Mike Kinsler had asked about his memory image of a piano-equipped
passenger lounge on a Boeing 747 airplane.  Today I did some investi-
gation with a "Boeingite" and learned that Mike's memory likely isn't
faulty.

Among the first 747s delivered, Pan-Am, TWA and United received
planes with passenger lounges.  This would have been about 1969.
United, on the New York to L.A. run, added pianos to some of their
lounges.  Initially these lounges were upstairs, but some slightly
later models had a bar & lounge on the main deck in the first class
section.

It would not have been necessary for the piano to be especially
lightweight.  A spinet piano weighs no more than a particularly plump
passenger (or two scrawny ones) and could have been just about any
regular spinet.  Although Boeing attached them to the floor, the pianos
were purchased by United, not by Boeing, so I don't know the brand.

In view of airline executives'  penchant to pinch pennies, I suspect
that these pianos were bought from whoever gave them the best deal
(read: 'lowest price').  Wurlitzer and/or Aeolian would be prime
suspects.

For further trivia, I learned that Continental Airlines had the
"Pub Flight" where they had some DC-10s outfitted with complete pubs
in the center of the aircraft for use by both first class and economy
passengers.  Continental didn't have pianos on these flights.

Dean Randall
in currently rainless Tacoma, on Puget Sound
mailto:pianolists@earthlink.net