A Brief Ride with the Jet Set

In the early summer of 1947, I think, I flew for the first time. James had a very wealthy patient (I may think of her family’s name sometime) and she and her husband were moving to upstate New York.

The elderly lady was quite ill and her husband was planning to fly her there in their private plane. I don’t know what kind it was, but it was BIG. She had her own nurse who was making the trip, and they wanted James to go along in case there was an emergency. He asked to take me along and they were glad for me to do that.

The patient was in a private compartment in the back of the plane. I never saw her except as they were putting her on and off the plane. I sat in a private area with a view and at one time, the pilot invited me to sit in the cockpit for a while.

When we arrived in upstate New York, the patient was taken to a hospital, and we were taken to a private home to spend the night. The home was huge and gorgeous. Servants everywhere. Later I learned that these people were friends of the Kennedys and the Bouviers.

They had made reservations for James and me at the Pierre Hotel facing Central Park. Someone took us in a convertible down to the City. James rode in the front with the man, and I nearly blew away in the back of that convertible, but of course, I didn’t complain. The scenery was beautiful! The rhododendrons were in full bloom and the beauty of them was breathtaking.
We arrived at the Pierre and were on our own. The suite that had been arranged for us was so nice, we hardly wanted to leave it. We strolled in Central Park, though, and went to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.

We also saw a play, but I don’t remember it. I remember how small the theater was. We were almost sitting on the stage. We flew home on a commercial airplane from New York. Quite a trip for those Texans!!