What were airports like before 9/11?

You could walk from the check in area to the gate without a ticket just to watch the planes take off. My dad was a mechanic for United, and we would walk past the check in, take the corridor to the left, and walk into an unlocked door, go down a corridor through another unlocked door, and walk right out onto the tarmac and take the stairs up the loading ramp to get right on the plane. 

My dad got the boarding pass ahead of time, and we would show up fifteen minutes before departure.

Anonymous is correct...write about what you know.

But if you insist on writing a story about 70's airport security, you are somewhat in luck.  Airline and airport disasters were a bit of a common theme in the 1970's so you can watch some of those movies, perhaps starting with the movie 'Airport', released in 1970 to get an idea of what air travel was like 50 years ago.

My first airplane trip was in 1958.

Late '60's I took a commuter airplane -- walked in, person came along the aisle for your money.  You never needing any ID, just give your money and you get your ticket.  No one cared who you were.

'70's the same.  Actually, until TSA came up in late 2001, no one cared who was or what they were carrying.

If you want a airport, real life, see the movie Airplane, 1980.  A bit over the top, but notice that there was no "security" jokes -- because there was none.

In the 1970s, all the jets were beautiful inside and out.  There were no flight attendants.  Just stewardesses who were drop dead beautiful women.  Passengers were well dressed, clean and acted like adults.  Nut jobs, freaks and losers were not allowed to fly. The seats were clean and did not smell of piss like they do today,  Friends and family came on the plane to say goodbye.  No metal detectors.  No searches.  Now its like a dirty bus ride.

Much the same, really, without the security checkpoints and all that comes with them.

 I don't recall that there was anything you couldn't take on the plane, aside from things that any idiot would know were an obvious safety risk. They didn't look through your carry-on luggage. When you checked in for your flight, you showed your paper ticket, not your ID. I don't even remember if they checked your ID. You could smoke in an airport, and on the plane, as best I remember. That's not to say there were no security concerns at all. Terrorists blowing up planes was fairly new, then but everyone knew it was possible. A co-worker of mine in the mid 70s was stupid enough to make a joke about having a bomb in his luggage, while in the departure lounge, and he was hustled off to be questioned and missed his original flight.

You are not writing a novel.

HINT: Never write about things you have not experienced or don'tt know about because intelligent readers will spot your ignorance right away. GO DO SOME REAL RESEARCH. ASKING ON YAHOO IS NOT RESEARCH.