the company. The company also extended service to Tokyo following development of the Focke-Wulf Fw200 Condor in the late 1930s. (Ironically, the aircraft would also be used as a military transport by the Axis Powers during World War II).

At mark 13:00, the film explains that during World War II, airlines such as Lufthansa were absorbed by their respective governments for military operations. In 1955, however, the company (headquartered in Cologne) once again took to the air, resuming commercial flights across Europe and to the United States mainly using DC-3 aircrafts. As had been the case prior to the war, “the traveler was offered the finest in food, service, relaxation, and comfort,” it’s noted at mark 15:50.

The 1960s brought with it the jet age, with Lufthansa utilizing the Boeing 707, and later the Boeing 720 and Boeing 727. Still a marvel at the time the film was produced, the film shows several angles of a jet gliding through the air as the announcer proclaims at mark 18:45 that “40,000 feet in the air, the jet is in a world of its own. Above the weather, smoothly without noise or vibration, it streaks across continents and oceans at 600 miles per hour.”

“You’ll enjoy your jet flight,” the viewer is reassured at mark 22:20. “The cabin is big and during the day light and airy with plenty of windows for everyone. The mood subtly changes as the soft indirect light infuse the flight cabin with a warm and friendly atmosphere of a private club.” All the while, passengers enjoy cocktails and smoke cigarettes while stewards in tuxedos cater to every need and serve dinner on white linen tablecloths.


This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com