Obviously I’ve had in interest in Walt Disney for years. If, through the folding of time, I could spend one day with Walt, where would it be? The Studio? WED? His house on Carolwood Drive? No, I’d pick the Gulfstream. This photo here–as I was told by Bill Martin–captures a trip home from New York. On the plane, there was scotch, no doubt, probably a few tins of beer as well. A few times in my life I’ve been lucky enough to travel on a plane like this. A Gulfstream has a democratizing effect on its passengers: a single, small cabin, a bar, and a few seats. There is room enough for, maybe, twelve or thirteen people. If there are status differences between passengers on the ground–a CEO and a writer, let’s say–those difference soon fade away once the bird pushes above the cirrus The flight from New York to LA in the 1960s lasted an entire day. After the first half hour of flight, I suspect that Walt was no longer the “uncle,” the director, or even the master planner. He was likely a man with some dreams, some memories and some stories to tell. That, in my opinion, would be the ideal day to spend with Walt.
-Todd J. Pierce
Pictured in the foreground are Walt Disney, Bill Martin, and Herb Ryman. Seated in the background (left) we suspect is Lillian Disney, though the other woman (right) neither Paul nor I can identify. The photo is likely from 1963 or 1964.
I have never, ever seen a picture of Walt in the plane before. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Just amazing.
Todd, you’re right about Walt’s Gulfstream being the preferred mode of travel. When working as a pr/publicity rep for Walt Disney Productions, I was assigned two national promo tours using the Grumman Gulfstream. They were each about 20 cities in 30 days of hopping across the country with a costumed troupe from DL plus Fulton Burley as MC. One tour was a rerelease of Peter Pan and the other was Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. This was in the late 60s. When the plane was on the tarmac, commercial pilots would come over asking for a look inside. It was equal to parking a vintage Bentley at a restaurant. Of course, the tail letters were MM by special permission of the FAA. The official control tower directions always called the plane Mickey Mouse, which seemed humorous given the importance of the communications. Sorry that the plane now languishes as a silent prop behind the Hollywood Studios at WDW. I have many stories, but space doesn’t allow.
As a member of the Entertainment Dept in the 70’s, I was a working passenger for publicity tours, and even hopping up from SNA to SFO and back one night to grab Al Green and his group for private party performance. Lots of memories playing poker with Fulton and others… and somewhere a few pictures. Yup … definitely a bar installed in the front portside by the main door.