Originally published in TigeReview July/August 1964
Scouts Add to Jamboree Thrills By Flying via Tiger Charters
Eight plane loads of more than 1,100 energetic, bustling youth flew across the United States in July 1964 in what was one of the largest charter operations ever flown by the Flying Tiger Line. The Boy Scouts headed for the 6th National Jamboree at Valley Forge, PA from Los Angeles, Stockton and Fresno in California and from Salt Lake City and Provo in Utah. Tiger CL-44 and Super H Constellations carried the boys on a two week tour of historic spots of the east from Boston to Washington. And then back again to their western homes, where, upon arrival of the Stockton Plain, a mother exclaimed as the boys hit home ground once more: “My goodness, they’re so clean!”
In all, a total of 1,124 boys rode on Tiger aircraft.
The largest group movement was the Los Angeles Council with 397 boys on the three aircraft from Burbank to Washington for a tour of the many historic and scenic spots there, including Mount Vernon, before converging on Valley Forge. From Fresno, 116 boys of the Sequoia Council flew to Detroit where they began a bus tour which took them to scenic and historic spots of the east, including the World’s Fair, before they finally wound up at Valley Forge. The Yosemite Council from Stockton, 165 strong, flew to New York and the fair before going on to Valley Forge. Out of Salt Lake City and Provo, the Utah National Parks Council of 281 boys flew to New York and the fair, and thence to Valley Forge. The San Fernando Valley Council, with 165 boys, left Burbank for New York and an eastern tour, which ended at Valley Forge. The tour of the Los Angeles Council typifies the busy two-week schedule the boys followed.
Upon arrival in Washington, the boys toured the FBI headquarters, Smithsonian Institution, Ford Theater, Mount Vernon, Gettysburg, the White House, Washington Monument, Arlington Cemetery and the Pennsylvania countryside before winding up at Valley Forge five days later. Following a week at the Jamboree with 50,000 other scouts from all parts of America, the boys continued sightseeing, taking in the World’s Fair and the New England countryside, including an old-fashioned clambake, before boarding a Tiger plane at Boston for the return trip home.
Arrival and departure of each flight looked as much like a huge freight movement as it did a passenger flight. Since the Scouts camped out at Valley Forge, they took a long complete camping equipment in addition to their patrol boxes and duffel bags. Truck trailers were required to haul the equipment to the airport.
Eddie Holohan of Tiger Contract Sales at Burbank. Acted as coordinator for the airline. When it was all over, he had only one remark: “I never knew there were so many scouts!”
Tom Grace, manager of ground services, echoed that thought with a postscript “ – or so much baggage!”
Special praise went to three Tiger station managers and their crews for the job done in boarding the scouts and shuttling the truckloads of baggage and camping equipment from planes to terminals and back again. They were Bud Levitt, CONOPS station manager at Los Angeles; and station managers Len Fronzak at Boston and Al de Grosso at Philadelphia.
Click on the photo below to see the Thank You letter sent to Mr. Prescott from the Boy Scout Council Jamboree Advisor, Ted Bingham.
