Celebrating 40 Years

   In 1975, air cargo celebrated every new terminal and aircraft. The day Trans International Airlines (TIA) and World Airways took delivery of their B747s, the press flew around the skies and everybody ate cake.
   Seaboard World Airways was in business at JFK and everybody loved Seaboard and we did too. After all, SWA, like Air Cargo News, was a New York, hometown original.
   Ike Dornfeld was JFK manager, Dick Judy was the boss in Miami, and Clifton Moore sat in the general manager’s office at Los Angeles.
   The three most important American airport managers at that point had more than 150 years experience combined and would last in their respective posts well into the 1980s.
   Pan Am was still a big presence.
   In 1975, the editorial idea of ACN was to cover the air cargo business as an objective, believable voice in air cargo.
   Right away we discovered that to be editorially objective meant that certain airlines and businesses in air cargo would take exception to some of our stories and comments and, in some cases, even withhold advertising in these pages.
   But we decided that our connection with the reader must be based on truth telling and reliability.
It is a trust that has become the foundation of our existence. We believe that the reader is a hell of a lot smarter than we are.
   While we are at times plainspoken, we are never mean spirited. In fact, most often we poke fun and might even run into occasional bad taste about things that we like, but it’s never with any malice.
Since 1975, we’ve learned that if you stay true to your readers, your publication will last.
   The very first Air Cargo News rolled off the presses at Tobay Printing Company in Massapequa-Long Island, New York. The press run was delivered to the JFK, LGA, and Newark air cargo “campus” via the cargo space in a 1973 Karmann Ghia convertible. That amounted to several trips with the top down in the frigid March 1975 weather.
   Headline news page one was “Pan Am Delivers and Brussels Sprouts” written by Tony Funnell. Tony, who passed away in 1997, was a PR type who loved women, smoking, drinking, and banging out copy for ACN. He also loved Pan Am . . . madly.
   Even after Pan Am furloughed him, Tony was still true blue.
   Tony, who had a rich baritone voice, brought a love of life to everything he did. Tony thought up the title for our news column—Pumping Traffic.
   Over the years we have been fortunate to have had a wonderful cadre of writers, photographers, and illustrators work with us . . . the great Ansel Talbert, Art Riley, Eddie Germano, Bob Juppe, Tom Hanrahan, Dick Logan, Milt and Elaine Caine, Guenter Mosler, Tirthankar Ghosh, SkyKing, Jens, Richard Malkin and now our own, Flossie, Ralph, and Emily Arend.
   Thinking back on it, we’ve also met some great people in our 40 years.
   Our first big advertiser was Japan Air Lines.
   The marketing manager for cargo advertising was Janet Morris.
   Janet was a most unlikely supporter of ours because she was straight as an arrow and in the beginning, ACN was definitely viewed by many as almost counter-culture, serving a market many thought was unimportant.
   ACN 1975 declared that the cargo airport, forwarders, and various supporting cast and crew were in need of coverage and we went about doing just that.
   In 1975, Janet and JAL Cargo believed in Air Cargo News and stood up for us by creating a sensational series of advertisements (one in this issue), which supported JAL Cargo’s staff at key gateways all over the USA.
   Sure, ACN discovered a market 40 years ago. In the beginning, it was JAL Cargo and ACN, all alone.
It’s doubtful that ACN would have made it without Janet Morris.
   Today, Janet Morris is happily retired somewhere. Talk about visionary lady pioneers of air cargo . . .
   Welcome to Air Cargo News/FlyingTypers’ 40th Anniversary Issue.
   This 64-page air cargo compendium reaches all the way back to when we began in 1975 (and a bit before that time). It may look complete, but our history remains a work in progress.
   Since we commenced publication in March 1975, we have always held open our editorial offering to include you, dear reader.
   If you have a particular memory or note, something we missed, or want to add some favorite pictures, share a video, anything that will help us tell the story, please send it to me and I will personally add your offering to our issue, no charge or obligation.
   We would also appreciate your comments.
   Thanks from the Arend family and very best wishes for Christmastide and Happy New Year 2016.
Geoffrey Arend