Okay--another history lesson--How many people know--remember-- or care about Berlin in the 50 years following WW2? The "Berlin Wall", and the
"Berlin Airlift" was the defining relationship between the big powers. There was a 750 mile wall running pretty much down the middle (?) of Germany
separating East Germany, and West Germany, extending from the North Sea down to roughly Austria---and Berlin was an island 110 miles inside
that wall in East Germany--The "Berlin Wall was built to enclose all of West Berlin, it's 3 airports and it's million -inhabitants, There were 3 hi-ways and rail lines out of Berlin through East Germany to west Germany. One, roughly south to Frankfort.
Another hi-way west to the Rohr Valley, and another hi-way went north to Hamburg--They were "corridors", lined on each side with walls/barbed
wire and guarded the whole length.
There were 3 "air corridors" above following roughly the same routes. I was based in Berlin with Pan American,from 1981 to 1989, and flying those routes
in and out of Berlin--traffic control was very regulated--9,000 ft altitude eastbound, and 10,000 ft altitude west bound. Being watched by
the Russians on radar--making sure we don't do a "runner", and cause an international incident! Every once in a while, a Russian fighter jet
would come up and fly along side and wave--They were just practicing their "interception" procedures.
The "Berlin Airlift" was the real test between Russian and the 3 western powers US--Britain, and France. In 1947 or so, the Russians instituted
the "Berlin Blockade", closing all road and rail routes in and out of Berlin-- to "freeze" us out. The western powers responded with the "Airlift", at first it was a
logistical nightmare--Berlin needed over 10,000 tons of food, fuel, coal and everything that Berlin needed for it's million or so residents every day.
Several airfields in West Germany were used by the 3 powers to fly supplies to 3 airports in west Berlin--"Air Traffic" control was very
primitive--and to make the airlift work, airplanes had to shuttle in from the various West German airports with a landing at a
Berlin airports every 90 seconds.
The airplanes would land, taxi to an unloading pad, keep the engines running--hundreds of workers would unload, and it's back to their
supply airport. If an airplane missed their approach due to bad weather--they had to "pull up", join the outbound traffic and go back to
the airport they started from--with their full load, refuel, join the "queue", and try again--Yes there were accidents--weather is very bad in
Berlin in the winter--I know, I flew in and out of Berlin for 6 or 7 winters! Finally around 1949--Russia gave up--opened up the corridors,
and that ended "phase one" of US-Russia "entente".
I retired from Pan Am and left Berlin in 1989 age 54 (things to do)--the Berlin wall fell in Oct 1989 and Pan Am
went out of business in 1991, and the slow re-unification of East and West Germany began.
"Wikipedia" has a good article on the "Berlin Blockade"--good info--we can access the article since we are all staying at home.
Maybe my car parts will come tomorrow, then I can get off this "reliving the past" bit!
"Berlin Airlift" was the defining relationship between the big powers. There was a 750 mile wall running pretty much down the middle (?) of Germany
separating East Germany, and West Germany, extending from the North Sea down to roughly Austria---and Berlin was an island 110 miles inside
that wall in East Germany--The "Berlin Wall was built to enclose all of West Berlin, it's 3 airports and it's million -inhabitants, There were 3 hi-ways and rail lines out of Berlin through East Germany to west Germany. One, roughly south to Frankfort.
Another hi-way west to the Rohr Valley, and another hi-way went north to Hamburg--They were "corridors", lined on each side with walls/barbed
wire and guarded the whole length.
There were 3 "air corridors" above following roughly the same routes. I was based in Berlin with Pan American,from 1981 to 1989, and flying those routes
in and out of Berlin--traffic control was very regulated--9,000 ft altitude eastbound, and 10,000 ft altitude west bound. Being watched by
the Russians on radar--making sure we don't do a "runner", and cause an international incident! Every once in a while, a Russian fighter jet
would come up and fly along side and wave--They were just practicing their "interception" procedures.
The "Berlin Airlift" was the real test between Russian and the 3 western powers US--Britain, and France. In 1947 or so, the Russians instituted
the "Berlin Blockade", closing all road and rail routes in and out of Berlin-- to "freeze" us out. The western powers responded with the "Airlift", at first it was a
logistical nightmare--Berlin needed over 10,000 tons of food, fuel, coal and everything that Berlin needed for it's million or so residents every day.
Several airfields in West Germany were used by the 3 powers to fly supplies to 3 airports in west Berlin--"Air Traffic" control was very
primitive--and to make the airlift work, airplanes had to shuttle in from the various West German airports with a landing at a
Berlin airports every 90 seconds.
The airplanes would land, taxi to an unloading pad, keep the engines running--hundreds of workers would unload, and it's back to their
supply airport. If an airplane missed their approach due to bad weather--they had to "pull up", join the outbound traffic and go back to
the airport they started from--with their full load, refuel, join the "queue", and try again--Yes there were accidents--weather is very bad in
Berlin in the winter--I know, I flew in and out of Berlin for 6 or 7 winters! Finally around 1949--Russia gave up--opened up the corridors,
and that ended "phase one" of US-Russia "entente".
I retired from Pan Am and left Berlin in 1989 age 54 (things to do)--the Berlin wall fell in Oct 1989 and Pan Am
went out of business in 1991, and the slow re-unification of East and West Germany began.
"Wikipedia" has a good article on the "Berlin Blockade"--good info--we can access the article since we are all staying at home.
Maybe my car parts will come tomorrow, then I can get off this "reliving the past" bit!
Last edited: