Have you ever been board on an airplane? Well stop your whining, because before wi-fi, direct tv, movies, and mp3 players–passengers flew with zero access to multimedia. Come to think of it, multimedia didn’t really exist when man first began utilizing airplanes as a mode of commercial transportation. Fast foward to today’s commercial flights and you will find more entertainment than your own living room. But how did we arrive at this point? How did commercial airline evolve their entertainment over time, and what are the next breakthoughs of commercial aviation entertainment?
I love live music and hate flying, but I have a strong feeling that if I were able to experience them together, I may just change my option on the latter. Well lucky for me, an amp, a drum kit, in-flight PA system, and some all star talent is all it takes to get a rock and roll show all to yourself on your private jet.
Imagine flying at 40,000 feet and instead of watching in-flight entertainment on the back of the seat in front of you, the in-flight entertainment is performing live!
The idea of experiencing an in-flight concert is incredible when you consider what the history of in-flight entertainment has been. Dating all the way back to pre WW1, in-flight entertainment was considered looking out the window on Zeppelin “sight seeing tours.” Soon after that in 1936 the German airship, Hindenburg offered a piano lounge on its two and half day trek to the United States.
After WW2, food and drink services were offered to passengers with the occasional projector movie on lengthy flights, however it wasn’t until the 60’s that in-flight entertainment became mainstream. In 1961 the first ever feature film, “By Love Possessed” was shown on a regular commercial airline flight.
By 1963 pneumatic headsets were developed, which were basically hollow tubes that echoed sounds into each seat console. These early forms of in-flight headsets were a far cry from contemporary sets, and it wasn’t until 1979 that their electronic predecessors took over. The early 80’s touted in-flight entertainment that vaguely resembles what we see today, and by the end of the decade the first in-seat audio/video on demand system was installed- an early precursor to the beloved JetBlue TVs.
Today we see LCD screens, in-flight on demand centers, and personal entertainment options that sometimes rival those in our very own homes. Clearly, in-flight entertainment has grown exponentially, yet only a few have approached, what could be considered, the final frontier.
In 2006 global air charter company, Air Partner embarked on that frontier when they broke into the rock-and-roll market and subsequently took in-flight entertainment to a whole new level. Operational expertise, and knowledge of the industry enabled them to pull off Korn’s mid-flight rock-and-roll show at 40,000 feet for 60 passengers, including eight US soldiers who were heading home from service overseas.
In 2010, Air Partner did it again with James Blunt’s record-breaking performance at 42,000 feet above the North Sea. Blunt’s performance broke the Guinness World Records for highest concert performed, and was a treat to the 150-strong audience who accompanied him on the Boeing 767.
Thinking back on the history of in-flight entertainment, it truly amazes me that feats like this can even be achieved. Regardless of my distaste for Korn and James Blunt, a live show in a Boeing 767 is pretty unbelievable when you really think about.
-Arielle
