RETRO FLYER
JON PROCTOR level roadway that would separate arriving and departing passengers . As we walked around , the steel beams that would support the new roadway were being put into place . We stopped at the bookshop on our way back . The previous year , the Los Angeles Dodgers had stunned the New York Yankees in baseball ’ s World Series . My parents and I were big Dodgers fans , so when I asked to buy a book commemorating the Dodgers ’ triumph (“ The Los Angeles Dodgers : The Championship Year ”), Dad enthusiastically agreed .
We got to Gate 49 , from which our flight to Honolulu was due to depart , a few minutes before the inbound aircraft arrived from New York . One of the first passengers to deplane was sportscaster Howard Cosell , en route to Monterey to cover the US Open golf championship at Pebble Beach . The famous broadcaster was wearing a robin ’ s egg blue leisure suit and a yellow shirt . Instead of immediately heading to his connecting flight or the Admirals ’ Club , he stood in the lounge smoking a cigar and blowing smoke at everyone ; it seemed he wanted to call as much attention to himself as possible .
After the inevitable wait for cleaning and catering , we finally boarded and soon afterward were on our way . The Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel under LAX ’ s southern runways had yet to be reinforced to handle the weight of fully loaded 747s , so we were sent around the airport to take off on Runway 24L . As we taxied toward the runway , I could see foundation work underway for LAX ’ s future international terminal ( now the Bradley Terminal ) and Terminal 1 , both of which , like the reinforcements to the Sepulveda tunnel , were due to be completed ahead of the Olympics . After rotation , we passed over Playa del Rey beach , then climbed back into the June Gloom .
In 1982 , American offered no fewer than four entree choices to Economy Class passengers on flights between the mainland and Hawaii . Mom chose the Hawaiian fruit salad , while Dad and I enjoyed beef teriyaki ; both Mom and Dad had
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