1930-luvun lentomatkailu Suomessa ulkomaalaisten silmin

[Martti Kujansuu 180]

1930-luvulla alkoi ilmestyä aikaisempaa enemmän ulkomaalaisten matkalijoiden kirjoittamia matkakirjoja Suomesta. Eräissä näissä on myös kuvattu lentomatkailua Suomeen tai Suomessa. Yritän etsiä tähän ketjuun juuri tälläisiä kertomuksia. Ensimmäisenä lainaus yhdysvaltalaisen Sydney A. Clarkin vuonna 1938 ilmestyneestä kirjasta Finland on $50. Sivuilta 14-16:

 

Air travel is a subject dear to my heart. I love it and seize every reasonable or slightly unreasonable change to indulge in it. Particularly do I love the flight from Stockholm above the inner and outer Swedish skerries, above the blue Baltic, which becomes a mere ribbon crossed in fifteen minutes, above Mariehamn, chief port of the Ålands, and so above endless Finnish isles and crinkled channels to the landing at Turku, whence a further hop of three quarters of an hour carries one to Helsinki. A gorgeous flight is this and gorgeously various in aspect, the last lap over forest, waterway and country town giving one a fair cross-section of all Finland. From Helsinki's air port, with its brand new buildings, the company takes passengers by bus in a half hour's beautiful ride to its central office on the Esplanade, a pebble's toss from the capital's chief hotels.

 

The cost of this flight (Fm 970 one way), involving only two hours in the air and fifteen minutes relaxation in the hilltop kahvila (café) of Turku's air port, is more than twice that of the 21-hour steamer trip but it leaves a picture of incomparable clarity and thrilling beauty in the mind's eye.

[...]

I like the silver beauty and the humming power of the great liners of the air which weave their threads of travel between the flowered lowlands and the north. I like their comfort and their visibility downward where you want it. I like the no-tip system which is so rigorous that the stewardess even writes "no tips" in longhand on her bill for the light refreshments you have ordered en route. But most of all I like the glamorous flight itself. At the customs office (tulli) in Helsinki, ultimate goal of the flight, I like the manner of the customs guards. The very jolly and corpulent man whom I encountered on both occasions said to me in English, "Excuse me, sir. Would you mind opening your bag?" That would-you-mind seemed in itself worth of the price of air admission to the White City of the North.

[Martti Kujansuu 180]

Clark jatkaa kertomustaan Suomen lentomatkailusta sivuilla 93-94:

 

As late as 1936 Finland had to report in its Year Book "Air traffic within Finland is still at the planning stage." Only the stretch between Helsinki and Turku, a part of the international Stockholm-Finland route, was available to passenger traffic. But very rapidly plans developed into planes and these were flying over three regular intra-Finland routes. One may now travel from Helsinki not only to turku in 45 minutes but to Tampere in 50 minutes or to Viborg in 60 minutes. The one way fares are as follows:

 

Helsinki-Turku Fm 320

Helsinki-Tampere Fm 200

Helsinki-Viborg Fm 275

 

I have indulged in the Viborg flight (see Chapter X) and found it immensely rewarding. The planes are small compared with the trans-Baltic and Scandinavian Air Express giants but they are handled with skill and confidence. They save four of the five hours required by express trains, which must make a wide arc via Lahti, and they show you from overhead the varied littoral of southeastern Finland. The air view of old Viborg is thrilling and the eight-mile bus approach from the air port past the city's mediaeval castle is worth at least one of the four dollars (plus) which this interesting flight costs.

[...]

[Martti Kujansuu 180]

Sama kirjoittaja mainitsee vielä kirjan lopussa matkansa OH-ALK:in kyydissä olleen yksi parhaimmista hetkistä koko matkansa aikana. Sivu 183:

(1) The capable blond ohjaaja who flew our good ship of the air, the Sampo, from Stockholm's air port to Finland. Yes, ohjaaja is the Finnish word for pilot.

[Jukka Nisula 2 275]

Hyviä löytöjä nämä kertomukset, kiitos Martti. Tähän samaan kategoriaan voi liittää tarinan, jonka kirjoitin Feeniks-lehteen nimellä "Vaihtelua kettujahteihin, eli ladyt lentovierailulla". Siinä kerrotaan kahden englantilaisladyn lentomatkasta Englannista Suomeen. Tarkoitus oli lentää aina Petsamoon asti, mutta De Havilland Dragon Rapide G-AERE:n matka tyssäsi Vaasaan, joka oli tuolloin pohjoisin valmis lentoasema alkukesällä 1938. Tarinan ja englantilaisten värikkäät ja mairittelevat kommentit Suomen luonnon kauneudesta voi lukea Feeniks-lehden numerosta 3/2012.

 

Jukka