Pan American World Airways Images of a Great Airline 2nd Edition
James Patrick Baldwin, J.D. Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland Global Campus Visiting Lecturer, University of Westminster Visiting Lecturer, Emirates Aviation University
The contents of this book regarding the accuracy of events, people and places depicted; permissions to use all previously published materials; and opinions expressed; are the sole responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for the contents of this book and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from the publication of this book.
© 2020 James Patrick Baldwin All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author or the publisher.
International Standard Book Number 13: 979-8643333241 Library of Congress Control Number 2020908644
Kindle Direct Publishing JPB Publications 12 Bellevue Ave Cambridge, MD 21613 www.jpbtransconsulting.com Cover Photo Credits Front cover: Logos from Pan Am Historical Foundation Back cover: Timetable pages and tags from author’s collection; Boeing 377 and DC-6B, Pan Am Historical Foundation; Boeing 747, Bob Proctor via Jon Proctor Cover art by Lesley Giles (Copyright © 2011, 2020 by Lesley Giles) Title Page: Boeing 747 - Clipper Juan T. Trippe - Photo by Rolf Wallner. Author was on board the aircraft at the time. ii
Preface In the first edition of this book, published in 2011, I set out to list the “firsts”, along with significant events, of the life of Pan American World Airways, and present them in chronological order divided into six sections representing key eras: (1) Beginnings (1927-1939); (2) The War Years (19401945); (3) The Piston Era (1946-1957); (4) The Jet Age (1958-1969); (5) Top of the World – Boeing 747 (1970-1979); and (6) End of an American Icon (19801991). The firsts and significant events were listed at the beginning of each section followed by illustrations from that era, including covers of annual reports, covers of time tables (along with a page of flight schedules and route map), baggage strap tags, safety information cards and pictures of aircraft. This formula is largely preserved in this Second Edition, which features more images of aircraft and enhanced images of timetable pages and maps. Covers of annual reports are still included but the safety information cards have been removed. A major addition to this edition, however, are narratives on certain pieces of Pan American’s history. These were originally published as posts in my blog, “The Pan Am Series”, in jpbtransconsulting.com. The narratives I selected to include in this book cover the development and launch of key aircraft operated by Pan American and key routes the airline operated from its beginnings to the end. The routes featured include Latin America, the first trans-Pacific flight, crossing the Atlantic and Pan American’s famous roundthe-world service operated by flights 1 and 2. The narratives are populated with images illustrating the story being told. As written in the preface to the first edition of this book, probably no airline in the history of aviation has attracted more attention and has been more written about than Pan American World Airways, for decades the symbol of airline superiority world-wide. This is the airline that pioneered air navigation and communications. It introduced international and over-ocean flights. It set the standard for in-flight service and brought air travel to the masses through the introduction of “Tourist” class. It brought the industry into the jet age and eventually the era of the wide-body jet. To thousands of Americans living and working overseas, Pan American meant home. Pan American served the United States and never failed to answer the call of the country. For many, Pan American was the symbol of the United States around the world. iii
Pan American shut down on 4 December 1991. However, the legacy lives on and the airline still has influence in the industry as recently exemplified by Emirates Airline’s highlighting Pan American’s in-flight meal service as the standard for theirs. And, as is pointed out in the narrative on the “Nautical Airline”, the pilot-in-command is still known as the “Captain”. The people of Pan American World Airways and its friends and fans have a unique loyalty to their airline that has manifested itself through the social media as well as at numerous gatherings around the world. This loyalty continues even though the company has been gone for over twenty years. Recently, an additional group of “loyalists” have emerged, and they are the children and grandchildren of those who worked for the airline in the past decades. They, too, want to preserve the rich history of the once great airline. Since the publication of the first edition of this book, numerous books have been published, many by former Pan Amers sharing their experiences with the rest of the world. One book, which I, along with Pan American’s former Vice President for Corporate Communications Jeff Kriendler put together, Pan Am – Personal Tributes to a Global Aviation Pioneer, can be considered the seminal book about the airline. Its purpose is to preserve the legacy of an aviation giant. This second edition is aimed to complement that book and fulfills my goal in keeping the Pan American story alive. James Patrick (Jamie) Baldwin Cambridge, Maryland 1 May 2020
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Table of Contents
Section
Page
Preface
iii
Dedication
vii
Acknowledgements
ix
Introduction: What is Pan Am?
1
Beginnings Firsts and Key Events Images from the Era Aircraft Memorabilia The Nautical Airline The Sikorsky S-42 The Boeing 314 Latin America – Clipper 201/202 Crossing the Pacific Crossing the Atlantic – Clipper 100/101
5 6 13 13 19 22 31 37 41 47 56
War Years Firsts and Key Events Images from the Era Aircraft Memorabilia Latin America – Clipper 201/202 (1941-1945)
59 60 64 64 65 69
Piston Era Firsts and Key Events Images from the Era Aircraft Memorabilia Pan American-Grace Airways The Douglas DC-4 The Lockheed Constellation
73 74 78 78 85 98 102 109 v
The Boeing 377 The Douglas DC-6B The Douglas DC-7C Latin America – Clipper 201/202 (1946-1959) Crossing the Atlantic – Clipper 100/101 (1946-1959) Round-the-World Services – Clipper One and Two (1947-1959)
115 123 131 136 140 147
Jet Age Firsts and Key Events Images from the Era Aircraft Memorabilia The Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8
153 154 160 160 165 171
Top of the World - Boeing 747 Firsts and Key Events Images from the Era Aircraft Memorabilia The Boeing 747 The Boeing 747SP
185 186 192 192 196 202 209
End of an American Icon Firsts and Key Events Images from the Era Aircraft Memorabilia The Airbus A300 and A310 Latin America – Clipper 201/202 (1960-1991) Crossing the Atlantic – Clipper 100/101 (1960-1990) Round-the-World – Clipper One and Two (1960-1982) The Pan Am Shuttle
213 214 221 221 229 238 241 246 253 256
The Last Pushback
261
The Last Fly-By
263
The Final Resting Place of a Proud Fleet
264
Selected Bibliography
265 vi
Dedication To my wife Lesley for her unwavering support for my efforts in the airline industry and my interest in Pan American, and in memory of my parents, H. Gael and Catalina Baldwin, who first introduced me to Pan American as a child on visits to Los Angeles International Airport in the early 1950s. I also want to remember the late Jon Proctor, although a TWA person, he was a big fan of Pan American and noted aviation historian, who enthusiastically supported my use of his many photographs of Pan American aircraft in this book.
vii
viii
Acknowledgements
Putting together this second edition would not have been possible without the contributions of many involved with Pan American World Airways. The narratives in this book contain excerpts from a variety of works, including Ron Davies’ Pan Am – An Airline and Its Aircraft, Robert Daley’s An American Saga – Juan Trippe and His Pan Am Empire, Marylin Bender and Selig Altschul’s The Chosen Instrument, Bob Gandt’s Skygods – The Fall of Pan Am and China Clipper, and John Marshall’s anthology, Turning Finals which contains stories he wrote that appeared in Airways Magazine. In addition, excerpts from essays by the following contributors in Pan American World Airways – Aviation History Through the Words of its People are included: Bill Nash in “The Boeing 314”, Bronwen Roberts in “Crossing the Atlantic – Clipper 100/101” the late Jay Koren in “The Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC8” and Kelly Cusack in “The Pan Am Shuttle”. Captain Don Cooper also contributed a quote in the Boeing 707 story and the late Captain Sherman Carr contributed a quote to “The Boeing 747SP”. I would like to thank each one listed above for their contributions to this volume. I would also like to thank George Hamlin, the late Jon Proctor, the late Mel Lawrence and many other photographers whose work appears in these pages for use of their photographs. In addition, photographs were used from the Miami Herald and the Associated Press. Finally, I would like to thank Jeff Kriendler for his support, suggestions and assistance here and in my other endeavors related to Pan American. I take full responsibility for the contents of this volume and any errors and omissions. Every effort has been made to properly attribute the illustrations in this volume. However, any source of text or illustration who is not acknowledged is invited to advise me so that appropriate attribution can be made. The images in this book of timetables, annual reports, baggage strap tags and other items are from my own collection. As this book is “print-on-demand”, errors and omissions can be corrected, and I invite comments toward that end.
ix
x
Introduction: What is Pan Am?
Every year millions of Americans take to the air for business or pleasure. And the nation's airlines are geared up for the onslaught of passengers at the nation's airports. Since 4 December 1991, however, one airline has been missing: Pan American World Airways. The following pages are meant to keep the Pan American story alive. Many born in the 1980s and later probably do not remember the airline and maybe never ever heard of it. For those who do not know, or know little, about Pan American World Airways, these pages will be an introduction to one of the greatest airlines ever. What follows below is a perspective from the Pan Am Historical Foundation: 1
“For those who flew internationally for business or pleasure before 1991, the words Pan Am will provoke memories that range from a peripheral awareness of an airline that is no more to vivid recollections of an American company that achieved archetypal status as an icon of the 20th century. “For those in the commercial aviation and air transport industries, Pan Am resonates as the prototypical intercontinental carrier that drew the blueprints and set the foundation for the global air transport system of today. Driven, dominant, fiercely competitive—loved, hated, or envied—the company’s long list of trailblazing firsts is an indelible record of operational achievement. All the while, its corporate identity exuded a sense of style and élan that remains legendary. The Pan Am identity projects a highest standard and its mark stood worldwide above all others. “For those whose fate depended on a desperate flight to freedom, and to the many more who never boarded an airplane, Pan Am brought the ideals of the nation and the support of a caring world community to the teeming shores of five continents. “The safety and affordability of air travel today enjoyed by many millions of the world’s mobile society can be traced directly back to Pan Am. The ability of the company leadership in the formative years of air travel to structure such an industry and open its markets, and to move so quickly on multiple fronts of technology, finance, diplomacy, and human resources remains a model of entrepreneurship. The same can be said for its brand of patriotism and service to the national interest in both peacetime and in war. “Air travel is a complex experience today. Nevertheless, in the industrialized world it has become an entitlement, an expectation that we can be in London one day and in Hong Kong the next. Something only a Jules Verne could imagine a few generations ago. The ancient dream of flight was passed from the grasp of a few intrepid experimenters into the hands of a globe-trotting public via Pan Am in just a few decades. “A complete corporate history of Pan American World Airways from 1927 to 1991 could fill ten volumes. The following points and milestones, however, are some of the broad-brush strokes in the colorful history of this unique company and its lasting significance.
2
“Pan Am was not “another airline.” In transport by fixed wing aircraft Pan Am had no equal in either domestic or foreign rivalry. First across the Pacific, the Atlantic, and round-the-world with regular scheduled and sustained service. “It all began in South Florida. While domestic, overland airline development evolved coast-to-coast, the state of aeronautics and geography dictated that of all the world’s continental configurations the ninety-five-mile gap from the extreme tip of the Sunshine State across the Florida Straits to Cuba was just right for attempting a first foray of over water international air service. Furthermore, this location was a natural gateway for linking the Americas and to begin building an aerial network to unify the Western Hemisphere. “The first principals of Pan Am, its holding company, and subsidiaries were leading experts and visionaries in aeronautics, finance, business, governmental affairs, and international diplomacy. These executives were able to identify and gain access to like-minded individuals and foster a culture of competence. The same caliber of recruitment was carried out at the engineering and operational levels. While standard business practices of the day were employed organizationally, close coordination and many cross-over skills kept the pyramid from being overly hierarchical in the early years. Professionalism, from the boardroom to the flight crews and maintenance departments changed the face of the airline business. As things progressed, an esprit de corps evolved best summed up by the catchphrase ‘Clipper Glory’. “With European nations leading in aeronautics after World War I and pressing their efforts in scheduled ocean air transport, it was Pan Am that achieved the breakthrough with China Clipper service to Asia propelling the US to the forefront of the air age. Its proprietary radio direction finding technology and long-range, multi-engine aircraft, which it had demanded of manufacturers, set it apart from all other of the world’s fleets. “This is Pan Am. A unique American enterprise that did so much to define the twentieth century and an entrepreneurial success story that continues to inspire and point the way to what is possible. The story is multilayered, and while its complexities draw on many disciplines in science, technology, human factors, international relations, and more, they are all connected by a simple idea—the desire to strive for excellence. Such is the legacy.” 3
4
Beginnings (1927-1939)
Charles Lindbergh (left) and Juan Trippe (Pan Am Historical Foundation (PAHF))
West Indian Aerial Express FC-2 La Nina, chartered by Pan American to fly mail from Key West to Havana on 19 October 1927 in order to meet US Government deadline or lose operating authority (PAHF)
5
Pan American Firsts and Key Events — 1927-1939 1927 •
When its Fokker F-VII left Key West on 28 October 1927 for Havana with 772 lb. of mail, Pan American Airways became the first American airline to establish a permanent international service.
Fokker F-VII (PAHF)
•
Was the first American airline to operate multi-engine aircraft permanently in scheduled transportation with the Fokker F-VII.
1928 •
Inaugurated passenger service on 16 January 1928 with a Fokker FVII between Key West and Havana.
Passengers boarding Fokker F-VII (PAHF)
6
•
Established its base at Miami on 29 October 1928.
Miami Terminal circa 1930 (PAHF)
•
Was the first American airline to use radio communications.
•
Was first to order and purchase aircraft built to its own specifications, the Sikorsky S-38. This aircraft, a floatplane piloted by Charles A. Lindbergh, completed the first airmail flight to the Canal Zone on 6 February 1929. Copilot John A. Hambleton, one of the airline’s cofounders, previously made the initial survey flights and set up refueling stops in Central America.
Sikorsky S-38 (PAHF)
7
1929 •
Was first to develop and use instrument flying techniques.
•
Was first to employ cabin attendants and serve meals aloft.
Interior of Fokker F-VII (PAHF)
•
Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra) formed jointly with W.R. Grace Corporation.
Panagra Fairchild-7 (panamericangrace.com)
1930 •
Was the first American airline to offer international air express service. 8
1931 •
Was the first American airline to develop and operate four-engine flying boats with the Sikorsky S-40. This aircraft was the first to be designated “Clipper”. The American Clipper made its first flight on 19 November 1931.
First Lady Mrs. Herbert Hoover christens the Sikorsky S-40, American Clipper (PAHF)
1934 •
On 18 August 1934, a Sikorsky S-42, the Brazilian Clipper, made the first flight to Rio de Janeiro.
Sikorsky S-42 Brazilian Clipper over Miami, 1934 (PAHF)
9
1935 •
On 22 November 1935, was first to operate scheduled trans-Pacific service when the China Clipper, a Martin M-130 flying boat, flew from San Francisco to Manila with stops in Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam. The 8,210-mile trip took 59 hours and 48 minutes flying time.
Martin M-130 China Clipper preparing for departure on first transpacific mail flight (PAHF)
1936 •
On 23 October 1936, the Philippine Clipper, another M-130, completed the first trip to mainland Asia, arriving in Hong Kong.
Philippine Clipper docking at Wake Island (PAHF)
10
1937 •
Took delivery of Douglas DC-2s for CNAC, its China subsidiary, and its first DC-3s.
CNAC Douglas DC-2 (cnac.org via Tom Moore)
Douglas DC-3 (PAHF)
1939 •
On 20 May 1939, was first to operate trans-Atlantic mail service when the Yankee Clipper, a Boeing 314 flying boat, flew from New York to Marseilles, France, via Horta, Azores, and Lisbon, Portugal.
Boeing B-314 Yankee Clipper (PAHF)
11
•
On 24 June 1939, the Yankee Clipper established the first airmail service between New York and Southampton, England.
Boeing 314 arrival at Southampton on a survey flight, April 1939 (PAHF)
•
On 29 June 1939, the Dixie Clipper, also a Boeing 314, established the first trans-Atlantic passenger service between New York and Marseilles via Horta and Lisbon.
Passengers boarding Dixie Clipper for first trans-Atlantic passenger flight (PAHF)
•
In July 1939, a Boeing 314 inaugurated the first passenger service between New York and Southampton.
12
Images from the Era Aircraft Below are images of various Pan American aircraft operated during this era. Photo credits to Pan Am Historical Foundation unless otherwise noted. Fokker F-VII
Fokker F-VII and staff and aircraft interior (below)
Sikorsky S-38
Sikorsky S-38
13
Ford Tri-Motor
Ford Tri-Motor at Panama on first commercial airmail flight in Central America (PAHF)
Panagra Ford Tri-Motor (panamericangrace.com)
Consolidated Commodore
Consolidated Commodore over Dinner Key
14
Sikorsky S-40
Sikorsky S-40 Caribbean Clipper loading at Miami
Sikorsky S-40 landing at Dinner Key
Sikorsky S-42
Sikorsky S-42 departing San Francisco for Far East on survey flight, 1936
15
Sikorsky S-42B Bermuda Clipper arrival in Bermuda, 1938
Martin M-130
Martin M-130 China Clipper at Dinner Key. Passenger cabin and flight deck (below)
16
Boeing 314
Yankee Clipper at Foynes, Ireland, 1940
California Clipper at Manila, Philippines
California Clipper arrival at Singapore
17
Large crowd observing California Clipper (top) and maintenance facilities at La Guardia Marine Air Terminal (above)
Douglas DC-2
Panagra DC-2 with Andes in the background
18
Images from the Era Memorabilia Timetable covers and maps from the era. Flight schedule pages are inserted in the narratives that follow. From the author’s collection unless otherwise noted.
September 1939 timetable, Latin America services (Author’s collection)
19
(left) Brochure from the 1930s (right) June 1940 timetable cover (Author’s collection)
Annual Reports from the era (author’s collection).
20
21
The Nautical Airline Pan American World Airways has always been associated with the sea and things nautical. Its aircraft were called “Clippers” and many of the Clipper names had references to the sea, particularly with the Boeing 747 aircraft, which were given names such as Pride of the Sea, Champion of the Seas, Spark of the Ocean, Belle of the Sea, Crest of the Wave and Sovereign of the Seas, to name a few. How Pan American became the “Nautical Airline” is centered on Pan American's founder, Juan Trippe who dreamed of this idea from the beginning of his venture in establishing an airline. How Pan American was formed is a story of wheeling and dealing, mergers and acquisitions and financial and political maneuvering that is well documented in the Pan American literature, including Robert Daley's An American Saga - Juan Trippe and His Pan Am Empire (hereinafter “Daley”), Marylin Bender and Selig Altschul's The Chosen Instrument (hereinafter “Bender and Altschul”) and R.E.G. Davies' Pan Am, An Airline and Its Aircraft (hereinafter “Davies”). Suffice to say, however, it is useful to have a little background. In the beginning there were four interested groups, as identified by Davies. The first group, the Montgomery Group, formed Pan American Airways, Inc. (PAA). It was founded on 14 March 1927 by Air Force Majors “Hap” Arnold, Carl Spaatz and John H. Jouett, later joined by John K. Montgomery and Richard B. Bevier, as a counterbalance to German-owned carrier “SCADTA” (ColomboGerman Aerial Transport Co) that had been operating in Colombia since 1920. SCADTA was viewed as a possible German aerial threat to the Panama Canal. Eventually Montgomery petitioned the US government to call for bids on an US airmail contract between Key West and Havana (FAM 4) and won the contract. However, PAA lacked any aircraft to perform the job and did not have landing rights in Cuba. Under the terms of the contract, PAA had to be flying by 19 October 1927. On 2 June 1927, Juan Trippe formed the Aviation Corporation of America (ACA) (the Trippe Group) with financially powerful and politically well-connected backing and raised $300,000. On 1 July Reed Chambers and financier Richard Hoyt (the Chambers-Hoyt Group) formed Southeastern Airlines. 22
On 8 July Trippe formed Southern Airlines and on 11 October Southeastern was reincorporated as Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean Airways. Trippe then proposed a merger between these three groups and in doing so played a trump card: He and John A. Hambleton, one of his backers, traveled to Cuba and persuaded the Cuban president to grant landing rights to the Aviation Corporation, making Montgomery's mail contract useless as a bargaining chip. After much wrangling between the groups, including a meeting on Hoyt's yacht during which Assistant Postmaster General Irving Grover threatened that if there was no deal he would not be awarding any contract to anyone, the Aviation Corporation of the Americas was formed, operating as Pan American Airways, headed by Juan Trippe. Later the corporation's name was changed to Pan American Airways.
(left to right) Juan Trippe, Reed Chambers and General Hap Arnold (PAHF)
The deadline of 19 October still loomed, however. A Fokker F-VII aircraft was selected for the operation but could not be used because Meacham's Field in Key West was not completed and could not accommodate the aircraft. What transpired was an eleventh-hour miracle. Pan American's representative in Miami learned that a Fairchild FC-2 monoplane was in Key West, sitting out a hurricane threat. The aircraft was owned by West Indian Aerial Express (the Fairchild Group) and a deal was made to charter the aircraft. The pilot was offered $145.50 to carry mail to Havana that had just arrived on the Florida East Coast-Atlantic Coast Line railroads. The hurricane threat disappeared, and the trip was made. The rest is history.
23
On 28 October 1927, the Fokker left Key West on Pan American's inaugural international flight, carrying 772 lb. of mail. On 16 January 1928, the first passenger flight was completed on the same route. And on 28 October 1928, Pan American established its Miami base at Dinner Key. The First Clipper In 1931, Pan American acquired the Sikorsky S-40, the first aircraft that would be designated “Clipper”. This designation came about as a result of Trippe’s fascination with ships and the sea. As a child he had traveled to Europe on Cunard Line ships and this fascination transcended to the idea that Pan American should be a kind of nautical airline.
RMS Mauretania, a Cunard liner that Juan Trippe might have traveled on to Europe (Cunard brochure)
Along these lines, a maritime culture emerged. Andre Priester, who Trippe had previously hired as chief engineer, dressed the pilots as naval officers with gold wings pinned to their breast pockets. Gold stripes were on the jacket sleeves to show rank. The pilots also wore peaked hats with white covers and a gold strap. And, according to Daley, Priester “forbade [the pilots] to stuff or twist these caps into the dashing, high-peaked shapes so dear to most aviators' hearts.” These naval trappings according to Bender and Altschul “served to set distance between the airline and aviation's all too proximate history symbolized by the khaki breeches, leather puttees, jacket and helmet of the daredevil flyer. [Pan American's] pilots were invested as engineers to whom flying was a scientific business rather than a thrilling escapade.” Pilots underwent a stringent and comprehensive training program and, according to former flying boat and retired captain Bill Nash, were required to have college degrees prior to hiring and to demonstrate proven proficiency prior to promotion in the flight deck. Nash started as a Fourth Officer before rising to Captain. 24
Sikorsky S-40 Southern Clipper (PAHF)
When the S-40 made its debut, it was the largest airplane built in the United States. Its maiden voyage on 19 November 1931 was from Miami to the Canal Zone carrying 32 passengers with Charles Lindbergh at the controls and Basil Rowe (formerly with the West Indian Aerial Express) as co-pilot. Igor Sikorsky, who Trippe had earlier brought on board to design an aircraft to Pan American's own specifications (the predecessor to the S-40, the S-38) also had some time at the controls. Trippe named the aircraft the American Clipper. Perhaps inspired by prints of American clipper ships hanging in his home or reaching back to his Maryland ancestry from where these swift sailing ships originated in the shipyards of Baltimore, it was, according to Bender and Altschul “appropriate then, to call the first transport ship designed for international air commerce after those magnificent vessels.� Thereafter, all Pan American aircraft were to be designated Clippers.
Clipper Pride of the Ocean at London Heathrow (Author)
25
Clipper Dashing Wave at Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport (Author)
The operation would be in keeping with maritime lore and custom. The pilot was called “captain” and the co-pilot “first officer”. The title "captain" implied master of the ship or chief executive of the flying boat. Speed was calculated in knots (nautical miles per hour), time in bells, and a crew’s tour of duty was a “watch”. In the cabin, according to Daley, “walls and ceilings would be finished in walnut painted in a dark stain, and the fifty passengers would sit in Queen Anne chairs upholstered in blue and orange. The carpet would be blue, and the windows equipped with rope blinds. As aboard any ship, life rings would hang from the walls of the lounge.” The stewards, according to Bender and Altschul, “were modeled in function and appearance after the personnel of luxury ocean liners. Their uniforms were black trousers and white waist-length jackets over white shirts and black neckties. Stewards distributed remedies for airsickness, served refreshments (and in the S-40, prepared hot meals in the galley of the aircraft), pointed out scenic attractions from the windows of the plane and assisted with the red tape of Customs and landing procedures.”
Cabins of the S-40 (left) and the S-42 (right) (PAHF)
This nautical approach seemed to carry on through the entire existence of Pan American. The flight deck - bridge - was always on the top deck, as on an ocean liner. This was evident in the flying boats, including the Martin M26
130, the China Clipper, the Boeing 314, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser and the Boeing 747, with its flight deck on the upper deck of the aircraft.
Martin M-130 China Clipper (PAHF)
Boeing 314 American Clipper. Note the naval officer uniform on the pilot on top of the aircraft. (PAHF)
Boeing 377 Clipper Southern Cross (PAHF)
27
The flight deck of the Boeing 314 had the appearance of the bridge of a merchant ship:
Flight deck (“bridge”) of the Boeing 314 (PAHF)
Below, the SS United States and the bridge of a large merchant ship (bottom):
SS United States underway (Charles Anderson)
Bridge of a Roll On/Roll Off merchant ship (Author)
28
A “nautical” ambiance was also prevalent at Clipper departures, particularly from Dinner Key in Miami during the early years and Pan American's Worldport at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in the later years. There was an atmosphere like the departure of an ocean liner, with festivity, sense of adventure and anticipation of a voyage to a distant place. The setting at the Worldport, particularly with the evening departures to distant destinations, included passengers and well-wishers gathered at the gate in sight of the Clipper being readied for the long voyage ahead. There was a sense of drama; the type of drama that Juan Trippe probably envisaged for each Clipper departure. The romance of traveling to faraway places was part and parcel of the Pan American experience. The nautical element was also featured in many of Pan American's printed brochures and posters, as well as on the cover of an annual report.
1958 Annual Report and “Flying Clipper Cruises” brochure (Author's Collection)
However, as the years passed, the romance of the "nautical airline" began to wear out. Perhaps Pan American tried to preserve it with the Boeing 747, but times had changed. The grand ocean liners were soon replaced by cruise ships where passengers were more interested in the on-board entertainment rather than the peaceful environment of the sea (although that can still be experienced on cargo ships). Airline passengers became more interested in getting from A to B at the lowest fare, rather than experiencing the ambiance of a flying ocean liner. Airplanes became more like buses, apart from the premium cabins, rather than airships commanding the airways. And the bridge, both on many cruise ships and on the largest passenger aircraft in the world, would no longer be on the topmost deck. The sense of command of the airways and the sea has seemed to disappear, and the bridge, "formerly sacrosanct navigational preserves", as eloquently described by John 29
Maxtone-Graham in Liners to the Sun, is now simply a functionary in the process of getting passengers from A to B, or in the case of a cruise ship, from A to A via port visits. In the picture below of an Emirates Airline A380, note that the flight deck is located between the main and upper decks. Compare the flight deck location on the Boeing 747 and other earlier aircraft pictured above. And on the newer cruise liners, the bridge is not on the highest deck, as shown here on the Holland America Line's MS Koningsdam, where it is located four decks below the top deck.
Emirates Airline A380-800 at London Heathrow (Author)
MS Koningsdam (Kees Torn)
Perhaps Pan American the Nautical Airline was overcome by its own success. One cannot, however, deny that the idea of a nautical airline was a necessary step in the process of shrinking the globe. Now, with today's technology, it probably is no longer needed. Happily, one tradition of the nautical airline continues: The Pilot-in-Command of an airliner is still the "Captain". 30
The Sikorsky S-42 – The Airliner that Changed Aviation History To say that the Sikorsky S-42 is the “Airliner that Changed Aviation History” undoubtedly will spark debate. However, its role with Pan American World Airways presents an extraordinarily strong case. Indeed, as Davies noted, “it [was an] airliner . . . whose effects and influence on the world of air transport were more immediate”, compared to the DC-2, which went into service about the same time. First, the airliner epitomized Juan Trippe's “Nautical Airline” as described above. Secondly, the airliner was a chess piece in Juan Trippe's trans-oceanic ambitions (See “Crossing the Pacific” at page 48-49). And finally, because of its superior capabilities, the S-42 might have very well sowed the seeds for the Chicago Convention of 1944, which created the political environment and regulatory scheme under which all airlines operate today.
Sikorsky S-42 (PAHF)
The Aircraft On 19 November 1931, on board a Sikorsky S-40 flying boat during lunchtime, pilot Charles Lindbergh turned the controls over to Basil Rowe and went aft into the passenger cabin to sit down next to the most important passenger on board, Igor Sikorsky. The meeting between the two would characterize this flight as, according to Daley, “one of the most important flights in the history of aviation”. What Lindbergh and Sikorsky discussed was “the next step”, according to Daley. What Lindbergh wanted was a “really new airplane, something completely clean in design, with no external bracing, no outriggers, no fuselage hanging from the wing by struts, no engines stuffed amid the struts 31
like wine bottles in a rack. All those struts and bracings only meant wind resistance to Lindbergh, and wind resistance meant loss of range and speed”. Sikorsky countered saying that what Lindbergh wanted was “two steps ahead in development, and Sikorsky wanted to take one step at a time . . . because lives were at stake . . . [and] they could not afford to make mistakes.” Therefore, what was the next step? Both men began to work it out while eating lunch. Lindbergh drew something on the menu. The S-42 was conceived. Juan Trippe had a similar vision of an aircraft able to span oceans. The new design provided for an increased lifting capacity to carry enough fuel for a 2,500 nautical miles (4,000 km) nonstop flight against a 30 mph (48 km/h) wind, at a cruising speed far in excess of the average operating speed of any flying boat at that time. Based on these requirements, Glenn Martin drew up plans for such an aircraft. However, Sikorsky's S-42 was to be delivered first, as the Martin M-130 was still almost a year away from completion.
Drawing of the S-42 (Source Unknown, possibly PAHF)
The S-42 made its first flight on 30 March 1934 and, according to Davies, “incorporated many technical refinements such as large wing flaps, extensive flush riveting, engine synchronization indicators (also on the S-40), propeller brakes and automatic carburetors. Its wing loading was higher than any previous airliner and was not exceeded by any other type until 1942, eight years after it went into service. Had it been a land-plane, concrete
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runways would have been needed at airports (then normally grass, gravel or cinder strips) to support the wheel loads.” The S-42 could carry a full payload of 32 passengers over a range of 750 nautical miles, permitting non-stop trans-Caribbean flights to Colombia and omission of several en-route points on the Brazil route. Said Davies, the S-42 could “carry almost twice as many passengers as least as fast and twice as far as the DC-3”. The “Nautical Airliner” When in full passenger configuration, the S-42 truly epitomized Juan Trippe's Nautical Airline. The passenger windows were round, like a ship's portholes, and the interior furnishings resembled the trappings of a luxury passenger liner or yacht, as illustrated below:
Interior Scenes of S-42 (PAHF)
Pan American inaugurated passenger service with the S-42 in 1934, operating out of Miami to Colombia and down the East Coast of South America to Rio de Janeiro (see page 9)(passengers traveling to Buenos Aires were transferred to either a DC-2 or DC-3). This service continued into the late 1930's as shown in the September 1939 timetable (see page 46). In 1935, the S-42A entered service, with improved aerodynamics and a slightly longer wingspan. The engines were also upgraded, permitting a longer range. These aircraft were used in the Caribbean and South America.
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Sikorsky S-42A Dominican Clipper (Ed Coates Collection)
In 1936, the long-range S-42B entered service. On 18 June 1937, the Bermuda Clipper inaugurated service between Baltimore and Bermuda. The S-42B also started service to the South Pacific on 23 December 1937. Sadly, however, the service was temporarily suspended when the Samoan Clipper, another S-42B, commanded by Captain Musick, suffered a deadly fire resulting in the death of him and his crew. The S-42B was also used on the Manila-Hong Kong route in 1937 and the Seattle-Juneau route in 1940.
Samoan Clipper (PAHF)
Survey Flights The S-42B, because of its range, was also used extensively on survey routes for Pan American. In 1937, Pan American Clipper III made five survey flights in the Atlantic, originating in New York. The first was a round trip to Shediac, New Brunswick, followed by a round trip to Botwood, Newfoundland. The next two trips were to Southampton, England, via Foynes, Ireland (the northern route). The last trip was the southern route to Southampton via Bermuda, the Azores, Lisbon and Marseilles.
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However, the most important of all surveys was the transpacific survey in 1935 which are described in “Crossing the Pacific” at pages 51-52. Sowed the Seeds for Chicago? While it might be considered an overstatement to claim the S-42 sowed the seeds for the Chicago Convention of 1944, it should be remembered that because of its superiority, the British balked at allowing Juan Trippe access to the United Kingdom during the early 1930s. As mentioned on page 49 in “Crossing the Pacific”, the British were not going to let the United States (Pan American) display its superiority in air transportation on its soil until they had an aircraft of similar capabilities. As World War II was winding down, however, there was no doubt that the US was by far the strongest aviation power in the world, prompting significant worries from the British. This could have been made possible by an agreement described by Bender and Altschul between the US President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill during the war, whereby the US would focus on development of long-range bombers and transports while the Allies focused on fighters and light bombers. As a result, at the end of the War, the US had a decided advantage in capacity and range. And the British were painfully aware of that and were not intent on seeing the US take advantage of that position. The memories of the S-42 were in the British mindset. What the British had, however, was control of one end of many international journeys, something of great interest to Pan American, who had visions of operating flights to the European continent and Asia. Nevertheless, the US was in a position like the proverbial elephant, who, while dancing through a chicken yard, cried, “everyone for himself!” As it became clearly apparent that the Allies were to be victorious in the war, it also became increasingly clear that a meeting should be held to resolve issues of international aviation and most importantly the issues between the US and the British. Eventually, the US sent out invitations to the Allied Nations and the neutral countries of Europe and Asia to meet in Chicago on 1 November 1944. And all of this, because of an airliner created during a Pan American flight on the back of a menu by Charles Lindbergh and Igor Sikorsky: The S42. 35
West Indies Clipper (left) (Ed Coates Collection); S-42 lineup in Miami (PAHF)
As a postscript, it should be noted that at the end of the Chicago Convention, economic issues, largely issues between the US and Britain, were still unresolved. The US (Pan American) wanted authority to pick up passengers in Britain for travel beyond (“beyond rights� as provided for in the 5th Freedom of the Air, proposed by the US at Chicago) and the British balked. Finally, this was resolved with the US (Pan American) getting the coveted beyond rights in the Bermuda Agreement of 1946, an air services agreement between the US and Britain that also became the model for future air services agreements the world over.
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The Boeing 314 The Boeing 314, a long-range flying boat built by the Boeing Airplane Company between 1938 and 1941, was one of the largest aircraft of the time. Its massive wingspan gave it the range necessary for flights across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Twelve ships, designated Clippers, were built for Pan American.
Boeing 314 California Clipper flying over San Francisco in 1939 (PAHF)
Pan American's Clippers were built for "one-class" luxury air travel, a necessity given the long duration of transoceanic flights. With a cruise speed of 188 miles per hour (303 km/h) Pan American's scheduled flight between San Francisco and Honolulu was 19 hours. The passenger seats were convertible into 36 beds for overnight accommodation. In addition, there was a lounge and dining area with galleys crewed by top chefs. White-coated stewards served multi-course meals during the trip. Captain Bill Nash, a former Pan American pilot, joined the airline on 17 August 1942 and spent his first years in the flight deck of the Boeing 314. Below is a story he wrote about his experiences flying this aircraft, which appears in the book Pan American World Airways - Aviation History through the Words of its People (hereinafter “Aviation History�). Captain Nash retired from Pan American on 1 June 1977. A prolific writer, he contributed many articles to Airways Magazine. The words of Captain Nash: 37
“When I joined Pan Am in 1942, one of the first phrases that I learned was ‘flying by the seat of your pants’ – an old adage used to describe proper flying techniques. Before high-altitude jets flew commercially, we had to fly through wide storms rather than over them. To do so, we developed a seat of the pants technique – literally- whereby our bottoms were being bumped, rather than slipping or sliding. “Today, we have the sophistication and luxury of jetliners to fly over many of those boiling storm masses, cabin pressurization for oxygen supply, and radar to show us the dangerous storm cells, enabling us to fly around the violent depictions shown on the weather radar screen. “When crossing an ocean in a Pan Am flying boat such as the Boeing-314, we navigated celestially using an octant. Every Pan Am pilot was required to learn two methods of star computations to lay a position on the chart. On a Boeing 314 we had a glass hatch atop the cabin through which we could ‘shoot stars’. When the sky was partly cloud-covered, we plotted whatever navigational stars we could see. If the sky was overcast, we could not use our octants. “In the daylight we could see wind streaks on the surface of the sea, shiny lines running 90 degrees to the waves. If we had cloud cover below as well as above, we would navigate by dead-reckoning, using the wind we thought we had. If clear below and we passed a ship we could see, we could compare our position with theirs. “Approaching a coast, such as much of the Atlantic shoreline, which could be a mass jungle, while receiving poor or no radio signals, we aimed at the shore off-coast 30 degrees left or right – wherever we considered the destination most likely to be. When we arrived at the coast, we then followed the shore to our destination. If we had flown straight at the destination and saw nothing, we would not have known which way to follow the coast. “During a typical 11-12-hour flight, we usually took turns resting every 4 hours in our crew bunks. The props turned at 1,600 RPM’s and they vibrated violently. Consequently, it took some time to fall asleep. 38
“During World War II on trans-oceanic flights, Pan Am crews had to learn how to decipher coded messages. At departure we received an envelope which was not to be opened until we were aloft containing the keys to the codes which were valid for only a certain number of hours and then changed. “The Boeing 314 crew consisted of a captain, first officer, second officer, third officer, fourth officer, first and second flight engineers and one Morse Code radio-operator plus varying number of flight personnel. Four or more male stewards were aboard, depending on the aircraft’s configuration. The work on board was considered too strenuous for stewardesses. Hefty, large-capacity life rafts had to be handled and there were ponderous bunks to be prepared for sleeping.
Pilot's Instrument Panel on the Boeing-314 (PAHF)
“The entire aircraft was First Class, and our flying boats often carried kings, queens, presidents and potentates. We were instructed to be pleasant with them if they addressed us, but not to seek out conversation. President Juan Trippe wanted us to be able to converse intelligently by keeping up with current events and having a good knowledge of history and sensitive political issues. “Passengers enjoyed delicious meals that were prepared onboard and served in a 14-place dining room with black walnut tables in a silver and blue décor. The food was elegantly served in courses by stewards in white jackets, on pale blue tablecloths with matching monogrammed napkins and china. Wine was always served, and dinner 39
was topped off with fancy desserts, fruits and cheeses, and a cordial of crème de menthe. Sometimes there was a captain’s table. After dinner, the dining room was converted into a lounge where some passengers chose to relax while others went to their cabins to sleep.
Dining aboard the Boeing-314 (PAHF)
“The Boeing 314’s were retired from Pan Am’s service in 1946, after World War II. Not one survived, and only a few parts exist in museums which to me, is very sad. Clare Booth Luce, a playwright, United States Congresswoman and Ambassador to Italy, returned to the US aboard a flight on the Boeing 314 and said ‘Years from now, we will look back upon Pan American’s flying boats as the most glamorous, romantic air travel in the world’. “To me, experiencing this phase of early commercial aviation was one of the best times of my life. Having had the opportunity to be part of a Boeing 314 crew was an outstanding adventure for a young man, and I still recall it well at age 94, and thrill to the memories of that great aircraft and the exciting era of world history, all made possible by my years with Pan Am.” Bill Nash passed away on 13 March 2019 at the age of 101. Author’s Note: The Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum in Foynes, Ireland is the only such museum in the world and features a full-size replica of the Boeing 314. Information about the museum can be found at its website, www.flyingboatmuseum.com.
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Latin America – Clipper 201/202 (1927-1940) Pan American, from the beginning has always been identified with Latin America. Perhaps it is the name, “Pan American Airways”, which founder Juan Trippe finally settled on when he was told that “pan” meant “all”, and that is what the airline was: it served “all” the Americas. The airline's first scheduled mail (28 October 1927) and passenger (16 January 1928) flights were from Key West to Havana, and on 29 October 1928, Miami was added to the route system. During the late 1920's and early 1930's Pan American's network extended through all Central and South America. Pan American also purchased several ailing or defunct airlines in Central and South America and negotiated with postal officials to win most of the US government's airmail contracts to the region. In September 1929 Trippe toured Latin America with Charles Lindbergh to negotiate landing rights in several countries, including SCADTA's home turf in Colombia, and Venezuela. By the end of the year, Pan American offered flights along the west coast of South America to Peru. The following year, Pan American purchased the New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Line (NYRBA), giving it a seaplane route along the east coast of South America to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and westbound to Santiago, Chile. Pan American also partnered with W. R. Grace & Company in 1929 to form Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra).
Reproduction of Pan American's first timetable in 1927 (Author's collection)
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During this time, the Sikorsky S-38 was the workhorse and was used in survey flights and scheduled service as Pan American extended its route system in the Caribbean. On 6 February 1929, this aircraft made the first airmail flight to the Canal Zone with Charles Lindbergh in command and John A. Hambleton, one of the airline’s co-founders, as co-pilot.
Sikorsky S-38 (PAHF)
Charles Lindbergh (left) and John Hambleton (right) delivering mail in Panama (PAHF)
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Timetable cover from the era (Author's collection)
Captain John Marshall (hereinafter “Captain Marshall”) piloted Pan American's Latin America routes for years on many of the airline's aircraft. He wrote about the airline in Latin America along with memories of his first flight to Rio in a piece that appeared in Airways Magazine. Here are excerpts from his story, "Flying to Rio": “Pan American Airways from the beginning had a Latin flavor. Its very first flight was from Key West to Havana, and the early days were marked by exploration and new service to the Caribbean, Central America, and down to the huge southern half of the hemisphere. One of founder Juan Trippe’s early moves was the purchase of the New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line (NYRBA). The routes from this purchase 43
formed the backbone of the South American route system that would be a mainstay of the company until its very last days. Included in the deal was a fleet of Consolidated Commodores.
Consolidated Commodore (PAHF)
“Much of the early route exploration done during 1929 was accomplished with the Sikorsky S-38 seaplane with Charles Lindbergh at the controls, along with wife Anne and the Trippes, Juan and his wife Betty. Together they pioneered these first routes that connected Miami with Cuba and Central America. Later that year they explored another air mail route that took them through Puerto Rico and as far south as Paramaribo in Dutch Guiana (now Surinam). “The fledgling airline's fleet of Consolidated Commodores and the venerable S-38 formed the backbone of Pan Am’s South American operation until the arrival of the four-engine Sikorsky S-42. “The Commodore could cover the journey from Miami to Rio in an astounding five days. It could fly nearly 900 miles without refueling, and carry a load of 32 passengers, plus cargo - a truly staggering achievement! Crossing the equator vested one with a rare and unique badge of honor, and properly engraved certificates were solemnly presented to each passenger. When the ‘Line’ was crossed, the captain 44
pulled back on the yoke and then pushed abruptly forward, performing a swooping, stomach-dropping maneuver that was proof that the flight had indeed crossed the Equator and entered the southern hemisphere. “It was about this time that Pan Am began building a series of guest houses along the long route to South America in order to provide suitable accommodations for over-night passengers. These guest houses would remain in use until well after the war.” Flight 201 Pan American's flight 201 could be considered a “signature” flight that operated on its prestige routes. It originally operated between Miami and Buenos Aires and eventually between New York and Buenos Aires. The flight also included a stop in Rio de Janeiro. Just when the flight was designated "201" is difficult to determine. The flight number appears in the September 1939 timetable and operated six days a week with an S-42 on a journey that took 6 days. Below is an image of the S-42 and on the following page the schedule of flight 201 from the September 1939 timetable. Note the overnight stops.
Sikorsky S-42 (PAHF)
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Flight 201 Miami-Buenos Aires Route from September 1939 timetable (Author's Collection)
In 1940 the flight was operated with a Boeing 307 “Strato Clipper” and in 1943, a DC-3 was operated on the route. Presumably, this continued during the war as wartime restrictions prevented publication of public timetables. (Cont’d on page 69)
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Crossing the Pacific Whenever there is reference to the first airliner crossing of the Pacific Ocean, invariably it is the Martin M-130 China Clipper that comes to mind. This event, according to Davies, was “one of the most noteworthy and historic dates in the history of transport”. The Clipper, commanded by Edwin C. Musick, departed San Francisco Friday afternoon, 22 November 1935 and arrived in Manila, Philippines Friday afternoon, 29 November, having stopped in Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam along the way. The 8210mile trip took 59 hours and 48 minutes flying time. In addition to its historic importance, the event was one of the most publicized ever. Described in detail by Daley, the celebration included lunches, speeches by VIPs and “crowds on the docks, crowds on the rooftops and crowds aboard the extra ferries that had been added on”. In addition, the inaugural ceremony was broadcast both in the USA as well as in Europe, South America and the Orient and included speeches by Postmaster General James Farley and Juan Trippe. Trippe concluded matters with the command, “Captain Musick, you have your sailing orders. Cast off and depart for Manila in accordance therewith”. Receptions greeted the Clipper in Honolulu and upon arrival in Manila between two and three hundred thousand Filipinos jammed together along a jetty to welcome the ship. In addition, was an enclosure with two thousand prominent guests as well as people in the streets and on rooftops. A flotilla of military fighter planes flew out to escort the Clipper through its splashdown and landing. There followed a reception, banquet and parade. Later, Captain Musick presented a letter from US President Roosevelt to Philippine President Quezon commemorating the flight. It was indeed an important event in aviation history. Sendoff of China Clipper 22 November 1935 (PAHF)
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Martin M-130 China Clipper flying over the Golden Gate Bridge (PAHF)
The Atlantic Crossing the Pacific, however, was not the original intent of Juan Trippe in his desire to cross an ocean. It was the Atlantic. However, the geopolitical situation coupled with technological limitations made that option impossible. The details are spelled out with precision by Bender and Altschul. In a nutshell, the path to Europe was through Newfoundland. Unfortunately, negotiations between Juan Trippe, Britain, Canada and Newfoundland in 1932 did not provide the access desired, although some understanding was achieved between Pan American and Britain's Imperial Airways regarding traffic rights. Because Newfoundland appeared to be in doubt, Trippe looked south. Unfortunately, the political situation in Portugal made it difficult for Pan American to negotiate for traffic rights there as well. In addition, a survey trip made by Charles Lindbergh in the summer of 1933 brought into question the feasibility of using flying boats for regularly scheduled trans-Atlantic service. What is interesting here, with respect to the negotiations over Newfoundland, is that it was not the American government doing Pan American's bidding. It was Juan Trippe. And it was Juan Trippe who personally dealt with the governments of Britain, Canada and Newfoundland,
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following a pattern used when he negotiated traffic rights to countries in Latin America. The Pacific Any hope for trans-Atlantic operations, however, was dashed when, in April 1934, the British government demanded reciprocity with the US over traffic rights. According to Bender and Altschul, the British “government pulled the strings for Imperial, and if it viewed Pan American Airways as a similar instrument of national policy, then it would want to settle matters with the United States government.” Juan Trippe had overestimated his diplomatic skills and his “go-it-alone diplomacy” was not working. He admitted that he did not see much future for Pan American in the North Atlantic. In addition, as pointed out by Bob Gandt in China Clipper - The Age of the Great Flying Boats (hereinafter “Gandt”), "[t]he British, in 1934, had nothing like the S-42 or the coming M-130. Until Imperial Airways . . . possessed an airplane that could commence scheduled flights from Britain to the United States, Pan American would find itself blocked from the British crown colonies”. Another point of interest here is that during this time the state-owned flag carriers of several European nations were establishing routes to their own colonies in Asia, Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent, all without the need to obtain traffic rights. Privately owned Pan American did not have this luxury in that part of the world. The focus thus switched to the Pacific. After a “great circle” trans-Pacific route through the north was ruled out due to issues between the US and the Soviet Union, it was decided to take the route that represented the longest distance between the US and the Orient: the mid-Pacific. Here, the issue of traffic rights was not a problem for Pan American. The route involved stops at Honolulu, Midway, Wake and Guam, terminating in Manila, all of which were under US jurisdiction. At Guam and the Philippines, the US Navy had established bases on the pretext of potential confrontation with Japan. Midway was being used by the Navy for war games staged in the area. This left Wake, a tiny island, discovered by Juan Trippe in the New York Public Library, and, according to Daley, “for a brief time - only the blink of an eye as history is measured - it was one of the most famous places in the world”. 49
Wake Island The tiny island of Wake, an uninhabited coral atoll, was to become one of the most important way points on the route west to the Orient. It lay over 4000 miles from the US mainland in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and was a minor trophy of the Spanish-American War. Inside was a lagoon with surface water smooth enough to handle landings of flying boats, but the presence of coral heads made landings impossible. Its location, however, made it a critical point for the trans-Pacific flight. Juan Trippe eventually got permission to use the island as a base, and on 27 March 1935, the S.S. North Haven, a cargo ship, sailed west with provisions to set up bases for Pan American at Midway and Wake. At Wake, an entire village was built, including a hotel for passengers en-route to or from the Orient. Everything used in building the base was shipped from the mainland. In addition, a swimmer from Columbia University, Bill Mullahey (see page 55), who boarded the ship in Honolulu in a swimsuit, straw hat and a surfboard over his shoulder, was brought on board as the one-man demolition expert to clear the lagoon for landings. Wherever there was a coral head in the lagoon, he would dive down and place dynamite sticks in holes in the coral heads and attach detonator wires to them. After he surfaced the dynamite was blasted, and afterward he would go down to inspect. The channel to be cleared was one mile long and three hundred yards wide and it took months to clear the channel of several hundred coral heads. His only gear was a pair of marine goggles. Fins, facemasks, snorkels and scuba tanks had not yet been invented.
Unloading supplies at Wake Island (PAHF)
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The Aircraft On 1 October 1932, Pan American placed an order for three Sikorsky S-42s, described earlier on page 31. The aircraft was a product of the joint oversight of Pan American's Chief Engineer Andre Priester and Charles Lindbergh. What was unique about this aircraft, according to Gandt, was the design of the wing, which gave it greater range and the ability to bear a greater load. By the time Pan American accepted delivery of its first S-42, the aircraft had set several aviation records that made it probably the most advanced airliner in the world. Unfortunately, it was primarily designed for service in Latin America and was not suitable for trans-oceanic passenger operations. The aircraft could only carry six or eight passengers with the required fuel. In Latin American operations, passenger capacity was up to thirty-two. At the same time, the Martin M-130, a larger aircraft capable of trans-oceanic flight, was on the drawing board. A more advanced airliner than the S-42, Juan Trippe also placed an order for three. Survey Flights The M-130 was the intended aircraft for the new trans-Pacific route, however it was not due for delivery until the end of 1935. Survey flights were needed, and Juan Trippe would not wait. The West Indies Clipper, an S-42 then being used in Latin America, was selected for the duty. It was renamed the Pan American Clipper and was stripped of all passenger accommodation and fitted with extra fuel tanks, giving it an endurance of 21 1/2 hours and a range of 3000 miles. The key, and most important flight segment of the trans-Pacific trip, was California-Honolulu. The ability to fly this critical segment meant there would be no barrier to the eventual establishment of trans-oceanic flight. That was achieved. The Pan American Clipper departed San Francisco on 16 April 1935 for Honolulu and returned on 22 April. On 12 June it surveyed the Honolulu-Midway segment; on 9 August, MidwayWake; and on 5 October, Wake-Guam. On 24 October, the US Post Office awarded Pan American the trans-Pacific mail contract, the day the Pan American Clipper arrived back in San Francisco from its survey flights across the Pacific.
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Pan American Clipper passes by Diamond Head before landing at Ford's Island, Hawaii on first survey flight (PAHF)
Pan American Clipper arrival at Ford Island (PAHF)
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China Clipper The first Martin M-130, China Clipper, was delivered 9 October 1935. On 22 November, China Clipper inaugurated trans-Pacific airline service. The planning and preparation for this service was typical of the efficient organization nurtured by Pan American and was a manifestation of the high standards demanded of the flying crews. As described by Davies, “... there was a certain inevitability about the event . . . the planning which went into the preparation for the historic event left no stone unturned, or to be exact, no potentially damaging piece of coral reef unmoved. * * * Pan American Clippers had cut the trans-Pacific travel time from a matter of weeks to a matter of days. The world's biggest ocean had been conquered. A new age had begun.� Below is the cover and the inside page (showing the route map and flight schedules) of Pan American’s June-August 1940 timetable. Note the flight numbers were 800 and 801 and the aircraft used were either the M-130 or the Boeing 314. Until the sale of its Pacific routes to United in 1986, all Pan American flight numbers in the Pacific were numbered in the 800's.
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Cover and inside page from the June-August 1940 timetable (Author's collection)
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The Unsung Hero The “Unsung Hero” of Pan American’s historic crossing of the Pacific, was Bill Mullahey. Without his bravery in blasting out each coral head in the lagoon of Wake Island, the flying boats could never have landed.
Scenes at Wake Island and Bill Mullahey (lower left) (PAHF)
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Crossing the Atlantic – Clipper 100/101 Probably the most important, competitive and dense international route in any form of transportation is the North Atlantic. Today, hundreds of flights make the crossing daily between the major cities of the United States and those of Europe. However, it was not always that way. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, the principal market was between New York and London. These two cities for all intents and purposes were the main gateways to the United States and Europe respectively, and more passengers and cargo passed through these cities than any others. Pan American was a major player in this market and its signature flight, “Clipper 100”, was one of the most prestigious of airline lore. But first, a little history. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, crossing the Atlantic was by sail, and the trip was often perilous and time-consuming, often several months. With the advent of the steamship, travel times were greatly reduced and safety and reliability noticeably improved. The Cunard and White Star Lines pioneered these routes and developed the great ocean liners that were national and company symbols. The “grand” ocean liner became a staple in the North Atlantic passenger trade at the beginning of the 20th Century as the technology improved to allow construction of mammoth (at the time) ships with large passenger capacity. The liners competed in the luxury market offering opulent accommodations designed to please the most discerning of passengers. They also competed in speed and comfort. Until the jet age, the liners were the transportation of choice for many a trans-Atlantic passenger. In the US-UK market, the names are legendary: RMS Aquitania, RMS Queen Elizabeth and the SS United States, to name just a few.
RMS Aquitania (left) and RMS Queen Elizabeth (below) (Cunard brochure from author's collection)
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. SS United States (SS United States Conservancy)
Commercial travel by air in the trans-Atlantic market did not really play a role in trans-Atlantic commerce until after World War II, although the first commercial flights, pioneered by Pan American, began in 1939, when, on 20 May the first transatlantic mail service was inaugurated with the Yankee Clipper, a Boeing 314 flying boat, which flew from New York to Marseilles, France via Horta, Azores and Lisbon, Portugal. About a month later, on 24 June 1939, the Yankee Clipper established the first airmail service from New York to Southampton, England.
Passengers disembarking the Dixie Clipper after first trans-Atlantic passenger flight, June 1939 (PAHF)
The Dixie Clipper, also a Boeing 314, inaugurated passenger service between New York and Marseilles on 29 June, and in July, passenger service was inaugurated between New York and Southampton. These services were 57
suspended during World War II and it was not until 1945 that passenger service resumed. War was looming in 1939 and during the winter of 1939-1940, Pan American began experiencing problems with its Boeing 314 operation due to bad weather in the winter months. Both these factors prompted a shift to a southern route that nearly doubled the flight time between the European continent and New York. The route departed Lisbon and stopped in Bolama, Belem, Port of Spain and Bermuda before arriving in New York. At one point, three Boeing-314s were required to wait out a storm at Horta, Azores requiring all passengers to remain there over Christmas and New Year’s. Passenger Helen Reid, later publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, ran a small newspaper called The Horta Swells while stranded there.
The stranded Boeing-314's at Horta, Azores (PAHF)
(Cont’d on page 140)
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War Years (1940-1946)
Boeing 314 Dixie Clipper (PAHF)
Boeing 307 Stratoliner Clipper Flying Cloud (Pan Am Museum Foundation)
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Pan American Firsts and Key Events - 1940-1945 1941 •
Involvement with World War II began prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After a meeting between Juan Trippe and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, supplies were airlifted to West Africa and airstrips were upgraded across Africa to reinforce General Montgomery’s 8th Army.
•
Began operating long range missions with the Boeing 307 including regular trans-Atlantic flights for the Air Transport Command. The 307 had been previously operating in the Caribbean, Mexico and Brazil.
Boeing 307 Clipper Comet (Jon Proctor Collection)
1942 •
In January 1942, the Pacific Clipper, a Boeing 314 commanded by Captain Robert Ford, completed the first flight around the world. Originating in San Francisco, the flight was required to return to the United States on a westward course due to military action following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. From Honolulu, the flight eventually arrived in New York after stopping in Canton, Suva (Fiji), Noumea, Auckland, Gladstone, Port Darwin, Surabaya, Trincomalee (Ceylon), Karachi, Bahrain, Leopoldville, Natal, and Port of Spain. 60
•
Was first to operate international airline service with all-cargo aircraft using DC-4s (Army C-54s/Navy R5Ds) and PB2Y Coronados.
Army C-54 (Public Domain)
Navy R5D (Bill Larkins)
PB2Y Coronado (PAA 1943 Annual Report)
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1943 •
On 11 January 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt flew on the Dixie Clipper, a Boeing 314, to the Casablanca Conference. He was the first American president to fly on a commercial airliner while in office. The route was Miami-Trinidad-Belem, Brazil-Bathurst, Gambia and then by army transport to Casablanca. The return trip by the Clipper originated in Bathurst and stopped in Natal, Brazil, and Trinidad, arriving in Miami, 30 January 1943.
President Roosevelt and Staff on board the Dixie Clipper en-route to Casablanca (PAHF)
1945-1946 •
As the war was winding down, ordered Boeing 377 Stratocruisers and began taking delivery of DC-4s and Lockheed Constellations. In January 1946, trans-Atlantic services commenced with the Constellation. In March 1946, Constellation services also commenced between Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu. On 1 April 1949, the first Stratocruiser service commenced between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Lockheed L-049 Constellation (Lockheed Martin via R A Scholefield)
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Douglas DC-4 Pan American Clipper (PAHF)
Boeing C-97/Boeing 377 assembly line (Public Domain via San Diego Air & Space Museum)
Boeing 377 Clipper America over San Francisco (PAHF)
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Images from the Era Aircraft Below are images of various Pan American aircraft operated during this era. Photo credits to Pan Am Historical Foundation unless otherwise noted.
Boeing 314 Capetown Clipper in warpaint
Boeing 307 Clipper Rainbow (Source Unknown)
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Images from the Era Memorabilia Timetable covers and maps from the era. From the author’s collection unless otherwise noted.
Timetable covers July 1945 and October 1945
Post war promotions, July 1945 (left) and October 1945
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July (top) and October 1945 timetable route maps
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Annual Reports during World War II (from author’s collection).
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Route map from 1943 Annual Report. Note wartime operations are not shown. (Author's collection)
Wartime Kudos in 1945 Annual Report (Author's collection)
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Latin America – Clipper 201/202 (1941-1945) As the war was winding down, Pan American, which suspended publication of timetables during the war resumed publishing, with Latin America services in the July 1945 timetable and the addition of Atlantic services in October. Interestingly, the European services were promoted in July, while the Argentina services were promoted in October with hints that new, large aircraft were to be introduced (see page 65).
Douglas DC-3 aircraft at Santos Dumont Airport Brazil (Alvin Lederer)
Douglas DC-3 (Ed Coates Collection via R E G Davies)
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In the July 1945 timetable, flight 201 operated between Miami and Buenos Aires on Wednesday and Friday, using a DC-3, with stops in Camaguey, Port au Prince, Ciudad Trujillo, San Juan, Antigua, Port of Spain (overnight stop), Georgetown, Paramaribo, Cayenne, Belem (overnight stop), Barreiras, Rio de Janeiro (overnight), Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Montevideo and arriving in Buenos Aires on Saturday and Monday. The timetable also advertised increased frequency to Havana with the addition of night flights.
July 1945 timetable pages with flight 201 and Cuba service announcement
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Flight 201 operated the same route on the same days in the October 1945 timetable. This timetable also included the restart of trans-Atlantic flights between the US and the UK as well as flights in Alaska. Pacific and China services were shown, although the schedules were “confidential�. The timetable also announced the lifting of certain wartime restrictions.
October 1945 timetable with Alaska, Pacific and China services page .
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July 1945 timetable with new Havana services (top) and October 1945 timetable page on wartime restrictions
(Cont’d on page 136) 72
Piston Era (1946-1957)
Boeing 377 Clipper Southern Cross (R A Scholefield Collection)
DC-6B Clipper Splendid (Brian Harris)
DC-7C freighter conversion (Jon Proctor)
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Pan American Firsts and Key Events - 1946-1957 1946 •
On 19 January 1946, operated the first landplane passenger flight with a Douglas DC-4, Clipper Lightfoot, to Leopoldville, Belgian Congo.
John T McCoy watercolor of Clipper Lightfoot arrival at Leopoldville
1947 •
On 17 June 1947, operated the first scheduled commercial round-theworld service with a Lockheed Constellation Model 749, Clipper America. The flight left New York 17 June 1947 and stopped in Gander, Shannon, London, Istanbul, Dhahran, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Manila, Shanghai, Tokyo, Guam, Wake, Midway, Honolulu, San Francisco and Chicago, and arrived back in New York on 30 June.
Departure scene of first round-the-world commercial flight (PAHF)
74
•
Was first to launch service to Johannesburg, South Africa.
1948 •
Was first to introduce and operate Tourist Class service (now known as Economy Class) outside the continental limits of the US. This marked the beginning of the decline in air fares and the beginning of air travel for the mass market.
1952 •
Was first to use aircraft specifically built for tourist service on the transatlantic route: the Douglas DC-6B.
Douglas DC-6B Clipper Liberty Bell (Ed Coates)
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1955 •
Introduced Douglas DC-7B service, 13 June 1955.
Douglas DC-7B Clipper Friendship (Brian Harris)
•
With its order for 20 Boeing 707s on 13 October 1955, was first to order US commercial jet transports. Also ordered 25 Douglas DC-8s.
Rollout of first Boeing 707-121 (PAHF)
Douglas DC-8-32 Clipper Flying Cloud (via Jon Proctor)
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•
Introduced Douglas DC-7C service, 1 June 1956.
Douglas DC-7C Clipper Bald Eagle (PAHF)
•
On October 15, 1957, completed the first airliner trip to McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, with a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Clipper America.
John T McCoy watercolor of Boeing 377 Clipper America in Antarctica
77
Images from the Era Aircraft Below are images of various Pan American aircraft operated during this era. Photo credits to Pan Am Historical Foundation unless otherwise noted. Douglas DC-4
Clipper Fearless in Miami (zoggavia.com)
Clipper Westward Ho (PAA postcard from author's collection)
Clipper Racer (R A Scholefield Collection)
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Lockheed Constellation
Clipper Challenge at New York LaGuardia (Connie Heggblom)
Clipper Winged Arrow
Clipper Mount Vernon
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Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
Clipper Flying Cloud (SFO Museum)
Clipper Flying Cloud at Miami (Richard Bow)
Boeing 377 in for maintenance
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Clipper Polynesia ex Morning Star at SFO Air Show (John Catani)
Clipper Glory of the Skies in Honolulu with United Airlines DC-7 (Hawaii Aviation)
Clipper Flying Eagle (left) (Source and location unknown); Clipper Reindeer (Mel Lawrence via George Hamlin)
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Douglas DC-6A/DC-6B
DC-6A Clipper Gladiator (Ed Coates Collection)
DC-6A Clipper Jupiter (Jon Proctor)
DC-6B Clipper Viking at Leopoldville (Connie Heggblom)
DC-6B at Frankfurt (Ralf Manteufel)
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DC-6B Clipper Evening Star (Doug Chapman)
Douglas DC-7B/DC-7C
DC-7B Clipper Jupiter Rex (Jon Proctor Collection)
DC-7B Clipper Evening Star (Jon Proctor Collection)
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DC-7C Clipper Bald Eagle (Geoffrey Thomas)
DC-7C Clipper Rambler (Allan Van Wickler)
DC-7C Lineup at New York Idlewild (Allan Van Wickler)
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Images from the Era Memorabilia Timetable covers and maps from the era. From the author’s collection unless otherwise noted.
Timetable covers for February and October 1948, April 1952, April 1956 and September 1957
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Timetable route maps for October 1948 and April 1952
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Timetable route maps for April 1956 and September 1957
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Advertising in timetables – 1950s
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Baggage Strap Tags. These rare unused luggage tags are from the author’s collection. They were collected in late 1959/mid 1960 by the author (then a young boy) at Miami International Airport and at Havana Jose Marti Airport. In Havana, Pan American had recently terminated services and the tags were left behind at the abandoned check-in counters.
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90
91
92
93
94
95
Annual Report covers from author’s collection unless otherwise noted.
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Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra) Images of Panagra. Photo and image credits to panamericangrace.com unless otherwise noted.
Three views of Panagra's Douglas DC-3
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Douglas DC-4 at Miami
Douglas DC-6Bs at Lima (top) and Miami (above)
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Two views of Panagra's Douglas DC-7Bs - El Inter Americano
Douglas DC-8 (Jochen Beeck)
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Panagra Timetable May 1960 and baggage Strap tags (Author's collection)
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The Douglas DC-4 During 1936, Pan American and the four main US domestic airlines engaged in talks with Douglas Aircraft Company regarding the development of an airliner designed to carry more than 60 passengers with a range of 1000 miles. The result was the DC-4E, the first large airliner to feature a nose wheel as well as a main landing gear. The first flight was in June 1938. Unfortunately, the aircraft design did not meet the requirements of all five airlines and as a result it was scrapped and attention was switched to a smaller airliner, the DC-4.
Douglas DC-4E (Carl Malamud)
The DC-4 initially went into production as a four-engine propellerdriven long-range commercial land plane. However, with the start of World War II, the focus switched to the military and the aircraft was re-designated the C-54 for the Army Air Corps and the R5D for the Navy (See page 61). The first flight was on 14 February 1942 and eventually over 1000 were built. During the war nearly 80,000 ocean crossings were made including a 250strong armada that delivered two Army divisions to Japan from Okinawa after the Japanese surrender. The DC-4 also had a prominent role in the Berlin Airlift. The aircraft proved to be a popular and reliable type, and its tricycle landing gear design allowed the fuselage structure to be stretched into the later DC-6 and DC-7 aircraft. Douglas continued production throughout the war and after. The aircraft was not pressurized, although it was an option. Once hostilities were over, the C-54s and R5Ds were released and the world's airlines scrambled for them. The US airline industry went into high gear, and Pan American was no exception, taking its first delivery on 3 November 1945. And for Pan American, the acquisition of the DC-4 meant the end of the flying boat era, as described by Davies:
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“In an epoch-making mission, Pan American dispatched a DC-4 on 21 October 1945 on a 25,000-mile survey flight to Japan, China, Southeast Asia and India. The message was clear. To underscore the point, Pan Am replaced its Boeing 314s on the California-Honolulu route with DC-4s. The daily flight took about 10 hours, compared with the Boeing's 20, and the fare was reduced from $278 one way to $195. The era of the flying boat was at an end.�
First DC-4 taking off for Europe from LaGuardia flying over Capetown Clipper in Bowery Bay (PAHF)
Besides the US carriers, airlines from all over the world acquired the DC-4. Among the many were SAS, Iberia, Swissair, Air France, Sabena, KLM, Aerolineas Argentinas and South African Airways, as well as Pan American affiliates Panagra, Cubana and Avianca.
Douglas DC-4 Clipper Kit Carson (Public Domain)
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Pan American eventually acquired over 90 DC-4s and employed them throughout its world-wide route system. It was also the aircraft used on 19 January 1946, when Pan American operated the first landplane passenger flight to Africa with Clipper Lightfoot to Leopoldville, Belgian Congo (see page 74). Pan American's use of the DC-4 from the end of the war until it was withdrawn in the early 1960s was initially extensive but became more specialized. A look at the timetables from that era tells the story. In the October 1948 timetable, the DC-4 was used on Pan American's round-the-world flights between Calcutta and California (see page 149) and saw service on the European, Alaskan and Pacific routes. The aircraft was also used in Latin America, including on Pan American's signature flights 201/202 (see page 137) between New York and Rio de Janeiro.
Douglas DC-4 Clipper Reindeer in Alaska (PAHF)
By the April 1952 timetable, Pan American had introduced the DC-6B and the DC-4 was used more sparingly. In Europe it was used primarily on the Internal German Services (IGS) and in the Pacific it operated for the most part between Tokyo, Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore. The aircraft was also used in the Alaska service, Bermuda service and for Tourist class service between New York and San Juan and Miami and Havana.
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In the April 1956 timetable, the DC-7B and DC-7C had been introduced to Pan American's fleet and the DC-4's operations became more and more specialized. For example, the aircraft was employed exclusively on the IGS, with limited service on the Alaska and Pacific routes, and in Latin America with Avianca flights out of Bogota, Colombia.
April 1956 timetable IGS page (Author's collection)
Douglas DC-4 at Berlin Tempelhof (PAHF)
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Douglas DC-4 Clipper Dreadnaught at Frankfurt (Michael Fritz)
By the April 1959 timetable, jet service had been introduced. The DC4s were still employed in the IGS, with limited service in the Pacific, and with Panagra in Latin America.
April 1959 timetable Panagra services page (Author's collection)
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And in the September 1961 timetable, with minor exceptions, Pan American's DC-4 passenger service ended when the DC-6B replaced the venerable aircraft on the IGS.
September 1961 timetable IGS services page (Author's collection)
The DC-4, along with the Constellation, played a major role in Pan American's early post-war operations. The aircraft enabled Pan American to 107
become a truly “world” airline and it was instrumental in establishing Pan American's presence in Europe, the Pacific and in Latin America. Its range enabled it to make ocean crossings, which gave Pan American and the United States a distinct advantage in the development and operation of long range, large capacity aircraft. Unfortunately, the DC-4 was remembered for its lack of pressurization and slower speed. Nevertheless because of its massive production and wide deployment by both military and commercial operators, what should not be forgotten, as so succinctly said by Davies, “is the record of the intercontinental airlines, US and foreign alike, almost all of which inaugurated their prestigious trunk routes with DC-4s.”
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The Lockheed Constellation Many who have followed the history of Pan American World Airways during the piston era often associate the airline with the Boeing Stratocruiser, the DC-6B and the DC-7C, aircraft that played starring roles during that time. Often overlooked was the Constellation, which is always associated with Trans World Airlines (TWA). The ubiquity was obvious: when one sees a Stratocruiser, one thinks of Pan American; when one sees a Constellation, one thinks of TWA. Yet, the Constellation played an important role in the postWorld War II history of Pan American, not the least, making the first commercial airline flight around the world. The Lockheed Constellation (“Connie”), built by the Lockheed Corporation, was a piston airliner driven by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R3350 propeller engines. Between 1943 and 1958, 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models at Lockheed’s Burbank, California facility. The aircraft was distinguished by a triple-tail design and dolphin-shaped fuselage and was used in both military and civilian air transportation and saw service in the Berlin Airlift and the Biafran Airlift. It was the presidential aircraft for US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Davies said this about the Constellation: “British aviation writer Peter Brooks described the Lockheed Constellation as the ‘secret weapon of American air transport.’ The description was almost literally true as it was produced, if not clandestinely, certainly behind locked doors. It was the inspired result of close cooperation between Lockheed’s design staff headed by the redoubtable Kelly Johnson, and the leadership of Howard Hughes, now actively in charge of TWA. Discussions were first held in 1939. TWA ordered nine in 1940, and the ‘Model 049’, as Lockheed engineers always called it, first flew on 9 January 1943. All concerned must have known it was a winner, even if the C-54s (DC-4s) were piling up the hours across the conflict-stricken oceans. “On 19 April 1944 Hughes and TWA president Jack Frye flew the ‘Connie’ nonstop from Burbank, Lockheed’s plant location in California, to Washington, DC in three minutes less than seven hours, an air journey which normally took between 12 and 14 hours, including stops. The aircraft was immediately handed over to the Government for 109
military use, and Howard Hughes no doubt made a considerable impression on the assembled bureaucratic multitude as he demonstrated it (illegally) in TWA’s colors”. With the onset of World War II, the TWA aircraft entering production were converted to an order for C-69 Constellation military transport aircraft, with 202 aircraft intended for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The aircraft was mostly used as a high-speed, long-distance troop transport during the war.
Lockheed Constellation (C-69 military version) (Public Domain)
After World War II the Constellation came into its own as a popular, fast, civilian airliner. Aircraft already in production for the USAAF as C-69 transports were converted to civilian airliners, with TWA receiving the first on 1 October 1945. TWA’s first transatlantic proving flight departed Washington, DC, on 3 December 1945, arriving in Paris on 4 December via Gander and Shannon. Pan American’s involvement with the Constellation came about before World War II and involved none other than Juan Trippe’s rival, Howard Hughes. According to Bender and Altschul, during the first winter of transAtlantic service with the Boeing 314, flights suffered many delays because of weather conditions and only 56% were completed. There were icy conditions in the Northeast and rough seas around the Azores. Because of the weather conditions in the Northeast, eastbound passengers were ferried south, sometimes as far south as Miami, by train or domestic carrier to pick up their transatlantic Clipper. On the westbound trip, heavy headwinds and swells at Horta in the Azores caused cancellation of many flights (see page 58). Later, in the summer of 1940, Pan American received authority to use Bolama, on the coast of Portuguese Guinea, for an alternative route during the winter months. Westbound flights originating in Lisbon flew south to Bolama and 110
then west and north through Belem and Bermuda to its US destination, adding over 4000 miles to the trip. Pan American desperately needed a long-range plane, a type of plane the domestic airlines had taken the lead in developing; but none existed that was capable of spanning oceans. According to Bender and Altschul, “Providence, in the person of . . . Howard Hughes bailed Trippe out on his dependence on the flying boat.” Hughes had bought a controlling interest in TWA and spurred Lockheed to build a four-engine high altitude plane for his airline. It was the Model 049 and it was a challenge to the DC-4 Douglas was building for United and American. As TWA was a domestic carrier at the time, Hughes “allowed” Trippe to enter the Lockheed program. Pan American ordered twenty 049’s and ten long-range versions of the model in June 1940. The latter version had pressurized cabins that allowed for flying over the Atlantic storms. However, with the outbreak of war and before the delivery date in 1942, Lockheed had to assign Pan American’s contract to the Army, with the promise to deliver the aircraft after the war. With the end of hostilities, aircraft built for service in the war were turned over to the airlines, including Pan American. In addition, the US Government, through the Civil Aeronautics Board, awarded international routes to several US domestic airlines, including TWA. Says Davies: “Juan Trippe had been accustomed to sponsoring new generations of aircraft, and it must have been quite a shock to his system to see Hughes and TWA not only taking over such leadership, but also receiving extensive international route awards from the Civil Aeronautics Board, enthusiastically supported by the President (Roosevelt), and now challenging the Chosen Instrument, as Pan American was unofficially dubbed, on the lucrative North Atlantic route. “The first of the Lockheed airliners, with 54 seats in Pan Am’s layout, was delivered on 5 January 1946 and was christened Clipper Mayflower. A second arrived one week later and Pan American opened North Atlantic Constellation service on 14 January 1946. This was a measure of Pan Am’s considerable organizational strength as TWA itself did not start scheduled transatlantic service until 5 February.
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“Pan American took delivery of 22 Model 049 Constellations before the end of May 1946. Two went directly to Panair do Brasil, still very much a Pan Am subsidiary and which was the fortunate recipient of eleven more during the 1950s as they retired from the parent company’s routes. “On 17 June 1947, a Constellation Model 749, an advanced version, one of four delivered to Pan Am, made the first round-the-world airline inaugural flight from New York to San Francisco (see page 74). Later, with the purchase of American Overseas Airlines (A.O.A), seven more of the 049 model were added for a total Connie fleet of 33.”
Lockheed 049 Constellation Clipper Mayflower at London Heathrow (PAHF)
Lockheed 049 Constellation Clipper Challenge in maintenance (Gary Donaldson Collection)
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From Davies: “The Lockheed 049 Constellation was in a class of its own. It was at least 70 mph faster than the DC-4; it was pressurized – at a higher equivalent altitude than the Boeing 307 had been; it was larger, with 60 seats against the DC-4’s 44 at the same seat pitch; and it had the range to fly the North Atlantic with only one stop. It sent all the Douglas design staff back to the drawing board in a hurry to develop the unpressurized Four into something bigger and faster and higher-flying. For the path which airlines had beaten to Santa Monica was superseded by one to Burbank, because when TWA put the Constellation into service, it quickly became evident that there were two classes of airline: those with Connies and those without them.” Pan American operated the Constellation for about a decade from its first deliveries in 1946. In the October 1948 timetable (see page 149), the airplane was used primarily on the airline’s round-the-world flights (although sharing duty with the DC-4) and on its services across the Atlantic, including Africa. The Constellation was also operated between New York and San Juan. Pan American’s subsidiary Panair do Brasil, operated the Constellation between Istanbul and Buenos Aires through Europe and Africa. In the April 1952 timetable (see page 150), the Constellation still operated in the around-the-world service, sharing duties with the DC-4 and the Boeing 377 Strato Clipper. Of note was the Friday westbound trip originating in San Francisco designated “PA1”. The airplane continued to be used on Atlantic services, including Africa, as well as the New York-San Juan rotation. As the decade of the 1950s progressed, Constellation operations began to fade. Its only round-the-world sector was between London and Hong Kong. Its transatlantic operations were replaced by the DC-6B and the Boeing 377 Strato Clipper, although it still operated to southern Europe and Africa. The airplane also experienced an increased presence in Latin America. By 1956, the Constellation was only seen in Central America under the Pan American livery, as seen in a timetable of that year. By the end of the decade the Pan American Constellation fleet had been sold to Panair do Brasil, Cubana, Delta and Air France.
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April 1956 timetable Panair do Brasil schedules (Author's collection)
Panair do Brasil Lockheed 049 Constellation (Jose C Silveira, Jr)
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The Boeing 377 One of Pan American World Airways’ most iconic airliners was the Boeing 377 called the Strato Clipper (the “Strat”) or Stratocruiser. In the post war years and into the 1950s, it epitomized the ultimate in luxury air travel that was unparalleled at the time and probably never will be.
Boeing 377 Strato Clipper Clipper Sovereign of the Sky (PAHF)
The Strato Clipper was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter, a military derivative of the B-29 Superfortress. It was Boeing’s first commercial transport since the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, and it possessed all the speed and technical improvements available to bombers at the end of the war. Like the C-97, the Strato Clipper was developed by grafting a large upper fuselage onto the lower fuselage and wings of the B-29, creating an “inverted-figure-8” double deck fuselage. The aircraft had four huge Pratt & Whitney 4360 radial engines with Hamilton Standard propellers. Said Davies, the Strato Clipper “looked as ponderous as the Constellation looked graceful. It seemed to bore its way through the air, defying apparent theories of clean aerodynamics. It was, in fact, as fast as the Constellation, and set many point-to-point records.” 115
The Strato Clipper set a new standard for luxurious air travel with its tastefully decorated extra-wide passenger cabin and gold-appointed dressing rooms. A circular staircase led to a lower-deck beverage lounge, and flight attendants prepared hot meals for 50 to 100 people in a state-of-the-art galley. As a sleeper, the Strato Clipper was equipped with 28 upper-andlower bunk units. Pan American placed the first order for 20 Strato Clippers, worth $24 million, and they began service between San Francisco and Honolulu in 1949. Fifty-six Strato Clippers were built between 1947 and 1950. In addition to Pan American, the Boeing 377 was also operated by American Overseas Airlines (acquired by Pan American in 1950), United Airlines, Northwest Airlines, BOAC and others. The Strato Clipper was most remembered for its lower-deck lounge and staterooms. It was used on Pan American’s most prestigious routes and attracted the most discerning of passengers. Although its operating costs were high, they were offset by high revenue.
Boeing 377 lower-deck lounge (PAHF)
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Boeing 377 passenger cabin, bunk units and sleepers (PAHF)
The Pan American Strato Clippers saw service all over the world. They were deployed on the New York-Rio “President Special” service and a “Super” Strato Clipper, the “Super Stratocruiser”, was deployed on the airline’s most prestigious route, the New York-London flight 100/101, and also saw extensive usage on Pan American’s Pacific routes as well as the round-theworld service. The timetable images below illustrate these services:
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April 1952 timetable Latin America schedules (Author's collection)
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April 1956 timetable round-the-world schedules and flight 100 (Author's collection)
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The aircraft was also a favorite of flight crews, not the least for the fact that many celebrities were passengers. Barbara Sharfstein, a former Pan American purser who started working for the airline in 1951 and stayed until 1986, when she went to United Airlines with the sale of Pan American’s Pacific routes, said, in a story in Aviation History: “I applied and was hired as a ‘stewardess’ by Pan American World Airways in July 1951, one month after reaching my 21st birthday and after graduating from college. About three months later, my friend from home and school, Pat Monahan, joined me and three other new hires in a rented house one block from the Miami Airport. We started our careers flying to South America and almost all islands in between. We agreed it was the most amazing, wonderful life imaginable. The types of airplanes we crewed were: Convairs, DC4s, Constellations and our alltime favorite, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. “One of the most memorable times in my flying career happened on the Stratocruiser when Louis Armstrong and his band were downstairs in the lounge longing to get to their instruments. As it happened, there was a door to the cargo compartment right next to the bar. In fact, the liquor kits were kept in the same compartment as the luggage with only a mesh rope curtain separating us from what they could spot as a few of the instruments. I can only say it was fortunate for the weight and balance of the airplane that the lounge was centrally located, or we might have been in trouble. Almost all the passengers were in the lounge seats or on steps. Passengers were helping me serve drinks and neither they nor I will ever forget it.” Pan American was known for many historic “firsts” in commercial flight and the Strato Clipper was no exception, albeit, in one case, in a most unusual way. On 12 October 1957, Captain Don McLennan and crew started the four engines of Clipper America for a special mission, a charter flight for the US Navy. The ultimate destination for the flight was just shy of 10,000 miles away, in the Antarctic at 77 degrees 51 minutes S,166 degrees 40 minutes E – the 6,000 ft. runway at the United States Naval Air Facility, McMurdo Sound; operations base for the Navy’s Operation Deep Freeze III. The Pan American flight would mark the first commercial airline flight to the Antarctic and the event was commemorated in a John T. McCoy watercolor, one of his series of Historic Pan Am Firsts (see page 77). 120
During its service for Pan American, the Strato Clipper was dressed in three liveries. Below are images of the three:
Boeing 377 Super Stratocruiser Clipper Morning Star at New York Idlewild (B J Ram Rao and Vintage Airliners)
Boeing 377 Super Stratocruiser Clipper Invincible (Mel Lawrence)
Boeing 377 Clipper Constitution in new livery (Bill Armstrong)
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The Strato Clipper played an important role in the phenomenal growth of commercial aviation after World War II and remained a presence on the world’s prestige airline routes up to the beginning of the Jet Age. From Davies: “While the Constellation is remembered with affection as the epitome of elegance of the piston-engine era, and the DC-6B for its reliability and efficiency, the Stratocruiser was the last to be retired from the world’s prestige routes when, first the turboprop Britannia, and then the Comet and the Boeing 707 jets ushered in a new era that became the Jet Age.”
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The Douglas DC-6B “The Workhorse of the Fleet” During the heyday of Pan American World Airways' prop-era and well into the jet age, one particular airplane figured prominently in its operations around the world: The Douglas DC-6B “Super Six Clipper”, often nicknamed the “Six” by the pilots who flew her.
Douglas DC-6B Clipper Midnight Sun (PAHF)
Referred to as “The Thoroughbred Airliner” by Davies, the DC-6B played a significant role in Pan American’s history. The Aircraft The predecessor of the DC-6B, the DC-6, was in response to the challenge by Lockheed to out-class the DC-4, although reliable and routeproven in World War II, it was not pressurized and was an under-performer against the Constellation. For the DC-6, Douglas stretched the fuselage of the DC-4 and pressurized it to maintain 5,000 feet (1524 m) while flying at 20,000 feet (6096 m). It could fly 90 mph (145 kph) faster than the DC-4, carry 3,000 pounds (1350 kg) more payload and fly 850 miles (1368 km) farther. The wingspan was the same as the DC-4. It was a natural evolution of the DC-4. The first production DC-6 made its inaugural flight on 29 June 1946 and was retained for testing by Douglas. Manufacturing continued, and in
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November of that year, American Airlines and United Airlines began receiving their first deliveries. United made the first service flight on 27 April 1947. Early service of the aircraft was not smooth, however, and in 1947, the DC-6 was grounded for four months due to two inflight fires, one fatal, caused by fuel venting entering the cabin heater ram air intake. The problem was fixed, and the aircraft eventually went back into service. By 1949, domestic carriers United, American, Delta, National and Braniff were operating the DC-6 in the US. United also flew the aircraft to Hawaii and Braniff flew it in South America. Panagra, also operated the DC6 in South America. International carriers KLM, SAS and Sabena operated the DC-6 on their transatlantic routes and Philippine Airlines operated it between Manila and London and Manila and San Francisco. It was one of the first airplanes to fly a regularly scheduled around-the-world route. The 29th DC-6 was ordered by the US Air Force, adapted as the presidential aircraft and designated the VC-118. It was delivered on 1 July 1947, and named The Independence after President Harry Truman’s hometown, Independence, Missouri. With the availability of the more powerful Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp R-2800 engines, and with an order from Slick Airways for a freighter version of the DC-6, the aircraft was further improved in 1948 with the development of the DC-6A, a freighter that made her inaugural flight on 29 September 1949. The passenger equivalent of that variant, the DC-6B, made her first flight on 2 February 1951. Douglas also developed the DC-6C, a convertible passenger/freight version of the DC-6A. In all three variants, the fuselage was five feet longer than the DC-6 and twelve feet longer than the DC-4. The DC-6B featured a higher-gross-weight (107,000 lb./49,000 kg) and longer range. And, with the four Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp R-2800 engines and Hamilton Standard 43E60 constant-speed reversing propellers, the DC-6B became known as the ultimate piston-engine airliner from the standpoint of ruggedness, reliability, economical operation and handling qualities. United inaugurated service with the DC-6B on 11 April 1951. The total production of the DC-6 series was 704, including military versions. Of these, 175 were DC-6s and 288 were DC-6Bs. Pan American 124
never operated the DC-6 and did not take delivery of that model until Douglas developed the DC-6B. Pan American’s “Super Six Clipper” An aircraft that played a particularly important part in its history, Pan American ordered 45 DC-6Bs during September 1950. They were given the moniker “Super Six Clipper” and all were delivered between February 1952 and June 1954. On 1 May 1952 Clipper Liberty Bell (see page 75) inaugurated all-tourist Rainbow Service on the prestigious New York-London route, marking a significant accomplishment in Pan American's effort to bring air travel to the mass market.
Introducing Rainbow Service in the April 1952 timetable (Author's Collection)
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During its deployment for Pan American, the Super Six performed just about every duty conceivable. It could be configured in an all-first-class service with 44 seats, all tourist from 88 to 109 seats and in a dual configuration with 82 seats. By 1956, the Super Sixes were operating extensively on all of Pan American’s world-wide routes with the aircraft in various configurations, including dual first and tourist class service in the Atlantic, Pacific and round-the-world services, all-first class in the Alaska operation and all-tourist (with all-first on some routes) in Latin America.
April 1956 timetable Latin America schedules (Author's collection)
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Douglas DC-6B Clipper Fair Wind at London (George Trussell Collection)
In 1959, the Super Sixes were seen in the Atlantic, Pacific and Latin America. The Super Six, however, was the mainstay of Pan American's Latin America operations, serving Central America, South America and the Caribbean, offering all-first class, dual-service and all tourist. On the New York-San Juan route, the aircraft was even offered in a high-density Clipper "Thrift" service with 106 seats!
April 1959 timetable Latin America schedules (Author's collection)
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By 1961, however, the Sixes were no longer on the round-the-world and Pacific service. Most were deployed in the IGS out of Berlin while some remained operating in Latin America and on the Alaska service in an all-firstclass configuration. By 1966, the Boeing 727 began replacing the Sixes in Berlin. However, the Sixes returned to the Pacific, having been given a new life as rest and recuperation charters for the US military serving in Southeast Asia. Pan American also purchased the DC-6A freighter for use in its allcargo operations. These aircraft operated world-wide and continued operations through 1966 when they were replaced by the DC-7C and jet aircraft.
Sept 1961 timetable IGS schedules page (Author's collection)
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Douglas DC-6B Clipper Priscilla Alden at Berlin (Ralf Manteufel)
Douglas DC-6B "R&R" in Southeast Asia (PAHF)
Douglas DC-6A Clipper Gladiator (Brian Harris)
While the DC-6As and DC-6Bs were being phased out, they were often used as training platforms for many of Pan American’s newly hired pilots in the mid-1960s. Assigned to Berlin where the Sixes were operating in the IGS, these pilots got their feet wet as Flight Engineers on both aircraft, some flying 129
a nightly freighter rotation between Berlin and Frankfurt, departing at 11:00 p.m. and returning the next morning at 3:00 a.m. In Frankfurt, rather than taking a nap between flights, the young pilots spent the layover exploring the airplane and learning everything about it, under the watchful eye of their instructor. What was interesting about this operation, was that aircraft from all over West Germany rendezvoused at Frankfurt in a sort of hub-and-spoke operation, exchanging sacks of mail. A prelude of things to come? Davies said the aircraft was considered marginally more economical to operate than the Constellation, but from an engineering standpoint it was easier to put through inspection, maintenance and overhaul checks for both the airframe and engines. Said Davies, “although later developments of the Douglas line were to outperform the 6B, this was the aircraft that wise old airline folk would refer to as a thoroughbred�.
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The Douglas DC-7C Probably the most advanced of the piston airliners, the Douglas DC-7C also had one of the shortest, if not the shortest, service life with Pan American World Airways.
Douglas DC-7C Clipper Bald Eagle (Geoffrey Thomas)
The aircraft came about as a result of the competition in the North Atlantic for what Davies referred to as the “non-stop prize”. The competition had already been brewing on the domestic front between Douglas and Lockheed with TWA introducing the first US transcontinental non-stop service in October 1953 with the L-1049C Super Constellation, followed soon thereafter by American with the DC-7. In the trans-Atlantic, it was TWA with its Super Constellations versus Pan American, with its Super Stratocruisers fitted with extra fuel tanks and later with DC-7B's, which had a slightly higher gross weight and longer range than the DC-7. Then, in November 1955, TWA introduced the L-1049G, the “Super G”, which was matched by Pan American with the DC-7C in June 1956. With the DC-7C, called the "Seven Seas", an extra wing section was added, increasing the wing area by 12 percent, thus enabling the increase of weights, payloads and tankage. The wings also allowed the engines to be placed five feet further away from the fuselage which reduced the engine noise and vibration in the cabin. Lockheed later introduced its answer to the DC7C with the L-1649A Starliner, called the “Jetstream” by TWA, but it only had marginally more range than the former. 131
Pan American's DC-7B and DC-7C Operations Pan American started taking delivery of its seven DC-7Bs in May of 1955 and these were deployed in the Atlantic and were used primarily in alltourist or dual first and tourist service on transatlantic routes as shown in the April 1956 timetable. The aircraft was marginally non-stop capable, requiring a stop on its westbound leg. Douglas DC-7B Clipper Jupiter Rex (PAHF)
April 1956 timetable of the DC-7B Atlantic services (Author's collection)
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In the same timetable, Pan American also announced the introduction of the DC-7C, called the “Super Seven”, the “world's newest and first commercial airliner capable of flying nonstop across any ocean or continent”. Pan American ordered twenty-six DC-7C’s, including the freighter version and took delivery of the first in April 1956. By 1957, the Super Seven was primarily operating in the Atlantic, some Pacific service and on the roundthe-world route. The DC-7B was moved to the Latin America services, including the New York-Buenos Aires flights and points in the Caribbean. The below pages from the September 1957 timetable illustrate the Atlantic services of the Super Seven.
September 1957 timetable Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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With the introduction of the jets in 1958, the Super Sevens continued operating in the Atlantic, Pacific and round-the-world markets as well as on the Africa service. The -7B continued its presence in the Latin America markets. However, going into the 1960's it became increasingly clear that the days were numbered for the DC-7C as a passenger airplane. By 1961, the Super Seven was largely a "DC-7CF" and operated as a freighter with limited passenger service in the South Pacific. In 1965, the DC-7CF was only operating freighter services in Latin America.
Douglas DC-7CF (left) (Ferre Van de Plas); (right) (Allan Van Wickler)
September 1961 timetable all-cargo schedules (Author's collection)
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Pan American took delivery of its first DC-7C only two and a half years before entering the Jet Age. The airplane cost $2,500,000 each, but within ten years, they were largely gone, either sold to aircraft traders or the occasional non-scheduled airline or even for scrap. It was, said Davies, an “ignominious end to a fine example of commercial airline technical development.�
Douglas DC-7C Clipper Bluejacket (Allan Van Wickler)
Timetable pages promoting DC-7B and announcing DC-7C services
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Latin America – Clipper 201/202 (1946-1959) With the end of the war, Pan American resumed its extensive services in Latin America, with its signature flight number 201 now operating daily between New York and Rio de Janeiro. The following is a continuation of the excerpts from Captain Marshall’s “Flying to Rio” story in Airways Magazine. “In July 1948, just three years after the end of the war, Pan Am advertised daily single plane service between New York and Rio. The flight number was 201, as it would remain until the last day of the airline, and it left every night for Brazil. The aircraft was a Douglas DC4, the unpressurized successor to the C-54, the military workhorse whose fame extended to the Berlin Airlift in the same year. Flight 201 left New York La Guardia (New York Idlewild, later JFK, would not come into general use until years later) at 11:15 p.m. Ten hours later it landed at San Juan, where it spent an hour’s layover before departing on the next leg, to Port-of-Spain, the capital of Trinidad, touching down three and a half hours later. Passengers had the option of breaking their journey at Pan Am's Piarco Guest House in Port of Spain and continuing on the same flight the next day or waiting to take flight 203, another DC-4 that operated on Wednesdays and Saturdays to Georgetown, British Guinea, Paramaribo, Surinam, and Cayenne, French Guinea. That flight departed Port of Spain at 2:00 a.m. and passengers spent the rest of the long night boring through the South American skies to those exotic ports of call. Those continuing on flight 201 departed for Belem, Brazil at 2:15 p.m.
Douglas DC-4 Clipper Roland (Rainer Spoddis)
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"Belem is Brazil’s northeastern-most seaport, on the bulge of the continent just north of the mouth of the Amazon, where the continent juts out into the Atlantic. It is eight gut-throbbing hours before we land in Belem, nearly midnight. Never despair, however, because the end is finally in sight. On the ground a scarce sixty minutes, at 11:15 p.m., flight 201 lifts off for the final time. Next stop Rio! The DC-4 flies through the endless night until finally the sun pushes its way into the windows on the port side of the aircraft. For sightseeing, the passengers missed nothing; the flight from Belem is over nothing but solid, endless, green; the never-ending Brazilian rain forest. Villages and settlements are mere specks of light in the endless darkness. Finally, the airplane begins its descent, and right on schedule, at 7:15 a.m., the DC-4 touches down at Rio’s Galeao Airport. What a journey!" The October 1948 timetable page below illustrates the journey of flight 201 (third column left from middle).
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Pan American's large presence in Latin America, illustrated on the route maps shown on pages 86-87 and 166 continued after the war and into the 50s and 60s. Flight 201 also continued operations. In 1952, a Boeing 377 Strato Clipper was used and offered “El Presidente Especial” service that included a lower deck club lounge and extra food and bar service (see schedule on page 118). In 1956, a DC-6B (Super 6 Clipper) was employed in an all-First-Class service, featuring the “President Special” twice a week. This service, according to the timetable “provides the ultimate in luxury service including Sleeperette chairs for bed length sleeping comfort. Special food service and extra cabin attendants.” The flight stopped in Caracas, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, terminating in Montevideo.
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In 1959, the service was operated with a DC-7B, with “President Special” offerings on Tuesday and Friday. The flight also stopped in Sao Paulo.
The three timetable pages above are from the author's collection.
(Cont’d on page 241)
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Crossing the Atlantic – Clipper 100/101 With the end of the war in sight, Pan American began gearing up to shift to commercial operations in Latin America and the Atlantic. With that, timetables were once again published. In the October 1945 timetable, the flight between New York and the United Kingdom was identified as flight 100, a Boeing 314. It departed New York's La Guardia Airport on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:00 a.m. for Foynes, Ireland with stops in Shediac, Canada and Botwood, Newfoundland. At Foynes, passengers connected with a BOAC DC-3 for London (Croydon), arriving at 3:00 p.m. the next day.
October 1945 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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In the October 1948 timetable, the Lockheed Constellation was employed on the route, offering a daily non-stop service departing La Guardia at 4:00 p.m. and arriving at London Airport at 11:00 a.m. the next day.
October 1948 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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In the 1950's flight 100 switched to the Boeing 377. In the April 1952 timetable, the flight departed New York's Idlewild daily at 4:00 p.m. arriving London at 11:05 a.m. the next day. On Fridays “The President Special” service was available, which was “the ultimate in luxury service”, featuring “Sleeperette” chairs that provided “bed-length sleeping comfort”. Also included was special food service and extra cabin attendants. “President Staterooms” with berths were also a feature of the service.
April 1952 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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In the April 1956 timetable, the equipment was upgraded to a specially configured Boeing 377 designated a "Super Stratocruiser". “The President Special� was offered on Fridays.
April 1956 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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In the 26 October 1958 timetable, the first jet service by flight 100 was inaugurated on 16 November with a 10:00 a.m. departure from New York, arriving in London at 9:35 p.m. The all-First class Super Stratocruiser service was discontinued on 15 November. The new jet service was later changed to the evening departure.
October 1958 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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In the April 1959 timetable, flight 100 was scheduled as an overnight flight operated with a Boeing 707 departing daily at 8:00 p.m. and arriving London at 7:35 a.m. the following day. “The President Special� service was offered daily.
April 1959 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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Going into the 1960's, flight 100 was again a daylight flight departing New York at 10:00 a.m. and arriving at London at 9:45 p.m., as shown in the September 1961 timetable.
September 1961 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
(Cont’d on page 246) 146
Round-the-World Services – Clipper One and Two With the Fifth Freedom rights granted by Britain in the Bermuda Agreement of 1946, the US obtained the authority for its international air carriers to pick up passengers in Britain (and in British colonies such as India and Hong Kong) to beyond points in Europe and Asia. What this meant was that Pan American would be able to launch a “round-the-world” service. At the time, with World War II ended, the US international air transportation system was taking on a whole new complexion. Prior to the war, Pan American Airways was the de facto US flag international air carrier. This was achieved largely by Juan Trippe’s ability to (1) win Foreign Air Mail contracts and (2) negotiate landing concessions with countries of interest. This worked very well in Latin America because for all intents and purposes, Pan American’s activities in the region were in line with the US desire to keep the Germans from establishing any presence there. With the end of the war, however, as a result of their support to the war effort, the US Civil Aeronautics Board awarded the likes of TWA, Northwest, United and American Export (AOA, later acquired by Pan American) international routes, much to the chagrin of Pan American. Juan Trippe had fought tooth-and-nail to be the designated US flag international carrier (the “Chosen Instrument”) but was thwarted along the way by politicians and his competition. This story and its political intrigue is covered in detail by both Bender and Altschul and Daley. Nevertheless, Pan American had the beyond authority as granted in the Bermuda Agreement and on 17 June 1947, Juan Trippe departed on the inauguration of Pan American Airways’ round-the-world service, the first for a scheduled commercial airline. The aircraft used was a Lockheed Constellation model 749, Clipper America, powered by four 2,200-horsepower Wright engines, with a cruising speed of 260 miles per hour and a pressurization system that permitted flying at altitudes between 18,000-20,000 feet. Clipper America departed from New York’s LaGuardia airport and stopped in Gander, Shannon, London, Istanbul, Dhahran, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Manila, Shanghai, Tokyo, Guam, Wake Island, Midway, Honolulu, San Francisco and Chicago, arriving back in New York on 30 June. The 147
journey entailed 22,170 miles. Not having domestic authority, the flight between San Francisco and New York was a “ferry-flight” and thereafter all of Pan American’s round-the-world flights departed from one coast of the U.S. and terminated on the other (see page 74 for an image of the departure).
Clipper America in Shanghai, June 1947 (PAHF)
The round-the-world service was a fixture in Pan American's timetables from then on, until the final round-the-world flight in October 1982. During this time, the iconic round-the-world flights 1 and 2 represented the summit of Pan American's power and glory. Pan American's Round-the-World Schedules Below are descriptions of Pan American's round-the-world service from selected timetables over the years. While a variety of flight numbers operated on the route, flights 1 and 2 were a constant and are focused on here. Initially the Constellation and the DC-4 were employed in the roundthe-world service, as shown in the October 1948 timetable. On the eastbound flight 2, the Constellation operated from New York to Calcutta and handed over to the DC-4 to continue the route to San Francisco. In the timetable, flight 2 departed New York on Thursday and arrived in Calcutta the following Sunday, with stops in Gander, Shannon, London, Brussels, Istanbul, Damascus, Karachi and Delhi. Flight 2 continued its journey to San Francisco, departing Calcutta Sunday evening and arriving in San Francisco on Wednesday with stops Bangkok, Shanghai, Tokyo, Wake Island and 148
Honolulu. The flight gained a day crossing the International Date Line between Wake Island and Honolulu. The DC-4 from Calcutta featured “Sleeperette Service�, specially reclining seats with "curtained privacy".
October 1948 timetable page with round-the-world schedules (Author's collection)
By 1952, the Boeing 377 was deployed into the service as illustrated in the April 1952 timetable. The westbound flight 1, a Strato Clipper, departed 149
San Francisco on Tuesdays and Thursdays, arriving at Manila on Thursdays and Sundays with stops in Honolulu, Wake Island and Guam. The flight lost Wednesday when crossing the International Date Line. From Honolulu, “Sleeperette Service� was offered. Flight 1 changed gauge at Manila to a DC4, leaving on Fridays and Mondays for Hong Kong, where a Constellation took over on Mondays for London via Bangkok, Calcutta, Delhi, Karachi, Basra, Beirut, Istanbul, Frankfurt and Brussels. The flight arrived in London on Wednesday morning where flight 1 was paired with flight 101 for New York with a Strato Clipper. There were optional fuel stops in Shannon or Gander on this segment.
April 1952 timetable page with round-the-world schedules (Author's collection)
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In the April 1956 timetable a Super Stratocruiser and the DC-7B were operating in the round-the-world service. Eastbound flight 2 from New York was paired with flights 100, 102 and 64. Flights 100 and 102 were Super Stratocruisers departing on Sundays for London with the latter stopping in Boston and Shannon. Both flights arrived in London on Monday and connected to flight 2, a DC-6B, which departed on Tuesday for Tokyo via Frankfurt, Istanbul, Beirut (receiving traffic from flight 64), Karachi, Rangoon, Bangkok and Hong Kong. At Tokyo, a Strato Clipper took over for the remainder of the trip to Seattle with stops in Wake Island, Honolulu and Portland. Flight 64 was a DC-7B that operated from New York to Beirut where it connected with flight 2. In this timetable, Pan American offered a daily round-the-world service with different flight numbers. Except for the service described above, the eastbound flights all terminated in San Francisco.
April 1956 timetable page with round-the-world schedules (Author's collection)
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By 1959, the DC-7C and the Boeing 707-121 were seen in the roundthe-world service. In the April 1959 timetable, westbound flight 1 operated on Saturdays with a DC-7C from San Francisco to Tokyo with stops in Honolulu and Wake Island. Flight 1 arrived in Tokyo on Monday where a Strato Clipper took over for the segment to Hong Kong where the flight was handed over to a DC-6B, which continued to London with stops in Bangkok, Calcutta, Karachi, Beirut, Istanbul, Frankfurt and DĂźsseldorf. From London a DC-7C took over for the trip to New York, with stops in Shannon and Boston. In Beirut, flight 1 also connected to flight 115, a service to New York via Rome and Paris. From Beirut a DC-6B operated to Rome. From Rome, a Boeing 707121 operated to Paris and then on to New York.
April 1959 timetable page with round-the-world schedules (Author's collection)
(Cont’d on page 253) 152
Jet Age (1958-1969)
Boeing 707-321 Clipper Gem of the Skies at New York (Peter Black via Jon Proctor)
Douglas DC-8-32 Clipper Intrepid at New York (Jon Proctor)
Boeing 727-100 Clipper Berolina at London Heathrow (Richard Vandervord)
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Pan American Firsts and Key Events - 1958-1969 1958 • On 26 October 1958, Clipper America, a Boeing 707-121, left New York for Paris inaugurating the first scheduled trans-Atlantic service with American-built jets. Also, the first to offer a daily schedule with the Boeing 707.
Departure scene, Boeing 707-121 Clipper America at New York (PAHF)
Arrival, Clipper America at Paris-Le Bourget (Alan Van Wickler)
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1959 •
Was first to offer a scheduled round-the-world jet service.
Boeing 707-121 Clipper Maria (Edward J Hale)
1961 • Was first to offer a worldwide marketing service for shippers and importers around the world. 1962 •
Was first to establish a global electronic reservations system: Panamac.
•
Was first to complete 100,000 transatlantic flights.
1963 • Was the first airline to operate Boeing 707-321C pure-jet freighters.
Boeing 707-321CF Clipper Rising Sun (logbookmagcom via Code 7700)
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1964 • The Beatles arrive in New York on Clipper Defiance for their United States debut on the Ed Sullivan Show.
The Beatles arrival at New York Idlewild (PAHF)
•
Was first to relay in-flight messages via Satellite Syncom III.
1965 •
Ordered and began taking delivery of the Boeing 727-121.
Boeing 727-121 Clipper Nuremburg (Peter Scharkowski)
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1966 •
Was first to order the Boeing 747.
Boeing 747-121 on assembly line (PAHF)
1967 • Was first to make a fully automatic approach and landing in scheduled service. •
Panagra sold to Braniff on 8 January 1967.
(top) Panagra DC-8 (Alan Van Wickler); (above) Braniff DC-8 (braniffpages.com)
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1968 • Juan Trippe retired on 7 May 1968, and was succeeded as chairman and CEO by Harold Gray, once a pilot in the 1930s with a Mexican airline, later Pan American’s Chief Pilot, and one of the first to fly the Atlantic in the Boeing 314. Najeeb J. Halaby was appointed president.
(left to right) Harold Gray, Juan Trippe and Najeeb Halaby (PAHF)
• On 15 July 1968, was first to link the US and the USSR (Soviet Union) in scheduled direct service.
Boeing 707-321 Clipper Stargazer arrival in Moscow (miniaviamodel.ru)
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• Was first to transmit engine data and position information from the air to the ground in less than a second via a data link system that sent information to the home office and then to interested departments. 1969 • Was first to demonstrate satisfactorily and receive FAA approval for regular use of the Carousel IV inertial guidance system.
• Was first to operate a passenger flight with inertial navigation (INS) over the North Pole on a route between London and Seattle, Washington.
Boeing 707-321 Clipper Empress of the Skies at London Heathrow 1969 (Barry Lewis)
• Was first to take delivery of the Boeing 747, Clipper Pride of the Sea, 12 December 1969.
Boeing 747 rollout and Boeing 707 (PAHF)
• Was first to install a computer on its aircraft that analyzed engine performance and displayed malfunctions to the crew. 159
Images from the Era Aircraft Below are images of various Pan American aircraft operated during this era. Photo credits to Pan Am Historical Foundation unless otherwise noted. Boeing 707/Boeing 720
Family Day at New York Idlewild with Clipper America (Allan Van Wickler)
Boeing 707 in hanger (Carl Messer)
Boeing 707-121 Clipper Washington at New York Idlewild (Jon Proctor)
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Boeing 707-321 at San Salvador (Antonio Gooding)
Boeing 707-321 Clipper Reindeer at New York (Jon Proctor)
Boeing 720B Clipper Flying Arrow at New York (Jon Proctor)
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Boeing 727/Boeing 737
Boeing 727-121 Clipper Flotte Motte at Miami (George Hamlin)
Boeing 727-121 Clipper Sam Houston at San Pedro Sula (Source unknown)
Boeing 727-121 Clipper Golden Rule landing at Berlin (Ralf Manteufel)
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Boeing 737-200 Clipper Zehlendorf at London Heathrow (Mark Ward)
Boeing 737-200 Clipper Frankfurt at Frankfurt (Pertti Siplia)
Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8 (Lars Sรถderstrรถm)
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DC-8-32 lineup at New York Idlewild (Bob Parrick via Cecilia Buhler)
DC-8-32 Clipper Northern Light at Los Angeles (Jon Proctor)
DC-8-32 (Douglas Aircraft Photo via Jon Proctor)
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Images from the Era Memorabilia Timetable cover (1966) and maps (1961 and 1969), from author’s collection. The covers and map styles were the same for the 1960s decade.
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166
Baggage Strap Tags, from author’s collection.
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Annual Report covers, from author’s collection.
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The Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8 On 15 August 1958, Pan American World Airways took delivery of Boeing’s Construction Number 17588, a 707-121 registered N709PA and named Jet Clipper America (later changed to Jet Clipper Tradewind). This event ushered in what became the Jet Age. The story leading up to that delivery was typical Juan Trippe, Pan American’s leader who, although the idea of commercial jet travel did not become viable until well into the 1950s, explored the idea of jet propulsion during World War II, along with Charles Lindbergh and Pan American’s Chief Engineer Andre Priester.
Boeing 707-121 Jet Clipper America delivery (Pan Am Museum Foundation)
The Aircraft The 707 was developed from the Boeing 367-80, a prototype jet that made its maiden flight on 15 July 1954 from Renton Field, the 38th anniversary of the Boeing Company. According to the Boeing website, production go-ahead for the Dash 80 was announced by Boeing 30 August 1952, as a company-financed $16 million investment. The airplane rolled from the factory less than two years later, on 14 May 1954. From the Boeing website: “Powered then by four Pratt & Whitney JT3 turbojets, mounted under wings swept back 35 degrees, the Dash 80 established the classic 171
configuration for jetliners to come. It also set new speed records each time it flew. This was illustrated 11 March 1957, when it flew from Seattle to Baltimore in 3 hours 48 minutes at an average speed of 612 mph.
Boeing 367-80 rollout (NASM Archives)
“The Dash 80 was retained as a Boeing test aircraft and underwent major structural and aerodynamic changes in the course of developing and testing advanced aircraft features. Many test programs were aimed far beyond aircraft flying today, such as airborne simulation of flight characteristics and systems concepts for a U.S. supersonic transport. “The Dash 80 flew with a fifth engine mounted on the aft fuselage to test installation feasibility for the trijet 727 and with three different types of engines installed at the same time. It investigated enginethrust reversers, engine sound suppressers, rigs designed to cause inflight engine icing conditions, air conditioners, and wing flap and slat modifications. “It was also used to test radar and radar antennas, and even different paints. In one test series for landing gear, the 707 prototype was outfitted with oversized tires; it landed and took off from mud fields barely able to support the weight of passenger automobiles. “The 707 prototype also flew special landing-approach studies at Moffett Field, California, for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. A high-lift, slow speed system featuring special wing 172
flaps for direct-lift control was used in steeper-than-usual landing approaches designed to alleviate community noise in airport areas. “During its early years, the airplane was the center of attraction in the aviation world, giving many airline pilots, airline executives, and military and government officials their first taste of jet flying. It has approximately 3,000 hours of flight recorded in its logbook. “The prototype led to a revolution in air transportation and it gave birth to the 707 series of jetliners. Much larger, faster and smoother than the propeller airplanes it was replacing, it quickly changed the face of international travel. “The first commercial 707s, labeled the 707-120 series, had a larger cabin and other improvements compared to the prototype. Powered by early Pratt & Whitney turbojet engines, these initial 707s had range capability that was barely sufficient for the Atlantic Ocean.” As part of the Dash 80’s demonstration program, Boeing CEO Bill Allen invited representatives of the Aircraft Industries Association (AIA) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) to the Seattle 1955 Seafair and Gold Cup Hydroplane Races held on Lake Washington on 6 August 1955. The Dash 80 was scheduled to perform a simple flyover, but Boeing test pilot Alvin “Tex” Johnston instead performed two “barrel rolls” to show off the jet airliner. The next day, Allen summoned Johnston to his office and told him not to perform such a maneuver again, to which Johnston replied that he was simply “selling airplanes” and asserted that doing so was completely safe. The Pan American Order As mentioned above, Juan Trippe, Charles Lindbergh and Pan American Chief Engineer Andre Priester explored the idea of jet propulsion during World War II. However, the idea that jets would eventually become commercially viable did not have its genesis until the early 1950’s. Then, there was no jet airliner even in the design stage in the United States. Britain had been developing the “Comet” jet, but it lacked range. However, in December 1951, BOAC (predecessor to British Airways) took delivery of its first Comet, notwithstanding its poor economy and range. 173
What Pan American wanted was a plane that could carry at least 65 passengers from New York to London at 500 miles-per-hour. In mid-1952 Pan American engineers Priester and John Borger made the rounds to Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed. What was seen was disappointing. The manufacturers, however, soon began focusing on a commercial jet because by September 1952, jet airliners had become inevitable. Boeing developed the Boeing 707 prototype as described above and Douglas was working on its DC8 project. At the same time, the turboprop engine had been developed and airlines were lining up for the likes of the Lockheed Electras and British Viscounts. Pan American was not in line because its engineers believed propellers were the cause of most mechanical breakdowns. Other problems had to be dealt with, most foremost were the lack of airports that could handle jets, lack of fuel to “feed them”, lack of tugs to tow them, lack of suitable stairways and lack of adequate hangers to overhaul their engines. Other issues included the engine to be used, the size of the aircraft and its range, and its economics, pitting the air-frame manufacturers, the engine manufacturers and Pan American on seemingly a collision course, given the different needs of each group. After hard negotiations, Pan American got what it wanted: The Boeing 707 and the DC-8. And on 13 October 1955, Juan Trippe made his announcement. In an email, former Pan American Captain Don Cooper described the events surrounding the order and its announcement: “Juan Trippe in his typical covert manner, without telling Pan Am employees or other airline executives about what he was up to, started secret talks with aircraft manufacturers. He pitted one aircraft manufacturer against another for competitive purposes, and brow beat Pratt & Whitney, the aircraft engine maker, for more powerful and fuelefficient jet engines. After clandestine negotiations with Douglas and Boeing for new jet aircraft, Trippe decided to have a cocktail party in his Manhattan apartment overlooking the East River to celebrate and announce Pan American’s future plans. His guests, members of the IATA executive committee, were having an enjoyable time and praising themselves for ordering new turbo-prop Lockheed Electras to replace their outdated propeller aircraft fleets. When someone asked Trippe what Pan American’s plans were, he announced that Pan American was 174
going all jet with an order of 25 Douglas DC-8s and 20 Boeing 707s. That announcement had a chilling effect on his guests and ended the party’s upbeat note. Trippe had just forced the jet age upon his competitors and in the process, they would be forced to dump their propeller aircraft at loss. In the following days, airline executives headed west to the Boeing and Douglas plants to get in line behind Pan American for their new jets.” The order announcement was also made to the Pan American shareholders in the 1957 Annual Report: “Pan American again pioneered in closing, in October 1955, purchase agreements for a fleet of long-range jet transports at a cost of $270,000,000. Equipped with four jet engines of 14,000 pounds thrust each, these Clippers will carry 150 passengers to Europe at 600 miles per hour. The new jet fleet will telescope greater technical advance in speed, comfort, range and capacity than achieved over the past thirty years. Radically new jet maintenance and overhaul facilities are in construction. Airports in many parts of the world are being enlarged and modernized for jet service. New techniques in air navigation and flight procedure are being perfected. Thus, the year under review has been, for your Company, a year of transition.” Says Davies: “Each [jet] had twice the capacity of all but the largest piston airliner, had the potential for trans-Atlantic nonstop range, and was twice as fast. In economic terms this multiplied to about four or five times the productivity of the DC-7Cs . . . and furthermore, the reliability of the engines and air-frames held out the prospect of far higher levels of annual utilization.” While the 707 got all the attention given it was the first to be delivered, the jet aircraft order was for 20 Boeing and 25 Douglas machines. The fact that Pan American ordered more DC-8’s suggests, according to Davies, that: “Pan Am was prepared to support the company which had supplied it with so many reliable aircraft during the postwar years, but was also warning it that its product had to be good and that tradition and sentiment would not guarantee a continued market. In fact, the 175
Douglas jets were bigger and had better range than its Boeing counterparts, and because Boeing feared the foreign airlines going to Douglas, Boeing and Pan Am renegotiated the order for a bigger 707. Pan Am did take delivery of six smaller 707s in order to open service in the north-Atlantic before anyone else did (BOAC, however, did beat Pan Am, operating the first jet service to New York from London on 4 October 1958, although not daily). Boeing took Pan Am’s warning to heart. It assembled a production and marketing team that outproduced and outsold the experienced Douglas. More important, Pan American switched to Boeing as its main supplier. [And] when Pan American sneezed, the rest of the aviation world felt a severe [draft] and most of it caught [a] cold or worse.” The issue of economics of the jets was a major consideration during the transition from prop to jet. There was the belief that the jet would be a “rich man’s airplane” – “extra speed at extra prices. . . a super-first class premium ride” for well-heeled patrons, according to Daley. Pan American took the opposite view. Daley notes that the airline saw the jet as a way to keep costs down as the tourist fare had just been introduced with great success resulting in increased trans-Atlantic travel 30% over the previous year. Once the jets were in service, Pan American’s position was clear, as shown in the 1958 Annual Report to shareholders: “In April 1958, Pan American inaugurated transatlantic Economy class service offering fast, comfortable transportation at a greatly reduced fare. Whereas the roundtrip fare between New York and London was $783.00 First class, and $567.00 Tourist class, the new Economy class fare was $453.00. “Economy class service increases aircraft seating capacity by use of close seat spacing required for that new class…Luxury services are curtailed. Economy class service, sponsored by your company, again emphasizes the leadership in expanding air travel by bringing it within the budgets of more and more people who heretofore could not afford to travel abroad. “Over 100 transatlantic Clipper flights per week are scheduled during the 1959 season, all offering Economy class service. Jet Clippers will operate 50 of these flights with the remainder being flown with longrange Super-7 Clippers”. 176
Thus, while the Jet Age also ushered in a class of travelers known as the “Jet Set”, it also ushered in the opportunity for overseas travel to the mass market and created the international tourist. A page from a 1959 timetable (below) demonstrates the extent of Economy (“Clipper Thrift”) class service on trans-Atlantic flights. Every flight offered it. Tourist (“Rainbow”) service was only available on a handful of flights. It should be noted, however, that Rainbow (and not Economy) service was available on all flights beyond the UK and European gateway cities, probably due to limitations in the bilateral agreements between the US and the countries concerned. Deluxe “President Special” service was only available on jets. The other aircraft used on the trans-Atlantic routes was the DC-7C with a change of gauge to DC-6Bs once “over the pond”. One interesting note is that some flights offered three-class service: First, Tourist and Economy.
April 1959 timetable page with Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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The First Flight Pan American's first scheduled jet flight was No. 114 from New York to Paris on 26 October 1958. The flight was operated with the smaller 707-121 and required a fuel stop in Gander along the way. Former Pan American purser Jay Koren was a flight attendant on the first trans-Atlantic jet flight. His story about his experiences on that flight is featured in Aviation History: “Pan American flight 114 to Paris, slated to depart New York on October 26th, would not only mark America’s entry into the Jet Age, it would mark the inauguration of the world’s first daily trans-Atlantic jet service. “Crew rosters had been posted weeks earlier and the lucky chosen few notified of their assignment to the first fights. Four days before the inauguration, my supervisor called. ‘We’ve decided to add a seventh flight attendant to the inaugural, Jay, and you’ve been selected.’ I couldn’t have been more excited if I were being sent to the moon. Day before our departure, we were given an extensive briefing. First Class on the Boeing 707s, with seats and aisles wider than any pre-jet aircraft, was designated Deluxe Class and Pan Am’s President Special dining service would be featured. “On the eve of participating in this historic event, although supercharged with anticipation, we all confessed to a sense of apprehension. We were about to zap across the Atlantic at more than eighty percent of the speed of sound—nearly twice as fast as any of us had ever flown before—at an altitude nearly twice as high, and in an aircraft capable of carrying double the load of our old, familiar, pistonengine airplanes. “Until boarding began, we were busy checking out our new workplace: its closets and cabinets, galleys and equipment, food and bar provisioning. [Captain Miller announced], 'Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the runway. Flight Service prepare for take-off'. As we began our roll down the runway and Captain Miller opened the throttles to full thrust, the powerful force of our rapid acceleration pressed our backs into the thinly padded bulkhead behind us. Even more startling 178
was the unexpected vibration and violent roar of the jet engines as we gathered speed for our leap up into the night. We grasped hands and stared wide-eyed at one another in disbelief. Where is that vibrationfree, quiet-as-a-whisper ambiance the airline ads have been touting? We discovered why the first-class section is now located in the front. Just opposite to piston-engine aircraft—where the cabin becomes quieter toward the rear—we were seated in the noisiest spot in a jet. “Also, unlike conventional airplanes that lift off the runway in a horizontal attitude, jets do it nose up. No one has given us prior warning of this characteristic either. As we attain take-off speed approaching 200 mph, Captain Miller rotates the nose of the Clipper sharply upward. This causes us, seated in the very tail of the jet, to drop sharply downward—a sensation I would never become totally comfortable with. We are airborne! “In half the time required of the ‘pre-jets’, we reached cruising altitude. The vibration disappeared completely, and the engine roar subsided to little more than a gentle hum.”
John T. McCoy watercolor of PA 114 Clipper America (Author's collection)
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Flight 114 arrival in Paris (Allan Van Wickler)
Pan American took delivery of its first DC-8, Clipper Mandarin, on 7 February 1960. Both the 707 and DC-8 were fully integrated into Pan American’s worldwide route system. The DC-8 however, had a short life with Pan American and by the end of the 1960s, all had been sold to other airlines.
Douglas DC-8-32 Clipper Queen of the Pacific (Jon Proctor)
The introduction of jet service changed the travel industry forever. Slowly, trans-Atlantic travel by passenger steamship as a mode of transportation (as opposed to cruising or pleasure) disappeared. Similarly did long-haul rail service in the United States. Because of the jet, more places are available to more people than any time in history. What Juan Trippe envisioned some 80 years ago not only has become a reality, but also a part of the life we live today. 180
Boeing 707-321 Clipper Mohawk (Peter Black via Jon Proctor)
Davies referred to the Boeing 707-320 Series as “one of the great airliners of all time”. While this airliner may have later been overshadowed by her bigger and more powerful sisters, this statement remains true. Pan American began taking deliveries of the Boeing 707-321 (-321 indicated Pan American service) in 1959. However, the impact of the aircraft was really felt during the following decade. The 1960s, particularly the years 1963-1968, represented the pinnacle of Pan American’s success. Pan American dominated the international airline arena like no other airline during that decade, a period when the volume of air traffic quadrupled. During that time, Pan American could do no wrong. By the middle of 1962, it was the first airline to complete 100,000 transatlantic flights, a figure, according to Davies, “not even approached by any other airline at that time”. On 7 March 1963, Pan American moved into a new building that towered over Grand Central Station in New York City, with the “Pan Am” abbreviation in huge letters on the top, visible for miles up and down Park Avenue. Said Daley, “The once tiny airline had become the world’s biggest and most famous”. In the airline’s 1965 Annual Report, it was announced the retirement from regular service the last of its piston fleet, making Pan American an “alljet airline”. The 1967 Annual Report, which, by some accounts, detailed Pan American’s most successful year in its history, highlighted the delivery of 32 181
jet aircraft in 1967 with an additional 31 “present generation jets” on order for delivery in 1968-69 and announced the airline’s $600,000,000 order for 25 Boeing 747 “Superjets”, and in doing so, “led the industry to a new generation of heavy duty transports”. It was also announced that “Pan Am will be the first American-flag airline to operate [Anglo-French Concorde] supersonic jets”, while also reserving “substantially more delivery positions for American SSTs than any other airline”. The report also noted that “Pan Am made the first fully automatic approach and landing in scheduled service” and in the year since, has “completed over 100 of these approaches and landings”. The Boeing 707-321 was in the center of it all. It flew everywhere on Pan American’s routes, and all together 120 of this variant were operated, in addition to the eight 707-121’s and nine 720B’s.
Boeing 707-321 Clipper Stargazer at Los Angeles (Author)
Boeing 720B Clipper Flying Arrow at Los Angeles (Jon Proctor)
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The 707-300 series had a longer fuselage, bigger wings and higherpowered engines. With these improvements, which allowed increased fuel capacity from 15,000 gallons to more than 23,000 gallons, the 707 had a truly intercontinental range of over 4,000 miles in a 141-seat (mixed class) seating configuration. The aircraft was later fitted with Pratt & Whitney JT3D turbofan engines that provided for lower fuel consumption, reduced noise and further increased its range to about 6,000 miles. The 707 quickly became the most popular jetliner of its time, and its popularity led to rapid developments in airport terminals, runways, airline catering, baggage handling, reservations systems, and other air transport infrastructure. The advent of the 707 also led to the upgrading of air traffic control systems to prevent interference with military jet operations. As the 1960s drew to a close, the exponential growth in air travel led to the 707’s being a victim of its own success. The 707 was now too small to handle the increased passenger densities on the routes for which it was designed. Stretching the fuselage was not a viable option because the installation of larger, more powerful engines would in turn need a larger undercarriage, which was not feasible given the design’s limited ground clearance. The answer to the problem was the first twin-aisle airliner—the Boeing 747. The 707’s first-generation engine technology was also rapidly becoming obsolete in the areas of noise and fuel economy, especially after the 1973 oil crisis. The Boeing 707 brought Pan American to the highest levels of international commercial aviation. It made international travel accessible to more and more travelers and was seen in all corners of the globe. It was, to many of Pan American’s pilots and flight attendants, their favorite airliner, and is cherished in their memories.
Boeing 707-321 Clipper Chariot of Fame at London Heathrow (Steve Brimley)
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Boeing 707-321 Clipper Liberty Bell (PAHF)
Two proud 707 operators: TWA and Pan American (Author)
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Top of the World – Boeing 747 (1970-1979)
Boeing 747 lineup (David D Hill)
Clipper Juan T. Trippe at Sydney (John Ward)
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Neptune’s Car (Eduard Marmet)
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Pan American Firsts and Key Events - 1970-1979 1970 •
Najeeb J. Halaby appointed Chairman.
• On 22 January 1970 at 1:52 a.m., Clipper Young America, a Boeing 747-121, left New York for London (Heathrow) with 330 passengers, the first airline to operate a commercial flight with a wide-body jet.
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Young America (AP)
Departure scene at New York (PAHF)
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Young America upon arrival at London Heathrow (PAHF)
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• Was first to fly in the communications via satellite.
747
a
production-model
system
for
• Was first to test Data Link, automatic aircraft identification and position equipment. 1971 • Was first to open a major maintenance facility specifically designed for the Boeing 747. •
Was first to offer round-the-world service with the Boeing 747.
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Wild Fire arriving at Los Angeles June 1971 (Jon Proctor)
1972 •
William T. Seawell succeeds Halaby.
• Was first to use the FAA-certificated visual approach monitor (VAM), a heads-up pilot display used during visual landings. • Was first to use electronic surveillance and screening devices for security in boarding passengers. •
Was first to log 100,000,000 air miles flown with its 747 fleet.
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1973 •
Was first to offer upper deck dining service in the 747s.
•
Was first to order the Boeing 747SP (Special Performance) jet.
Boeing 747SP Clipper Freedom (PAHF)
• Was first to open the largest single air terminal in the world at New York Kennedy International Airport, 5 December 1973.
Overhead view of Pan Am Worldport (from Pan Am brochure via Robert McLean)
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1974 • Was first to install the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) fleetwide and have the system certificated by the FAA. 1975 • Was first to revise commissions to establish major incentive plans for travel agents. • Ending the war in Vietnam, operated the last flight out of Saigon, 24 April 1975 with a Boeing 747, Clipper Unity.
Boeing 747 Clipper Unity (Al Topping)
1976 • Took delivery of its first Boeing 747SP, Clipper Young America, 5 March 1976 and introduced the aircraft in its new New York-Tokyo nonstop service.
Boeing 747SP Clipper Young America (John Wegg)
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• Completed a record-setting round-the-world flight with a commercial airliner (747SP) with revenue passengers on board. The “Liberty Bell Express” departed New York and made stops in New Delhi and Tokyo before returning to New York.
Boeing 747SP Clipper Liberty Bell at Tokyo (PAHF)
1977 • On 27 March 1977 Clipper Victor, a Boeing 747, was in a runway collision with a KLM Boeing 747 at Tenerife, Spain, resulting in 576 fatalities.
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Victor (Michael Newler)
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• On 28 October 1977, Clipper New Horizons, a Boeing 747SP, made the first round-the-world flight via the North and South Poles with revenue passengers on board. This flight celebrated Pan American’s 50th Anniversary. The flight departed from San Francisco and made stops in London, Cape Town and Auckland before returning to San Francisco.
Boeing 747SP Clipper New Horizons at San Francisco (PAHF)
1978 • Was the first international airline to introduce a new class of service for business travelers and full-fare economy passengers: Clipper Class.
1979 • Was first to operate a 747 (technical flight) to the People’s Republic of China. 191
Images from the Era Aircraft Below are images of various Pan American aircraft operated during this era. Boeing 747 – Liveries through 1979
Boeing 747 on Everett assembly line (PAHF)
Clipper Rainbow on assembly line at Everett (Steve Priske)
Boeing 747 assembly line at Everett (PAHF)
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Boeing 747-121 at Frankfurt (Manfred Winter)
Clipper Neptune's Favorite at New York (Jon Proctor)
First Boeing 747 landing at Hong Kong Kai Tak (Moddsey via Gwulo Old Hong Kong)
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Boeing 747 in for maintenance in Hong Kong (Raymond Hahn)
Clipper Mandarin at Frankfurt (Marc Lehmann via Steve Priske)
Boeing 747 take off at New York Kennedy (PAHF)
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Boeing 747SP
Clipper Great Republic (Twitter flyPanAm via PA World DocuProject)
China Clipper (Kambui)
Clipper White Falcon (R N Smith Collection via aussieairliners.org)
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Images from the Era Memorabilia Timetable covers and maps from the era. From the author’s collection unless otherwise noted.
Timetable covers for January 1971, November 1972, November 1973 and August 1978
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Timetable route map for January 1971
Timetable route map for November 1972
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Timetable route maps for November 1973 and August 1978
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Baggage Strap Tags. From author’s collection.
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Annual Report covers from author’s collection.
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The Boeing 747 “Would you build it if I bought it?” “Would you buy it if I built it?” As legend has it, these were the utterances between Juan Trippe of Pan American and Bill Allen of Boeing while fishing from the Wild Goose in Puget Sound one summer’s day. By the end of their outing, there was, according to Gandt in Skygods – The Fall of Pan Am, a verbal commitment to build an aircraft what in Trippe’s mind would be a “stopgap airplane” to fill the void between the first generation jets – the Boeing 707 and the DC-8 – and the yet-to-be-built Supersonic Transport, the SST. Pan American had been enjoying unprecedented growth during the decade of the 1960s, with traffic, according to Davies, increasing an average of about 15% per year. Business was booming and it was time to move forward. What was the next step? According to Daley, the next step could have been the Supersonic Transport. At the time, the British and French were planning the Concorde. In the US, there were also plans for an SST, but the costs were beyond what the government could afford. Because of that, President Kennedy was put into a position as to whether to back the US project or not, and before he could decide, Kennedy asked the then head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Najeeb Halaby (who would later become Pan American’s Chairman) to ask Juan Trippe not to buy the foreign Concorde. Trippe, however, was aware that Kennedy was wavering and decided to force the President’s hand. He traveled to England and France in May 1963 and, according to Bender and Altschul, “took an option on eight planes. . . [and] became the first airline other than Air France and BOAC to order a supersonic airliner”. This did not go over well with the President. Shortly thereafter, however, President Kennedy “gave the signal for a commercial supersonic program to proceed and Trippe signed up for fifteen [Boeing] S.S.T.s.” Unfortunately, the SST would not become operational for another ten years, and something needed to be done with the anticipated increase in airline travel. What would that be? According to Davies, “Trippe had always been bolder than his contemporaries in going for larger aircraft; indeed, he seemed to have followed a policy of ordering types which were typically twice the size of the previous generation [and] [t]he only way to increase capacity, apart from adding frequencies – another method of coping with increased 202
demand, but which was practically impossible, because of airport and airway congestion – was to increase the aircraft size.” And that resulted in what Gandt referred to as the “Everyman Airplane”: “The first jets had made world travel available to Everyman, not just the rich and elite. Now they had to build an airplane to satisfy the new yearning to travel – an Everyman airplane.” Thus, lay the seeds for the Boeing 747. By cajoling Bill Allen into such a project, according to Davies, “Juan Trippe went for broke.” To Bender and Altschul, it was a “spectacular gamble”. For Bill Allen of Boeing, according to Gandt, “it would be the perfect swan song if he could step down knowing that he had launched the world’s mightiest ship of the sky. It would secure Boeing’s future well into the century. Or it could ruin Boeing”. The same fate faced Juan Trippe, according to Bender and Altschul, “by placing his company, its employees and its shareholders at enormous risk. If he judged correctly and was lucky to boot, Pan Am’s leadership would be maintained. If he was wrong or fate was cruel, the airline might well go bankrupt.” On 22 December 1965, Juan Trippe and Bill Allen signed a Letter of Intent for the Boeing 747. On 13 April 1966, Pan American formally ordered twenty-five airplanes. But before the April agreement, a huge obstacle arose: As detailed by Bender and Altschul, on 30 March, President Johnson invited the Business Council to a dinner. Both Juan Trippe and Bill Allen were in attendance. During the dinner Johnson pleaded for austerity due to economic problems caused by the war in Southeast Asia. This jolted both Trippe and Allen, whose 747 project was not exactly austere. Was the project in jeopardy? After the dinner, Trippe, who had previously no success in having a personal meeting with Johnson, approached him to press his case. Johnson asked Trippe if anyone knew about the project and Trippe said “no, except for Bill Allen”. Johnson then asked Trippe to be at the White House the next day “to see someone”. The next day Trippe was taken to the Pentagon to discuss the project with the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. At the time, another large capacity aircraft, known as the C-5A, was being developed for the Pentagon by Lockheed. McNamara pressed Trippe on the possibility of his waiting for a commercial version of the C-5A. Trippe argued his case for the 747 noting the impracticability of creating a commercial version of the C-5A. McNamara agreed and brought Trippe back to the White House where Johnson ordered that they “work it out”. Both Trippe and Allen hammered it out with the White House and the Pentagon, and then went for approval from their respective Boards of Directors. With Johnson’s approval, the Pan 203
American directors were convinced. So convinced, that an option for an additional ten planes was authorized for incorporation into the contract, thus making it, “the largest single order for a single aircraft model in the history of commercial aviation”. Captain Marshall, who flew the Boeing 747 for years, wrote about the development of that aircraft in an article that appeared in Airways Magazine. Below are excerpts from that article: “Pan Am’s Juan Trippe was a visionary executive who dreamed in only one dimension: big. Pan Am was the launch customer for the first successful jet transport, the Boeing 707, and it was Trippe who saw the need for an even larger airplane to keep up with the burgeoning growth in air traffic in the early ’70s. In the mid-60’s, when the 707 was still a novelty in the world’s skies, Trippe took his ideas to Boeing’s Bill Allen. He and Allen were alumni of the old school, both men of courage and daring, and after many long and sometimes contentious meetings between Pan Am’s planners and Boeing’s engineers, the decision was made to go ahead with the giant aircraft. “It was a tremendous gamble. The 747 would embrace new design and technology that up to then had only existed in the dreams of engineers. The technical hurdles that had to be cleared were enormous. The new airplane would carry up to 500 passengers; one of the early questions was, how do you evacuate 500 people from an airplane in just 90 seconds? The FAA, approached by Boeing to relax its 90-second evacuation criteria, dug in its heels and remained firm. 90 seconds was the limit, or the airplane would not be certified. Engineers wrestled for days with the problem, and eventually redesigned the interior of the cabin to include not just one center aisle, but two, running the entire length of the airplane, with cross-aisles at each of the four main entry doors (there was an additional over-wing escape exit). The doors were redesigned to permit egress of a staggered two-abreast. “Perhaps the biggest obstacle to the aircraft’s designers was that of the engines. While Pratt & Whitney was working on the prototype of the huge JT-9D engine, it had yet to be tested, and it was far from certain that it would be ready in time to mate with the 747. Boeing had bitter memories of the B-29 bomber and its star-crossed marriage with 204
the Wright Cyclone engines, which had a nasty habit of catching fire and burning off the wing. The giant JT-9D engine would be the first jet engine mated to an airframe that had not earned its stripes on the wing of a military airplane. It was an enormous gamble. “The initial design specifications of the new airplane had the takeoff gross weight pegged at 550,000 pounds. As the 747 design grew and matured, it put on weight, the bane of every aeronautical engineer. A massive effort was directed at slimming-down the airplane, and eventually an all-up weight of 710,000 pounds became the final design target. Four engines, each producing 41,000 pounds of thrust, would be required to get the 747 airborne, and as the airframe design came closer to being finalized, Pratt was way behind the power curve. Engine development and production proceeded so slowly that the entire project threatened to sink under its own weight. At one point there were so many engine-less airframes sitting on the ramp at the Everett production facility that their cost exceeded the net worth of the Boeing company. “The early JT-9D-3 engines that powered the early model 747s were fraught with problems; they suffered from frequent compressor stalls and would overtemp at the drop of a hat. It quickly became a procedure that once the engines were running, while the airplane was on the ground at least one of the three cockpit crewmembers had to constantly monitor the engine temperatures for overheat. Even the first scheduled passenger flight of the giant airplane was delayed several hours because of engine problems, severe enough to force an ignominious change to a backup aircraft. The sheer weight of the engine and nacelle resulted in a new, heretofore unknown phenomenon, the ‘ovalizin’ of the engine itself. Its weight was literally pulling the engine out of round. One of Boeing’s engineers put the situation into cleverly phrased perspective. ‘We have an unround situation,’ he said. “Engineers devised a unique, space-age solution. It required that the largest amount of weight be placed in the smallest package, in the cowling of the engine itself. The result was the use of one of the densest metals known, spent uranium, which was embedded in the engine cowl. It solved the problem. 205
“Trippe envisioned the 747 as a bridge aircraft which would carry the airlines through the adolescent years of the jet age until the supersonic transports, or SSTs, came along. He insisted on the double deck design for the jumbo, with the flight deck perched high above the main level, so that when the airplane had outlived its passengercarrying days, it could readily be converted into a very economic cargo carrier. The nose cone would swing upward to reveal a nearly 200-foot straight-in main deck, accommodating cargo of a size and weight that would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier. “Here the visionary pioneer made a major miscalculation. The SST would be personified only by the Anglo-French Concorde, and even then, only a few would be built. Esthetic and graceful, it was nearly an economic disaster. Designed when jet fuel was literally pennies per gallon, by the time it had completed what was then the most exhaustive test program ever devised, the oil crisis of the early ’70s had made the airplane almost prohibitively expensive to operate. It soon became obvious that there would not be squadrons of supersonic transports gracing the skies, crisscrossing the oceans and continents to the world’s capitals, slicing flying times from hours and hours to hours and minutes. The US answer to the Angle-French Concorde, Boeing’s 2707, was slain by the stroke of a Congressional pen. The Boeing 747 would have to carry the transoceanic burden, at least for the foreseeable future. “The introduction of the Boeing 747 represented a quantum leap in air transport technology and design. Twice as big as its predecessor the 707, the Jumbo not only dwarfed anything it might encounter on the world’s airport ramps, but provided wonderful grist for anecdotal tales that were told among the airlines that were fortunate to have been at the head of the line to fly her. Untold numbers of photos were snapped of comely stewardesses (still so-called in the early ’70s) standing in the cowling of the huge Pratt JT-9 engines, surrounded by the great shroud that enclosed the big fans. ‘Artist’s renderings’ was a fanciful term applied to the surrealistic drawings of the new 747 that appeared in promotional material. The airplane was parked at a futuristic terminal, with a jetway conveniently nestled against each of her eight main entry doors. There were piano bars (an innovation that briefly came to pass with at least one jumbo operator) and movie amphitheaters, a Radio City in the sky. Passengers would be able to 206
pass to and fro, as though attending a wonderful, celestial cocktail party.” Pan American’s 1967 Annual Report noted that its order for the Boeing 747 “led the airline industry to a new generation of heavy-duty transports [and that] new standards of passenger comfort and convenience will be introduced. Simplified ticketing, computerized check-in and automated baggage handling will be provided. Pan Am’s 747s will have two aisles and seat 366 passengers.” In the 1968 Annual Report, Pan American noted that the “year 1969 will mark the beginning of the second stage of the jet age – the time of the Boeing 747 and other wide-bodied, advance-technology jet transports. Pan Am again is the leader. Pan Am will be the first to put it into service to the major world markets we serve. Pan Am’s fleet of thirty-three 747s will be the largest. Pan Am’s operating and marketing plans for the 747 program have already been formulated. Ground facilities are also being prepared. The men and women of Pan Am at home and abroad will be ready to put the plane in service”. Development of the Boeing 747 as described above, was not without other challenges affecting performance and costs – the addition of a spiral staircase, for example. Building the massive aircraft also required a larger assembly plant. That was achieved by construction of a new plant at Everett, Washington, near Paine Field. In addition, Pan American built a maintenance facility and extended the Pan American terminal to accommodate the big jetliners.
Boeing 747 rollout (Public Domain)
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Bill Allen (left) and Juan Trippe (Boeing and PAHF)
The first 747 was delivered on time and was christened by the First Lady Pat Nixon on 15 January 1970. Six days later, on 21 January, the first commercial flight of a wide-body jet, Pan American flight 2, was scheduled for departure at 7:00 p.m. for London (see page 186). Clipper Young America was assigned the duty. Unfortunately, an overheating engine delayed the departure and required a substitute aircraft. Nevertheless, at 1:52 a.m. on 22 January, the 747 departed New York and arrived later that morning in London, completing an historic flight, opening the door to a new era of commercial airline operations and making the Boeing 747 one of the most recognizable aircraft in the world.
Clipper Queen of the Pacific with Ford Tri-Motor (PAHF)
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The Boeing 747SP Once the Boeing 747 was a fixture in Pan American's fleet, the focus in the mid-1970s was toward ultra-long-range flights. In the airline's eye was the important and potentially lucrative New York-Tokyo market. What was called for was an aircraft with a range of 7000 miles and capable of carrying approximately 200 passengers in a mixed class configuration. The flight would be about 13-14 hours duration. Pan American was convinced there was a demand in the New YorkTokyo market for such an aircraft and persuaded Boeing to produce a shortened version of the 747 with the range for that route. Iran Air was also looking for a high capacity airliner with enough range to cover its Tehran-New York route. What resulted was the Boeing 747SP.
Boeing 747SP Clipper Plymouth Rock (John Wegg)
The Boeing 747SP is a modified version of the Boeing 747, and was designed for ultra-long-range flights. Compared with its predecessor, the 747100, the 747SP retains its wide-body four-engine layout, along with its double-deck design, but has a shortened fuselage, larger vertical stabilizer, and simplified trailing edge flaps. The weight saved by the shortened fuselage permitted longer range and increased speed relative to other early 747 configurations. The aircraft was also intended to provide Boeing with a midsize wide-body airliner to compete with the DC-10 and L-1011. And until the introduction of the Boeing 777-200LR and 747-8, the SP was the first and only Boeing wide-body with a wingspan greater than the length of its fuselage 209
The SP could accommodate 230 passengers in a 3-class cabin to a maximum of 440 passengers in one class. Originally designated 747SB for "short body", Boeing later changed the production designation to 747SP for "Special Performance", reflecting the aircraft's longer range and faster cruise speed. Pan American was the launch customer, taking the first delivery, Clipper Freedom, on 5 March 1976. Captain Sherman Carr, one of the former Pan American pilots who flew the Boeing 747SP had this to say about the aircraft: “The plane was originally developed for Pan Am to be able to operate non-stop from the US to Hong Kong and be able to stay aloft for over 15 hours. It was actually a regular 747 with upstairs lounge seating but shortened by about 48 feet to make it lighter and with additional fuel tanks for longer range. If it is not loaded with full fuel for extended range flights, the aircraft actually scoots like a hot rod and will outperform any WWII or Korean conflict fighter aircraft and is a lot of fun to fly. It will roll or loop or do most of the maneuvers you see at airshows but of course this is not authorized so no pilot would ever tell you he had done those things.� The 747SP first entered service on Pan American's New York-Tokyo route on 26 April 1976. It was later used on other long-haul routes, including New York-Dhahran, San Francisco-Hong Kong and Los Angeles-Sydney. Until the 747-400 entered service in 1989, the SP was the longest-range airliner available. Despite its technical achievements, the SP never sold as well as Boeing hoped. The cost of fuel in the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, the SP's heavy wings, expensive cost, reduced capacity and the increased ranges of forthcoming airliners were some of the many factors that contributed to its low sales. Some of the engineering work on the 747SP, however, was reused with the development of the 747-300 and 747-400 permitting them to fly the same range as the SP with the added bonus of extra seats and cargo capacity. The aircraft was later acquired by VIP, government and corporate customers. At the end, a total of 45 aircraft were sold. Pan American took delivery of eleven and disposed of them with the sale of its Pacific Routes to United Airlines. 210
While in service for Pan American, the 747SP made two record-setting round-the-world flights. From 1-3 May 1976 the “Liberty Bell Express” flew around the world from New York with two stops, Delhi and Tokyo. The flight took 46 hours and 26 minutes over 23,137 miles (see page 190). And from 28-30 October, celebrating Pan American's 50th Anniversary, “Pan Am Flight 50” flew around the world over both the North and South Pole with stops in London, Cape Town and Auckland. The flight took 54 hours, 7 minutes and 12 seconds and covered 26,706 miles (see page 191).
Janelle Penny Commissiong, the reigning Miss Universe, Capt. Walter H. Mullikin, VP and Chief Pilot and Kimberly Louise Tomes, Miss USA 1977 preparing to board Clipper New Horizons, to celebrate Pan American’s 50th Anniversary on the round-the-world flight over the North and South Poles (PAHF)
Clipper Constitution (Jon Proctor)
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End of an American Icon (1980-1991)
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Juan T. Trippe (Konstantin von Wedelstaedt)
Paying last respects (Karl Nogol)
Clipper Juan T Trippe departing New York for the last time (Karl Nogol)
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Pan American Firsts and Key Events - 1980-1991 1980 •
Merged with National Airlines, 7 January 1980.
Merger with National Airlines (George Hamlin)
• Took delivery of the Lockheed L-1011-500 on 11 April 1980 and operated the aircraft with “active controls,” a fuel saving computer.
Lockheed L-1011-500 Clipper Golden Eagle at Houston (George Hamlin)
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1981 • Started first service to the People’s Republic of China, 27 February 1981.
Boeing 747SP China Clipper (PAHF)
1982 •
C. Edward Acker succeeded William T. Seawell as Chairman and CEO.
•
Began taking delivery of Boeing 737-200 aircraft.
Boeing 737-200 Clipper San Diego landing at Los Angeles (Manfred Winter)
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1984 •
Took delivery of its first Airbus A300B4, 23 December 1984.
Airbus A300-B4 Clipper Chicago at New York (Author)
1985 •
Sold Pacific routes to United Airlines, 22 April 1985.
Boeing 747SP ex-Clipper Constitution at Los Angeles (Torsten Maiwald)
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•
Took delivery of its first Airbus A310, 28 May 1985.
Airbus A310 Clipper Hamburg at Lisbon (Pedro Aragão)
1986 •
Pan Am Express formed, 1 June 1986.
DeHavilland Canada (DHC) Dash-7 – Pan Am Express – at New York (Bill Hough)
• Inaugurated the “Pan Am Shuttle,” Washington-New York (LaGuardia)Boston with Boeing 727s. New York terminus was the renovated and rejuvenated Marine Air Terminal, from where the Boeing 314 flying boats once departed. 217
Boeing 727-200 Clipper Rambler taxiing at Marine Air Terminal, Clippers Pathfinder and Mohawk at gates (George Hamlin)
1988 •
Thomas Plaskett replaced C. Edward Acker.
• Clipper Maid of the Seas (Pan Am 103) destroyed in terrorist bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Maid of the Seas ex-Clipper Morning Light (itusozluk.com)
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1990 •
Sold Internal German Services (IGS) to Lufthansa.
•
Sold London Heathrow routes to United Airlines.
1991 • Filed for bankruptcy protection on 8 January 1991 under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Laws. • Sold the Frankfurt hub and remaining European routes and the Pan Am Shuttle, along with aircraft, to Delta Airlines on 28 July 1991. •
Russell L. Ray, Jr. replaced Thomas Plaskett.
• On 1 November 1991, the last trans-Atlantic revenue flight, Clipper Voyager, arrived in New York from Frankfurt.
Clipper Voyager departing Frankfurt 1 November 1991 (AP)
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• On 4 December 1991, ceased all operations. A 747 from New York to Sao Paulo was the last revenue flight from New York; a 727, Clipper Goodwill from Barbados, was the last revenue flight to arrive at Miami, greeted by emotional scenes and a fire-hose display.
Last revenue flight, Clipper Goodwill, arriving at Miami, 4 December 1991 (Miami Herald)
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Images from the Era Aircraft Below are images of various Pan American aircraft operated during this era. Boeing 747
Boeing 747-121 Clipper Queen of the Pacific at gate in Rio de Janeiro (Daniel R Carneiro)
Clipper Ocean Pearl at New York Kennedy (Jon Proctor)
Boeing 747-200 China Clipper II at Los Angeles (Ted Quackenbush)
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The three liveries of N747PA, Clipper Juan T. Trippe
At Sydney (John Ward)
At Frankfurt (Kambui)
At New York Kennedy (Sunil Gupta Collection)
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Boeing 747SP
Boeing 747SP Clipper Princess Grace (John Luetich Collection)
Clipper Young America (Richard Vandervord)
Boeing 727/Boeing 737
Boeing 727-200 Clipper Radiant (Pan Am Museum Foundation)
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Clipper Glad Tidings at Washington National (Andy Martin)
Clipper Competitor at Frankfurt (Author)
Boeing 737-200 Clipper Schoneberg (Guido Allieri)
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Airbus A300/Airbus A310
Airbus A300B4 Clipper Panama at New York (Michael Prophet)
Clipper Dallas (Dirk Grothe via Steve Priske)
A300B4 at Caracas (Author)
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Airbus A310-324 Clipper Mayflower (Bill Hough)
Clipper Frankfurt (Pan Am World DocuProject)
Clipper Hamburg (Pan Am World DocuProject)
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Lockheed L-1011-500
Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar (PAHF)
Clipper Golden Eagle at Rio de Janeiro (Pedro Aragão Collection)
DC-10
Douglas DC-10 Clipper Star of the Union at London Heathrow (Tim Rees)
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Clipper Eclipse (Ted Quackenbush)
ATR-42 (Nicholas Rose)
ATR-42 at Bremen (Eduard Marmet)
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Images from the Era Memorabilia Timetable covers and maps from the era. From the author’s collection unless otherwise noted.
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230
Below is the final timetable issued by Pan American.
Below is the route map from the April 1980 timetable reflecting the new routes taken on from the merger with National Airlines.
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Below is the route map from the 31 October 1982 timetable reflecting the end of round-the-world services.
Below is the route map from the June 1985 timetable just prior to the turnover of the Pacific routes to United Airlines.
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Below are route maps from the October 1986 timetable. The top map displays Pan American’s international route system after the sale of the Pacific routes. The bottom map details the North American operations.
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Below are route maps from the November1987 timetable. Africa service was reduced and new service was started at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
234
Below are route maps from the September 1989 and May 1991 timetables. The top reflects the new nonstop 747 service between New York and Moscow. The bottom reflects the European routes after the sale of the London Heathrow route to United Airlines. Pan American did serve London Gatwick from Detroit and Miami. The European routes (and Frankfurt hub) were sold to Delta in July 1991 except for a Miami-Paris route.
235
Below is the final route map from the October 1991 timetable. This was Pan American’s return to where it all began.
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Baggage Strap Tags from author’s collection.
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The Airbus A300 and A310 Going into the 1970s three US airframe manufacturers dominated the commercial air transport market, with the Europeans well behind in market share. In 1970, however, French and German manufacturers, joined by Spanish and British manufacturers, formed Airbus Industrie to market, sell and support the 250-seat A300 that was produced by the four partners. The A300 was the world’s first wide-body twin-jet airliner that was a genuine European effort, although with significant US participation as the General Electric and Pratt & Whitney engines, pods and pylons were built in the US. The airliner entered service with Air France in 1974. A smaller version, the A310, was launched in July 1978, followed by the single-aisle 150-seat A320 in March 1984. Airbus, however, had virtually no presence in the US until 1977, when Eastern Air Lines placed an order for thirty-four A300s. Soon thereafter, Pan American put feelers out to Airbus culminating with initial negotiations at the 1983 Paris Air Show for the acquisition of a mix of A300B4, A310 and A320 aircraft. Negotiations did not get into full swing until the following year. A deal was finalized, and in September 1984, it was announced that a letter of intent was signed between Pan American and Airbus for an interim lease of twelve A300B4s, four A310-200s and the purchase of twelve A310-300s and sixteen A320s. Delivery of the A300B4s began in December, and for the first time, Pan American had fuel-efficient twin-engine widebodies that could compete on the North American routes.
A300B4 Clipper Tampa at Caracas (left) (Author), A310-324 Clipper Midnight Sun at Frankfurt (Konstantin von Wedelstaedt)
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When the A310s began arriving in May 1985, Pan American was able to compete on its thinner North Atlantic routes such as New York-Shannon and New York-Brussels. Below are excerpts from the September 1989 timetable showing examples of the routes on which the A300 and A310 operated and seating configurations for each aircraft.
September 1989 timetable excerpts (Author's collection)
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The Airbus additions to the fleet in the mid-1980s injected additional life into Pan American, modernizing its fleet and allowing the disposal of costly aircraft such as the L-1011s and the DC-10s. In fact, Pan American was the first US airline to operate A310s and the first to order the A320s powered by the International Aero Engines V2500. Unfortunately, the airline did not take delivery of the A320s and the A310s left the fleet as part of the sale of Pan American’s European operations and Frankfurt hub to Delta Airlines in 1991. The A300s, however, stayed with the fleet, and continued operating until the end.
A310-222 Clipper Miles Standish at Frankfurt (Aero Icarus)
A310-222 ex Clipper Miles Standish at Zurich (Aero Icarus)
A310-222 ex Clipper Miles Standish at Frankfurt (Pedro AragĂŁo)
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Latin America – Clipper 201/202 (1960-1991) Pan American’s large presence in Latin America continued after the war and into the 50s and 60s but with the sale of Panagra to Braniff in 1967 and the sales of its subsidiaries, the airline’s presence, particularly in South America, became gradually less dominant. In 1969, flight 201 operated with a Boeing 707 and added Brasilia, the new capital of Brazil, as an intermediate point. And in 1978, the flight was operated nonstop between New York and Rio de Janeiro with a Boeing 747 on Friday and Saturday and a 707 the rest of the week.
September 1969 timetable Latin America schedules (Author's collection)
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August 1978 timetable New York- Rio de Janeiro schedules (Author's collection)
Captain Marshall's first trip on flight 201 was in the late 1970s when he piloted a Boeing 707 from New York to Rio. Below are his memories from the trip. “Came the jets, and not much had really changed, except the guest houses were left for the flight crews. The first time I flew flight 201 was in the late ‘70s, and my chariot was a 707. Departure from Kennedy Airport was at 2200, and it was the nightly non-stop to Rio. The airplane was at nearly maximum gross weight for the long flight; it was a common occurrence to ‘ring the bell’ at a noise monitoring site near the airport, and we did just that. “The first hours were spent flying south down the familiar airways into the Caribbean -- dozens of flights to San Juan and Jamaica and yes, Piarco, had made these airways like old friends. South of Port-of-Spain, however, the airways and place names became decidedly more exotic. Georgetown and Paramaribo passed silently beneath in the darkness, and then we crossed the border into Brazil. The immensity of the country struck me when I realized that we were barely halfway -- all the rest of the way would be through Brazilian airspace, but it would consume mere hours, instead of days just a few years before. “A three-quarter moon had risen over my left shoulder, providing just enough illumination to enable me to pick out rivers below. I craned my neck to peer forward into the night, searching for the mighty Amazon, which we would cross just east of Santarem. Suddenly there 242
it was, stretched out before us in the moonlight, that most immense of rivers. As we lined it up with the moon, I could see far to the east, where it opened up to a vast oceanic estuary, a hundred miles across at its mouth. In a moment we would cross the equator, and I felt myself anxiously waiting for the bump. In later years I always thought it would be an amusing exercise to have someone flush the lav just as we crossed the Line and see if the swirl stopped going clockwise and began rotating in the other direction. (Or is it the other way around?) “Communications are a little different down here. Routine position reports are passed to Belem on HF (high frequency) radio, which was proving to be a difficult exercise. Both Belem and Brasilia radio seem to be at the bottom of a deep echoing well and require patient persistence to make ourselves heard. I was reminded of my first flights to India and South Asia. One of the caveats concerning flight into South America niggled at my brain: ‘They’ll give you anything you ask for, so you are essentially your own air traffic control.’ I tested this a moment later when, after finally reaching Belem, we asked for the next higher flight level. The answer came instantly winging back, without a pause. ‘Roger, Clipper, cleared to climb to flight level three five zero.’ Now is when the do-it-yourself kicks in. We dialed up the airto-air VHF frequency, 126.9, and made the required broadcast in the blind. ‘Clipper 201, on one twenty-six nine, in the blind, southbound on Amber 4, fifty south of Santarem, climbing out of three three zero for three fife zero.’ I reached up and flipped on the landing lights, two stabbing beams of light piercing the night. Silence. Not a lot of traffic abroad in northern Brazil at two in the morning. “Above, the night was punctuated by a dazzling display of stars, uncompromised by any lights on the ground; below an endless stretch of black, broken only every hundred miles or so by the lights of a tiny village on the banks of a river. The air was smooth; we were suspended in the night. I wandered aft to stretch my legs in the darkened cabin, virtually the entire airplane was asleep. A lone flight attendant sat on a plastic crate in the galley, reading a book. She smiled at me as I reentered the cockpit. “Finally, the eastern sky grays, then pinks and blues, and the sun burst upon us. In three hours, we will begin our descent into Rio’s Galaeo Airport, but we couldn’t relax our vigilance even for a moment. 243
Hot air balloons and hang gliders drift blithely across the long descent path from Pirai, unseen and unheeded by Rio Approach Control, who at this point have yet to see their first radar scope. All hands were on the flight deck, eyes searching the haze ahead. (Later on in my career, taking off from Galaeo for New York on a miserable rainy midnight in a fully loaded 747, we had a very near miss with a brightly lit hot air balloon drifting among the broken clouds, right smack in the middle of the departure path. It appeared suddenly in the glare of the landing lights, startling us all nearly out of our wits, and was quickly gone. We missed it by less than a hundred feet, by my estimate, and I wondered later if its occupants were as surprised and frightened as we were, and whether they were caught in our jet wash.) “Finally, the airport appeared in the windscreen, and on the horizon, we could see Corcovado Mountain, with the giant figure of Christ, arms outstretched, the symbol of Rio. With a healthy crunch the wheels bit the concrete, and we arrived.” Pan American's flight 201 continued serving Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo with a Boeing 747 throughout the 1980's and until the airline ceased operations in 1991. The aircraft was configured in a “Latin America” seating arrangement that provided additional First-Class space for a market that historically demanded it. The flight operated four days a week non-stop to Rio de Janeiro and continued twice weekly to Buenos Aires and Montevideo. This is illustrated in Pan American's last timetable issued October 1991 (next page and see pages 231 and 236 for timetable cover and map).
Boeing 747-200 Clipper Sea Lark at Rio de Janeiro (Author)
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In 1927 Pan American came into being as an airline that served the Americas. Sixty years later, after serving the globe, Pan American returned to its roots. It was from there that Pan American World Airways became a fond memory to all those who kept the once mighty airline in the skies.
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Crossing the Atlantic – Clipper 100/101 (1960-1990) By the 1960's, flight 100 was a daylight flight departing New York at 10:00 a.m. and arriving at London at 9:45 p.m., as shown in the September 1961 timetable. In the 1970's, the Boeing 747 was introduced to the route, as shown in the January/February 1971 timetable, and continued operating the same daylight flight through the decade as shown in the summer 1978 timetable.
September 1961 timetable Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
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January 1971 timetable Atlantic schedules (Author's collection)
August 1978 timetable New York-London Schedules (Author's Collection)
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With the merger of Pan American and National in 1980, flight 100 was discontinued as shown in the Spring/Summer 1980 timetable. All New YorkLondon services were overnight flights, and none were numbered "100". In the timetable that became effective 24 April 1983, flight 100 returned, operating a daytime flight with a Boeing 747SP. The flight offered 3-class service with “Clipper Class” in a separate cabin, departing at 10:00 a.m. and arriving in London at 9:40 p.m. Interestingly enough, the timetable announced it as a “New Daily Daylight Service”.
April 1983 timetable excerpts (Author's Collection)
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After the sale of Pan American's Pacific routes, which included the 747SP fleet, the equipment was changed back to a 747. In the timetable effective 26 October 1986, the 10:00 a.m. departure was changed to 9:00 a.m., with an 8:35 p.m. arrival.
October 1986 timetable excerpts, left and top right, May 1991 timetable excerpts above right (Author's collection)
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With the sale of the London Heathrow routes to United, flight 100 came off the timetable. In addition, as shown in the May 1991 timetable on the previous page, Pan American no longer operated the New York-London route. Ironically, the cover of that timetable (see pages 230 for cover and 235 for map) boasted “More Nonstops Across The Atlantic Than Any Other Airline!” Little did anyone know that six months later, Pan American would have no transatlantic routes except for a 3-times weekly Miami-Paris flight. It is not unreasonable to believe that flight 100 was Pan American's premier passenger flight. Although Pan American had several lucrative routes in its system, it is fair to say that the New York-London route was the most important. Not only was it the airline’s most prestigious route, it could arguably be called its Signature Route. Pan American put its best foot forward with equipment, in-flight service and scheduling. Nothing was overlooked and as a result, it attracted the passengers who demanded that type of service. Carla Marshall, a former Pan American Purser, said “it certainly was our most popular businessman's flight (few women then). Always top executives of major companies, both American and European. Nelson Doubleday was a frequent traveler, as was IBM Chairman Thomas Watson. Also, NATO General Alexander Haig was often on the 707 flights as was Elizabeth Taylor.” For Bronwen Roberts, a young flight attendant (then Stewardess) for Pan American, a special passenger on flight 100 was one of the highlights of her 31-year career with the airline. Below is an excerpt from her story about this special passenger from Aviation History: “When I was hired by Pan Am in February 1958, one of 11 from 5,000 applicants, I could not in my wildest dreams have imagined the exciting life I would lead and the fascinating people I would encounter during my 31 year career. “In the 1960's Pan Am was the airline of choice for the rich and famous. Among the celebrities I had on board were the legendary Charles Lindbergh, film stars Robert Taylor, Warren Beatty, Susan Hayward, Sophia Loren and her husband Carlo Ponti, Audrey Hepburn and her husband Mel Ferrer.
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“However, my most memorable flight occurred early in my career. As a child I had been subjected to the terror of air raids over Britain during World War Two and I remember listening to the inspiring speeches given over the radio by our then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. How could I possibly have known then that on 14 April 1961 I would be serving the great man on a Pan Am Clipper flight. To my everlasting gratitude and indeed to my amazement I was selected to serve Sir Winston on flight 100 from New York along with another British flight attendant, Valerie Wilton, and American purser, Mickey Deangelis. “The flight was uneventful and very pleasant with cocktail service followed by a leisurely lunch, with the regular President Special menu consisting of Hors D'oeuvres, including caviar, Terrapin or cream of mushroom soup; entrees, including Lobster Thermidor, Filet of Sole, Himalayan Partridge Sweetbread Financieres, stuffed Rock Cornish game hen, double lamb chops or Prime Rib of beef, choice of vegetables, salad; and a selection of continental cheeses, desserts and fresh fruit items. Colmans mustard and horseradish, Stilton cheese, imported teas and crumpets were added. “After the excitement of the arrival I was taken to be interviewed by the British press and that is how my parents learned in the following morning newspapers that their daughter had had the privilege and honour of serving one of their heroes, something neither I nor they could have ever imagined so many years earlier.” For the pilots, flight 100 was just a regular flight, according to Captain Marshall, “from the flight deck perspective Clipper 100 was pretty much like any other, except that the scheduling showed us arriving at the hotel downtown around 9:00 p.m., with just time enough to change and get to the pub before last call. We usually operated flight 101 back the following day departing LHR at 11:00 a.m. A very civilized schedule, which is why most of us liked it.” Because of the attractive scheduling, the most senior and experienced pilots were likely in the cockpit. Thus flight 100 not only provided the best in the cabin, but in the flight deck as well.
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It is fair to say that Pan American's flight 100 set the standard for the ultimate in first class travel. Over the years the airline had multiple daily flights between New York and London, but flight 100 was singled out as the way to travel between the two cities. At that level, the only real competition was the Concorde. Today, notwithstanding the multiple US cities that have non-stop service to London, New York is still the major departure city from the US to London. Indeed, between New York Kennedy Airport and Newark Airport, there are upwards of 25 daily flights between the two cities. However, credit must be given to Pan American for setting the high standards that today's carriers strive for in that market. Pan American may be gone, but not forgotten.
Toward the end of an era. Pan American and TWA at London Heathrow, 1989 (Author)
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Round the World – Clipper One and Two (1960-1982) By 1966, the Boeing 707 and DC-8 were operating a daily all-jet roundthe-world service. On Sundays, flight 2 departed New York in the evening and arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday via London, Frankfurt, Vienna, Istanbul, Beirut, Baghdad, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Honolulu. Other stops on the route, depending on the day operated, included Belgrade, Ankara, Tehran, New Delhi, Rangoon and Saigon.
September 1966 timetable round-the-world schedules flight 2 (Author's collection)
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Come the 1970s, as shown in the January 1971 timetable, below, flights 1 and 2 were operated with a Boeing 747 between Los Angeles, Honolulu, Tokyo, and Hong Kong and between London and New York. A 707 operated between Hong Kong and Bangkok and, depending on the day, New Delhi, Karachi, Tehran, or Beirut, and then between Istanbul, Frankfurt, and London.
January 1971 timetable round-the-world schedules flight 1 (Author's collection)
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After the merger with National Airlines, flights 1 and 2 continued in round-the world service between New York and Los Angeles with 747s, with stops in Tokyo and Hong Kong, and, depending on the day, Bangkok, Delhi, Bombay, Karachi or Bahrain, and then Frankfurt and London. The service also added Las Vegas to the route with a change of gauge to a 727 for the flight from/to Los Angeles. By the end of 1982, Pan American's iconic round-the-world service was history. Although flights 1 and 2 continued to operate, the service was initially between New York and London and onward to Frankfurt, the Asian SubContinent, and the Middle East. However, by 1983 and later, the flights operated only to London, with Frankfurt and other destinations in Germany periodically in the schedule, occasionally with a change of gauge. With the sale of Pan American's London Heathrow route to United Airlines, flights 1 and 2 were removed from the timetable. The last round-the-world flight departed Los Angeles on 27 October 1982.
October 1981 (left) and October 1982 (right, as of 31 Oct) timetable excerpts, flights 1 and 2 (Author's collection)
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The Pan Am Shuttle The Pan Am Shuttle was inaugurated on 1 October 1986 in direct competition with the legendary Eastern Shuttle that had been in operation since 30 April 1961. The Eastern Shuttle began with the Lockheed 1049 Constellation and operated between New York LaGuardia, Washington National and Boston Logan every two hours between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. The service later became hourly from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The shuttle required no reservations, there were no seat assignments, no check in was required and no boarding passes were issued. In other words, a passenger simply went to the airport and boarded the aircraft. Tickets were purchased on board after takeoff and there were no drinks or meal service. The Constellation was eventually replaced by the Lockheed Electra, which was replaced by the DC-9, which was replaced by the Boeing 727-200, pictured below at its LaGuardia gate.
Eastern Air Lines 727 Shuttle aircraft at New York LaGuardia with A300B4 in background (Author)
One feature of the Eastern Shuttle was that every passenger was guaranteed a seat. If a flight was full, a back-up aircraft was ready to go. As
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legend has it, there was once a single passenger who arrived for a flight on time and as it was full, was accommodated by a back-up aircraft. Eastern Airlines and the Eastern Shuttle were acquired by Texas Air Corporation in 1986. In June of 1989, the Eastern Shuttle was acquired by Donald Trump and operated as the Trump Shuttle. Later, the USAir Group acquired 40% of the operation with an agreement to manage it and an option to eventually acquire the entire entity. In April 1992, the Trump Shuttle ceased to exist when it was merged into a new corporation, Shuttle, Inc., and began operating as the USAir Shuttle. In 1997 US Airways purchased the remainder of Shuttle, Inc., and began operation of the US Airways Shuttle, which became the American Airlines Shuttle when the brand was transferred to American Airlines after its final integration with US Airways was completed on October 17, 2015. The story of the Pan Am Shuttle had its roots shortly after the US airlines were deregulated when, in 1980, the Frank Lorenzo-owned Texas Air Corporation formed start-up, non-union New York Air to compete with the Eastern Shuttle. The new airline used DC-9-30s and later MD-80s on the Boston-New York-Washington shuttle route and offered popular in-flight snack bags called "The Flying Nosh".
New York Air DC-9 (Eduard Marmet)
In 1986, when Texas Air acquired Eastern Airlines and the Eastern Shuttle, mentioned above, the government required as a condition of the purchase that Texas Air divest itself of the New York Air shuttle operation. Pan American, in its attempt to gain a presence in the Washington–New York– Boston air corridor purchased it for $100 million. Pan American also acquired Ransome Airlines (which later became the Pan Am Express). The purchase of the shuttle operation enabled Pan American to offer a high-frequency 257
service for business travelers in direct competition with the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle. Pan American’s shuttle operation was different and unique. First, it operated on the half-hour, rather than on the hour. It offered in-flight snacks and beverages and featured Samuel Adams Beer. Pan American went on a marketing blitz when the service was introduced and differentiated itself from Eastern's product by emphasizing “Pan Am Service”, recalling the glory days of the airline’s world-renowned in-flight service. Ticketing was not done on board, rather with ticketing machines located in its terminals at Washington National, New York LaGuardia and Boston Logan. No reservations were required. The passenger simply showed up at the terminal, purchased the ticket at a ticketing machine, and boarded the aircraft. The passenger also had the option of checking baggage before boarding, although this had to be done at a regular check-in desk. One unique and highly touted feature was that the New York terminal would be the renovated and rejuvenated Marine Air Terminal from where the Boeing 314 flying boats once departed.
Marine Air Terminal circa 1974 (left) and during Flying Boat era (Public Domain/PAHF)
The aircraft used were Boeing 727-200s acquired from the defunct Peoples Express and from Lufthansa and were in an all-economy configuration. Pan American also offered a guaranteed seat. In one advertisement, called “No Shutouts”, it was proclaimed: “If a flight is full, out comes a second plane to pick up the slack. No bench warmers; everybody gets in the game.” In addition, as its first flight was at 6:30 a.m., beating Eastern's first shuttle at 7:00 a.m., the Pan Am Shuttle called itself “The first choice”. Further, to attract the high-yield business traffic, the shuttle was called “The 258
Corporate Jet” and advertisements promoted in-seat telephones for use by passengers to “make connections in high places”. And in one of the best deals of all, members of the airline’s WorldPass frequent flyer program earned 2000 miles for every sector flown on the shuttle. A passenger could accumulate a total of 8000 miles on a round trip between Washington and Boston!
Boeing 727-200 Clipper Empress at Boston (AirNikon)
Kelly Cusack was involved with Pan American's shuttle operation in New York from its inception. Below are excerpts from his story about his experiences that appears in Aviation History: “The Pan Am Shuttle was launched in the fall of 1986 from the Marine Air Terminal which had been built by Pan Am in 1940 for TransAtlantic flying boat operations. An extension was added on to the original terminal allowing it to accommodate up to 5 jets and hourly service (on the half hour) to Boston and Washington, DC was offered from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Washington) and 9:30 p.m. (Boston). “Pan Am’s goal was to compete with service and not price, offering leather seats and in-flight beverages and snacks. In order to allow customers to enjoy the in-flight perks Pan Am offered advance ticketing unlike the Eastern Shuttle that only ticketed in-flight. Another unique amenity of the Pan Am Shuttle was the Pan Am Water Shuttle, a ferry service from a pier at the Marine Air Terminal to Pier 11 serving Wall St. in Manhattan. Because of the layout of LaGuardia Eastern could not match this service. The Water Shuttle reduced travel times significantly from LaGuardia to lower Manhattan during rush hours. Pan Am also introduced a “Business Center” in the modified Marine Air 259
Terminal with fax and copier service. Within the terminal Pan Am offered a wide range of complimentary newspapers and magazines conveniently placed so customers could grab them as they dashed to catch a flight.” The operation was staffed by New York-based personnel, although in an interesting twist, Pan American staff from Honolulu also made up the work force. Said Cusack: “The Pan Am Shuttle had an unusually high percentage of Hawaiian Employees working in Passenger Service. With the sale of the Pacific routes to United in March of 1986 there was a surplus of agents in Honolulu. These agents used their union “bumping” rights to secure positions at the Shuttle. There were 8 transfers from Honolulu. They shared a house and a car. They worked shifts for each other allowing each of them to get home to Hawaii about once a month for a week or more. They were lovely, warm people and their presence at the Shuttle was uniquely Pan Am.”
Kelly Cusack with Pan Am Shuttle Hawaiian staff at Marine Air Terminal
The Pan Am Shuttle was a wonderful operation that was exceedingly popular and profitable for Pan American. Unfortunately, with the sale of the airline’s remaining European routes and Frankfurt hub to Delta, the Shuttle was part of the deal, and Delta took over operations on 1 September 1991.
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The Last Pushback Images of Clipper Juan T. Trippe’s “last pushback”. Karl Nogol unless otherwise noted. See page 213 for additional images.
(William Tauer)
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(Russ Annabel)
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The Last Fly-By
Top to bottom (Russ Annabel)
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The Final Resting Place for a Proud Fleet
727s (Duncan Stewart via Pan Am Museum) (left); (George Hamlin) (right)
Clipper Dashing Wave (see page 26) bottom left and 747 at final rest (Andy Martin)
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Selected Bibliography Baldwin, James Patrick. Pan American World Airways – Images of a Great Airline. St. Augustine, Florida: BlueWaterPress. 2011 Baldwin, James Patrick and Jeff Kriendler. Pan American World Airways – Aviation History through the Words of its People. St. Augustine, Florida: BlueWaterPress. 2011 _________________________________. Pan Am – Personal Tributes to a Global Aviation Pioneer. San Francisco, California: Pan Am Historical Foundation. 2017 Conrad, III, Barnaby. Pan Am: An Aviation Legend. Emeryville, California: Woodford Press. 1999. Daley, Robert. An American Saga: Juan Trippe and His Pan Am Empire. New York: Random House. 1980. Davies, R.E.G. Pan Am: An Airline and Its Aircraft. New York: Orion Books. 1987. Gandt, Robert. China Clipper. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. 1991 ___________ . Skygods – The Fall of Pan Am. McLean, Virginia: Paladwr Press. 1999 Hamlin, George W. Skyliners: Mainliners, Falcons and Flagships. Miami, Florida: World Transport Press. 1991. __________________. Skyliners 3: A Journey to Asia. Woodley, England: Airways International, Ltd. 1995. Pan American World Airways, Inc. Unpublished Press Releases. 1977.
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