The Only Way to Fly

I was born and raised in West Valley City. My childhood years are from the late 1970s through the 1980s. In our neighborhood alone we had three fathers working for Western Airlines.

The Only Way to Fly.

During Western’s prime it seemed everyone knew at least one person who worked for the airline. I still remember when the D Concourse was made especially for them. I could still remember the new smell of that exciting terminal. Pre-security days, I remember being able to have access to the baggage belts, the ramp area and the planes with escort of my friends dad who worked on the ramp. The glory years of “KSLC” for me were the final years of Western Air Lines. April 1, 1987, remains a sad day for me. It makes the end of an era and a depressing change for many of my friends parents who worked for the airline. A bitter sweet day for me as I would eventually have a long career with Delta shortly after high school graduation in 1992, which was another unique time for SLC as the third runway was under construction.

– Michael B.