American Airlines: Plotting Chart, 1945

Scroll down to start

.cover {
  bottom: 0;
  opacity: 1;
  background-size: auto 90%;
  background-position: center center;
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
}
.overview {
  opacity:0; 
}

American Airlines Overseas Service Plotting Chart

This is rather different type of map, an early analog precursor to the digital moving map.

.instructions {
  opacity:0;
}

.cover {
  opacity:1;
}

The map comes with detailed instructions on the back, describing in detail how the you can plot the route you are flying.

.cover {
  bottom: 0;
  opacity: 0;
}

.instructions {
  opacity:1;
  background-size: auto 90%;
  background-position: center center;
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  bottom:0;
}

.overview {
  opacity:0; 
}

The map is from 1945 and focuses primarily on American Airlines overseas network.

.cover {
  bottom: 100%;
  opacity: 0;
}

.instructions {
  opacity:0;
}

.overview {
  bottom:auto;
  opacity: 1;
  transform: scale(1);
  transform-origin:0 0;
  background-size:97% auto;
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  background-position: center center;
}

The bright red numbers is the distance in miles between airports.

.overview { 
  transform: scale(2.5) translate(-10%, 5%);
  transform-origin: 0 0;
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  background-size:100%;
  opacity:1;
  bottom:auto;
  background-position: 0px 0%;
}

The map doubles up as educational, teaching passengers how to plot their longitude and latitude while flying, making the time pass quicker.

.overview {
   transform: scale(2.5) translate(-60%, 0%);
    transform-origin: 0 0;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    background-size:100%;
    opacity:1;
    bottom:auto;
    background-position: 0px 0%;
}

There is a time zone in indicator and a stamp from the previous owner a Mr. Dipl. Ing Alfred Niggi (an engineer).

.overview {
    transform: scale(2.5) translate(-60%, -25%);
    transform-origin: 0 0;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    background-size:100%;
    opacity:1;
    bottom:auto;
    background-position: 0px 0%;
}

Detailed outline of legends, indicating routes, cities, distances and so forth. This map more than any others carry the hallmarks of an archival object, not a piece of branding or advertisement. A practical tool to place the you the passenger in the world.

.overview {
    transform: scale(2.5) translate(-30%, -16%);
    transform-origin: 0 0;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    background-size:100%;
    opacity:1;
    bottom:auto;
    background-position: 0px 0%;
}

This particular plotting map was never used, so we'll never know the route Alfred Niggi flew. Perhaps he wanted to keep it pristine.

.overview {
  bottom:auto;
  opacity: 1;
  transform: scale(1);
  transform-origin:0 0;
  background-size:97% auto;
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  background-position: center center;
}