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The Long Way Around

The above map is not mine, it’s actually one from the internet. It was posted on Twitter by the CEO of Finnair Topi Manner. It shows the routing to Tokyo from Helsinki in 1986. The route took the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 over the North Pole as the airspace over the Soviet Union was only passable if you were stopping in Moscow.

Fast forward 36 years and Finnair is yet again flying this polar route. This old routing adds a few extra hours of flying time. Finnair knows its history and is also handing out polar crossing certificates.

Conqueror of the top of the world

Here’s a beautiful certificate that Scandinavian Airlines System handed out to passengers in 1957 when they crossed over North Pole, for the route Copenhagen - Anchorage - Tokyo (see Direction of Travel 4 for a story).

Direction of Travel: Volume 4

The fourth Volume of Direction of Travel looks at the maps created by Air India and Japan Airlines. The tradition of applying artistry into mapping the airways wasn’t only reserved to the western hemisphere, but was also practiced with great gusto and finesse in Asia.

The Big Market in London

Direction of Travel is taking part in a new market in Peckham Levels in South East London this coming Monday. Would love to see you.

Monday 2 May 12:00 - 17:00

Peckham Levels
Peckham Town Centre Carpark
95A Rye Lane
Peckham
London
SE15 4TG

magCulture Live in NYC

I will be in New York to do a lightning-fast talk about Direction of Travel as part a MagCulture event on the 22nd May at Ace Hotel in Brooklyn. Lots other very exciting Indie publications will be there. You can get tickets here.

Airport picture

For decades I have been making work about flying. Direction of Travel is one such project. Other projects include a long running portrait of the villages surrounding Heathrow airport. Another are observations from airports around the world, following in the footsteps of Fischli & Weiss. Here's a picture from Heathrow. This is the spectator’s balcony that once stood at the top of the old Queen’s Terminal taken in 2000 or 2001 before it was closed down. This whole building complex is completely gone now and been replaced with the new Terminal 2. I remember watching Concorde land in the rain from up there. This is where it all started.