Article clipped from St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Non-Stop London Flights Begin With Pomp, Ballyhoo By Cleon Swayzee II Of the Pott-Dltpatch Stall Direct-link air service between St. Louis and London got off the ground at Lambert Field Wednesday with pageantry In the British tradition and ballyhoo that was typically American. The non-stop service the first between St. Louis and anywhere in Europe was inaugurated with the arrival at 4:15 p.m. of British Caledonian Airways' first London-to-St. Louis flight. At 6 p.m., the companion St. Louls-to-Ldndon flight lifted off for the 8-hour trip to London's Gatwick airport. Aboard, In addition to its booked passengers, was a group of dignitaries, headed by Mayor Jim Conway, and a small press detachment invited for a three-day holiday in England. The British know the value of pomp and dignity; the Americans, In their turn, know how to celebrate. The departure festivities were a blend. On hand to greet the Incoming blue-and-gold Boeing 707 as It rolled to a stog at the airport terminal was the British Caledonian Airways Pipes and Drums, a group of colorfully kilted Scots who struck up a medley of traditional Highland tunes. The Scottish theme, taken from the native country of British Caledonian's founder, Adam Thomson, was carried through in the costumes of the airline's hostesses who mingled with the several hundred guests on hand to bid the inaugural flight farewell. Part of the American contribution was the appearance of the "Second Spirit of St. Louis," a copy of Charles A. Lindbergh's celebrated monoplane, which preceded the airliner after it landed, guiding It to Its parking spot. More than 100 persons were aboard the first flight to London, an airline spokesman said. The inaugural flight party will return to St. Louis Sunday. An airline official said Wednesday that the $199 one-way standby fare, originally planned to be offered for two introductory weeks, will be extended.