THE BIG BUNNY. In this edition of Belly Ache we have to say that the subject matter was quite accidental and we must apologise up front for what could be construed as sexist – we prefer to think of it as a journey into pop culture history.
It all started as we were busy writing up the news on Delta Airlines retiring their last DC-9 in early January. We thought a nice photo might be just the ticket, considering the ‘historical’ nature of the rather geriatric aircraft and well, one thing led to another.
To be honest, the more we Googled, the more we got excited about the DC-9. It turns out that it has quite an interesting pedigree! In fact the DC-9 is credited with helping to open markets and spark mass jet travel as commercial aviation moved from propeller aircraft to jet engine aircraft. The fact it could do short landings and takeoffs as a result of its rear mounted engines and longer wing flaps, which enabled the jet to connect smaller airports to the major hubs, was also a key factor in its success. By the time it hit its popularity peak in the 1970s there was a whole new social strata in the making – the ‘Jet Set’ – comprised of upwardly mobile individuals who would think nothing of a quick weekend getaway to Paris, Rome, Acapulco, Nassau, or the French or Italian Riviera.
It seems this is where the DC-9 hit its stride, becoming the ultimate status symbol among these ‘Jet Setters’.
And indeed none more interesting and salaciously famous than Hugh Hefner himself! For those who – incomprehensibly – don’t know who the ‘Hef’ is, he’s the publisher of Playboy magazine. And if you don’t know what Playboy is, we’re certainly not going to tell you! And for those of you who know not only Playboy, but Payload well, you probably know the little secret behind the fonts used in our familiar red masthead.
We digress. So, it seems Hef was so taken by the DC-9 and the joys of Jet Setting around the globe that he just had to buy one! And so in 1969 he did for US$5 million, replete with an all-black paint job and that iconic bunny logo splashed in white across the tail! Inside was a decadent fur and leather lined flying boudoir that was equal parts, party pad, night club and… umm… ‘mile high club’. Even by today’s private jet standards, Hef’s DC-9-32 (the -32 is a longer version), nicknamed ‘The Big Bunny’, was a very luxurious jetliner.
A rear folding private entrance took Hef directly to his private quarters with an elliptical bed. After a long flight, he could take a shower or get some work done in his conference room while fellow passengers could relax in the bar or enjoy a movie on the big screen. Once everyone was in the mood, they could even dance in the ‘discotheque’ complete with disco lights and an 8-Track tape deck (cutting edge at the time).
The Big Bunny’s cabin crew – aka ‘Jet Bunnies’ – while obviously selected for their looks, were actually professional flight attendants having been trained at Continental Airlines in LA where they learned inflight safety and food preparation.
So we thought it might be fun to feature a few historical anecdotes and photos from a much different bygone era, where life’s simple pleasures were… well, more straight forward and clearly more shagadelic. The era of The Big Bunny came to an end in 2004 when Hef sold off his ‘mile high club’ to Venezuela Airlines before it went to Aeromexico, who both flew it in standard (boring) passenger configuration… oh boy, if only those walls could talk there would surely be a lot of bemused passengers!