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As a former Pan Am flight attendant from 1978-1990, this video gave me goosebumps of joy and great memories. Pan Am was not just an airline...we were a culture...and this video shows how far back that went. Incredible memories of having worked with Pan Am will last forever as will the friendships I made with other Pan Amers over the years.
Feel sorry for everyone that lost everything when they closed their doors overnight ,I worked for TWA as a mechanic showed up to work one morning and was told everyone was to clean out their lockers and were escorted off the premises everything was gone pension retirement 401 k gone without any explanation some folks had 40+ years all gone PanAm employees went in the same fashion , I hope you didn’t suffer the same fate ☠️✈️
Thanks for sharing your TWA story. I had a very good friend who was a TWA flight attendant based at JFK and it really helped that so many TWA employees were able to understand things at PanAm better than those at other airlines. Fortunately, I saw the handwriting on the wall a few months before the actual demise and left at that time so I didn't witness the kind of thing you so accurately described. Appreciate your reply.@@Cola64
I ran that name through my memory bank and while I can remember someone named Ellie, I can't be sure of the last name. Often, it's the first name that stays with you more readily. I was based at JFK in New York. Was your friend based there or elsewhere?@@bsmy84
My wife and I went on our Honeymoon to Paris on Pan Ams "China Clipper" that was the name of the plane and the Pilot took time to talk to me it was 1985 great Memory
My father is the young man in the sailor cap, taking the train from Wilkes Island to Peale Island (25.51). He is also shown diving from a small sailboat (2754). He was the assistant airport manager for Pan Am on Wake Island in 1939.
I was just a baby when my father was stationed in Hawaii as an officer in the Navy. My mother bundled me up and we flew across the Pacific in a Clipper dubbed the "diaper special". It was a flight specifically for military dependents. Too bad I was too young to remember any of that.
@@derrickwillie4449 Because maybe he was told that by his mother and father and they have pictures and diaries of the deal...how the hell else do you think he did?
I was a flight crew member on the 777. United inherited the Pan American flying boat routes. From HNL to Tokyo you would often see Midway used for emergency diversion only. From HNL to Guam you would often see Wake, which served the same purpose. If you went Southwest from HNL you would fly over Fiji and American Samoa to Sydney or Auckland. Specks in the Ocean developed by Pan Am, the pioneers of Pacific air travel. A true privilege to stand with respect on the shoulders of giants.
I flew from Detroit to Narita then to Guam, we hugged the Russian Coast after flying over Alaska I believe. Narita to Guam was a trip to remember, tiny plane.
Sorry, but i dont think it was better for all people, it was good for the wealthy, at least today most people live in decent conditions compared to those old days .
My whole life up to 18 years ('32 - '50) was spent on the edge of Keehi Lagoon. The flying boats flew over my house so low that that it shook up the whole house. I could still hear the rattle of the dishes till this day. Keehi Lagoon was my playground on and off shore.
@@Sashazur yes it makes sense all right. Yet the slight ambiguity leaves room for humour. Saying "the entirety of my first 18 years....." would have eliminated all ambiguity. But yeah- it's fine; and Grammar Nazi is done. Carry on.
The story of Pan Am 314 is a very good read. Cut off from return to SF at the start of the war they flew around the world to NY. The problems they dealt with and the ingenuity they used was amazing.
My mom would take us to the SF terminal to greet my father on his return from Japan and the Philippines after the war. He would disembark loaded with gifts. We had Pan Am memorabilia around the house for years. What an age
I was stationed at the Midway Islands (it is TWO islands named "Sand" and "Eastern") from 1966 to 1968. Yes, the "gooney birds" were indeed the Layson Albatross. But there were also the black footed albatross which were also on the island in lower numbers. Very similar to the Layson except for coloring. Of course, the dancing is a mating ritual. What they didn't show (as many films do) is how they can sort of crash land. This really only happens the first day or two after coming back to the island after being at sea for many months. They get accustomed to just gliding down on the water. When they do that on land, the ground trips them up. They quickly re-adjust and then almost always land successfully by going into a final stall just inches above the ground and then settling down vertically.
@@My_Fair_Lady Why do you make that charge? Midway--an atoll, actually, consisting of a barrier reef, a number of sandy islets, and the much larger Sand and Eastern Islands--was used extensively during the Vietnam War (and previously during the Korean War).
@@My_Fair_Lady You don't seem to understand that I could have lived at Midway (18 months actually) AND also seen some of the many films presented on TV and now on RUclips over the years. I was a Naval Electronics Technician assigned to the Naval Communications Unit at Midway, and more specifically, at the transmitter site on Sand Island. In fact, that is how I know the videos of them crashing are selective because I have seen countless clean landings once they become accustomed to being on land again. You can see photos I took there of the transmitter site, transmitters, and the antenna field that I have provided to several Navy Radio and Midway Island sites. Just search for something like my name plus "navy radio". Your claim that I am a "liar" is ludicrous and unfounded. Also, I am a "he", not a "she."
@@oarsteed Thank you for noticing that the remark by "C E" was unfounded. You just get all types on "social media" (often antisocial). Yes, I was there during the Vietnam era as my first tour of duty. The USS Norton Sound AVM-1 was my second tour. There were about 3,000 military on Sand and Eastern Islands. And a small number of civilians such as schoolteachers, those who worked in the Navy Exchange (the store, supermarket, etc.) and dependents. And then there were the four antenna maintainers which were civilians and were all Hawaiin.
Thinking about Wisdom the Laysan Albatross - who is at least 71 years old and quite possibly older - it's not out of the realm of possibility that some of the baby albatrosses seen in this film (and in John Ford's documentary The Battle of Midway) may still be living today.
Never could fly with pan am , but I love pan am. As a kid when I flew from Frankfurt to Tunisia saw all times Pan Am 747, 737 and 727, later also the A310. The plane and also pilot and purser dresses gave me an such impression that now as a sim pilot recreated the PA fleet and fly constantly original routes. I'm in love with pan am. Was a sign of freedom and elegance and and and when a PA landed on an airport. Never forget , pan am is in our hearts
My Uncle, Emil Kissel, was a flight engineer on these clippers. During the war, they were used to fly important cargo and people between Natal, Brazil to Liberia in Africa. This was because many ships were sunk crossing the ocean. Once better planes were able to escort these ships, the clippers were retired.
In 89 we were “allegedly” on a search & rescue reconnaissance mission out of the Philippines when we had to land on Midway. The base commander met our C130, driving a golf cart and wearing shorts and a faded Hawaiian shirt. It’s funny, I don’t recall the refueling as much as I remember all the cases of liquor and meats that was delivered.
Amazing how bad things have gotten over the years. I remember flying on Pan Am in the jet era, they sure understood customer service and how to treat “guests”. That’s the way they used to treat us as “guests” not as “live cargo” as the airlines do today. This is amazing these flying boats were ultra luxurious!
I don't see what's bad about it. A transatlantic flight in 1940 cost the equivalent of $6000 today (one way!). Flying went from being something that was only for the wealthy to something that is far more accessible today, albeit by sacrificing some comfort. And if you want to be pampered, you can drop the cash for a first class ticket (and still be paying less than in the 40s adjusted for inflation).
Propeller planes took me and mom to Europe in the 1960s. The pilots let me into the cockpit as a little boy. Flying up until the 90s was tolerable. I switched to RV travel recently and stay stateside now.
Well the customers back then had respect for the airline personal ... now they think they are owed everything and are rude and belligerent. Would say a different class of people but many of the travelers now have NO class !!!
So many comments! This posting was really enjoyed by many as were their comments. My Dad was sailing with Matson, Hawaii to S F at this time. Aloha nui to all.
My father worked for Pan Am from the early 1930's to mid 1950's. He had many a story about his trips form SF to Honolulu. He started out as a shipping manager then ended up as an executive who was responsible for opening offices across Japan and China. He said the China Clippers got all the glory but the PBYs where the work horses.
Those were the days. When people had style and manners. Everything is clean and organized and functioning. Watching films frome these days back then I can't help but thinking that society is regressing with an alarming speed.
You are viewing air travel from a time when the people who could afford to fly could also afford style and manners. Do you know what a trans-Pacific flight on a Boeing 314 cost? The average flight from L.A. to Boston in 1941 was worth $4,539.24 per person in today’s money, and it would have taken 15 hours and 15 minutes with 12 stops along the way. Postwar, when air travel expanded to include more of the hoi polloi, meant that it changed along with everything else. Going back is not an option. Oh, and welcome to 2024!
@@mencken8 "Going back" is absolutely an option. There is (just for example) NO need for 18-20 year old kids fresh out of high school flying around the world just for fun, because "that's what people do". Flying is pure luxury ... and people should get used to the actual worth and costs of things ... and especially how much WORK it takes until you can AFFORD such luxury.
@@ulrichschnier307 I’m afraid I don’t see how this applies to my point, which had nothing to do with younger people flying. The postwar revolution in air travel was fueled by the war itself, and unstoppable. First there were the dozens of airports with long runways built during the war to accommodate the fleets of heavy bombers, perfect for large passenger planes. Second, there was the jet engine, also a product of that war, which made air travel much faster and more reliable. Third, a rising standard of living which lent time and disposable income to pursue leisure travel. Fourth, of course, the expansion and exploitation of oil reserves worldwide, making cheap fuel available. Given these things, the result was predictable, and resulted in a “golden age” of air travel and tourism, at least numerically. I’m guessing that time is coming to an end, but what will replace it I neither know nor care, since I won’t be around to see it. But I’m completely sure there will be no return to the past. History doesn’t repeat itself, people just repeat certain behaviors.
My grandmother was one of the first stewardesses. She said that in the days before radar they had to circle in foggy conditions forever. She wasn't in the greatest marriage either.
Modern travel is not romantic like it was in the days of PAN AM. In those days, the flight itself was part of the adventure. You could stroll casually about the cabin, play a round of cards or have a Mai Tai. Smoking and talking with fellow passengers was a thing, although we don't do the smoking bit anymore. It was all a relaxed and comfortable experience. In other words, the journey was just as enjoyable as the vacation itself. In the modern era, the journey is quick but devoid of any class or style.
It’s all a trade off. Flying today is much faster, much cheaper, and much safer. If you still want to pay thru the nose you can go first class though how luxurious that is depends a lot on the airline. First class on USA airlines is McDonald’s compared to some Asian ones.
Because you are flying in economy class. Ive been lucky to be able to fly business / first class since I turned 19. Fully paid by my parents, and now paying these trips myself.
Actually,those flying boats were built by Sikorsky, Martin, and Boeing. The plane featured here is a Boeing 314 Clipper. Howard Hughes was responsible for the Lockheed Constellation. His only flying boat was the Hughes H-1 which people nicknamed the spruce Goose. It only flew once in 1947.
Such elegance. In 1940 people dressed better for the beach than a lot of people dress for work today. I love vintage films for the glimpses of the fashions.
That flight was 13,000 $ adjusted for today's money and yet the comment section is full of people who complain that people dressed better for air traveling 😅 No sh*t sherlock....given that the only ones traveling back then were the ultra rich.
I highly recommend going through thrift store and estate sales I also happen to know a lot of the older people at my church and they have given me some of their old clothes they couldn't fit into anymore I look like I'm out of a retro magazine while the youngins charge 35$ for a pair of vintage looking cheap glasses online I have the real thing from the 50s and I got it for free can't be beat having old people as your friends their also way more lit than people generally think 😂
I'm 62. I've always wished I lived back in the 50s but looking at this from the '40s it introduced America to such a diverse world they have not seen before
I genuinely believe if someone was dedicated they could make a modern version of these and operate successfully. It would have to be the full package like a cruise line but as long as they priced it like a luxury cruise it would work.
If it matched the best first class experience you can get now and flew you straight to some kind of super luxurious remote seaside resort then I could see this. But you probably wouldn’t want to bring back the 3x longer flight times and having to land several times to refuel!
They took dedicated and involved training to fly. Pilots were relieved when they were retired. Amazingly there were relatively few accidents and emergency landings, only one resulting in loss of life
Boston born 1960, we'd pledge allegiance to the United States of America every morning to start school, hand over heart, WW2 effects were still very strong, American pride was huge, watching this great story reminds me of the past America. God bless America 🇺🇸
Pretty haunting to hear past tense used throughout to describe scenes that had been filmed just a year or two earlier, because the world depicted had already vanished and been replaced by the horrors of WWII.
That tells you a lot. I was fortunate enough to get to fly to Hawaii in 1973. There were no hula girls at the Airport, and the flowers were fake. It was really something. Hawaii is so beautiful. I am jealous of the people who can afford to live there.
The first time I flew to Hawaii was in the 1990s and they gave us real flower leis when we landed. That was the first and last time that ever happened!
I flew to HI in 1975. We had a real orchid on our lunch plate. The snacks were macadamia nuts and the whole terminal was decorated Polynesian style, complete with Hawaiian music. The flight attendants wore Hawaiian attire and there was more room in coach back then, then there is in first class today! The 747, what an experience!
Lol You might want to acquaint yourself with Magellan, cook, et al The same major waypoints were identified and developed during the 1600s Spanish galleons were making annual circuits between phillipines and Mexico, and Mexico to Spain (spanish main, right?) We grabbed Hawaii as a coaling station after we nabbed all the pacific asia terrorities from spain Shell oil (one of the 7 sisters) was created from the major Dutch Indonesia oil fields before 1910 These fields were the real target of the japanese. They attacked Singapore and pearl to neutralize the brits and us navies
Wake, Guam, Manila and Hong Kong were taken by the Japanese very early in the war and other than Wake were retaken at enormous cost to the United States military. There were civilian contractors working for PAA on Wake when the Japanese attacked, and few of them survived captivity.
I was waiting to board a plane once and an old lady in a wheel chair who was waiting next to me leaned over and said "flying used to be so much more comfortable back in the day". Now I see what she meant!
@@Sashazur Cry me a goddamn river. What's your stupid goal here again, to teach us about an era you were never apart of. God, just say it already, just say that you can't stand anything nice being said about this era 🖕🖕🖕
Same thing here, but Chicago Midway in the 60's - there was a free open air viewing deck on the terminal roof - right in the city, buildings right up to the runways. Airport still there, cool and unique.
I've done the LA to Hawaii crossing many times starting in 1973. I flew from Taiwan to LA (18.5 hours) in first class because I got thrown up on by the lady next to me. I smelled a little funny but it was a great flight. Slept like a baby.
I always like the history of the Pan Am clipper ship and all the beautiful countries and all the supplies they took and the people who flew with the pilots I 1940
A classic that has influenced travellers and tourists ever since. A great shame, Lockerbie and its influence on Panam. Thanks for the video, a part of history. Rmb5*
The path we chose means flying is accessible to far more people because it’s so much cheaper. It’s also much safer and faster. It’s a worthwhile trade off.
All of this less than forty years after the Wright Brothers and their earliest flights. Have to appreciate too the advances in engine technology in such a relatively short time.
This version was released in early 1942, when the Second World War postponed civilian flights to Hawaii (and other overseas destinations)- as noted at 2:17 - until after the war ended.
Thanks. Title mentions 1940 but then they mention December 1941 early on. I also note that the narrator uses the past tense a lot as he describes the way things use to be.
I hope everyone understands the "cabin" shots were filmed on a movie set on dry land.That doesn't take away from the sheer civility and luxury that those travelers experienced
What a wonderful travel log. By no means as fast as todays air travel it sure was a great way over long distances for comfort. And those islands suffered great damage and destruction in only a short year too. History lesson as I thought Midway Island was named as it was halfway across the Pacific Ocean.
Wow $15,000 makes sense with a dozen flight crew plus all the other onboard staff, never mind all the fuel that would be burnt up in five days. For The wealthy only!
I flew a lot in my life (as a passenger, in addition to being a pilot myself)..but the degradation between even 1970's flights and today's, are barely comparable. In the days of 'you could smoke on passenger aircraft', you also had about 6-inches more leg room, wider seats, very polite service, better (and more frequent) service...and we won't even talk about 'much more-accurate schedules'. By comparison, today you are paying high rates to be packed into a 'cattle car' and trucked from point-A to point-B. As for rates, well, no one ever points out that fuel is the BIG price-driver for airlines, so if fuel is high, so are tickets. If fuel stays pegged at some fixed percentage of 'mean income', then the tickets will also stay relatively stable...and airfare is ALWAYS equal to rail and MAYBE 5% more than driving. If a flight is 'in-country' and less than 3-hours in length, you are NORMALLY better off to just drive it, anymore...because you don't get the 'tour', you don't get the 'friendly service'...just 'shut up, sit down, get this over with'...fly with a private pilot sometime, and understand 'what was' versus 'what is'...it will really wake you up!
Yep, since the 1970s, most things about flying have gone backwards. Worse comfort, worse service, worse food (if you even can get any), worse and slower airport experience because of the mostly useless security. And the flights aren’t any faster, in fact they are often slower to save fuel. But flying is much safer, and cheaper.
I would have enjoyed visiting these lands before the more modern world took over and in many ways ruined it. Yes we have improved in many ways but we have lost something as well. Anyway, I really enjoyed this post. Thank you.
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Indeed. The previous century, despite World War II and other wars, was just the most fantastic time to be alive. Since the turn of the century, because of capitalism and the demise of morality, the world has been in a downward spiral from which, sadly, it will never recover.
Sometimes I think that the slower travel method is really best...the ritual of departing, living, sleeping and arriving brings a better sense of how far you have traveled vs. the fastest way to get there and worn out seems a cheap alternative.
Was a magical time in aviation. The good that came from WWII mostly was in the form of aircraft development. It would have eventually happened, just not as rapidly.
I have to chuckle at the voice over -- voice over nothing. The engines back then were LOUD... their vibration very noticeable. There was only one-class of ticket: 1st Class -- with an epic price tag to match. It was MAIL that made the flight viable. For the times, this was Priority Mail + FedEx. The war changed aircraft technology so fast that the post-war world was utterly different. Sea planes couldn't compete.
Here's something neat - the nominal price of air travel has grown by less than one percent per annum since the 1940s. My family and I came out to Australia in 1969 and one of us found a site that listed the cost of air fares back then and found that it was around $900 per person, not far off the $1200 pp you might pay today off peak. What has changed is that $900 in 1969 was a LOT more than it is today.
Although you didn't need an airport for a flying boat, a flying boat supposedly had to be built heavier to be able to withstand landing on water. And anyway, you had to have the water. Be that as it may be, I wonder whatever happened to them after they went out of service. And also, when the last commercial flying boat flew a route.
@@kennethquesenberry2610 Some of the smaller intermediate sized planes could land on water or runways... One of the advantages of flying boats, was that it is impossible to destroy their 'runways'.... Another advantage they had is they could land in the middle of the ocean in case of an emergency onboard, and no problem, a ship of repair people could be sent with parts and personnel to repair it... If it was a civilian flight, that plane could safely off-load it's passengers and their luggage onto a ship passing by, to get them to safety...Another HUGE military advantage they had , was they could land in the middle of the ocean and transfer fuel to or from another ocean vessel, and greatly extend it's range by doing that... Several of those advantages are exclusive to flying ships/boats...
@@kennethquesenberry2610 I saw some other RUclips video documentary about the Clippers, and in the comments, someone asked what Air museum can he go to, to see one of the Boeing flying boats, and he said "none", they were all scrapped. He didn't say why. What a terrible thing to do. I think in his video, that there were other US airlines that bought these Airplanes besides Pan AM. I think one was TWA. I don't remember what the title of video was. It was like a good documentary of the Airplanes. 🙂
@@brucebillington8336 There are a few flying boats still in existence, although I don't know if any are the big Boeings. The Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia (part of the Smithsonian) has two flying boats. One is a Grumman Goose, which is a relatively small airplane. It also has a Sikorsky JRS-1, a larger airplane, but not the size of the old Boeings. But both of those are real flying boats. There are also two or three floatplanes. I grew up in a small town in West Virginia that was at least big enough to have an airfield. Not an airport, just an airfield with a gravel runway. It was just privately owned aircraft that operated from there. One of the airplanes was a flying boat! Don't know what it was but it had a distinctive body, and a single engine behind the cabin, mounted up high. That was in the 1950s. Somewhere I have a small photo taken probably at Virginia Beach, probably around WWI, give or take a few years, based on how people are dressed. The photo is about 3x3 inches. I happened to notice that out in the water was a seaplane of some sort, I think a biplane, but the photo is poor, yet pretty interesting.
If I could go back in time to the 1930s, I would fly a Boeing Clipper to Honolulu and stay at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Perhaps I shall still do one of those things. :)
Halekulani hotel is older than the Royal Hawaiian and, in my opinion, much better. Best view of Diamond Head and the best beach side entertainment (music and hula). Not to mention FREE valet parking. That will cost you $15 bucks just to park at the Royal with less of a view and not very good entertainment.
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These trans-pacific took longer than today’s flights but look so much more comfortable and enjoyable- unless you have the $, or more likely the mileage status to fly first class. If not, then it’s just an endurance contest.
In the Movie “Wake Island”, Marines Robert Preston and William Bendix race to reach a glass ball in netting floating towards shore. I didn’t know the attraction that they were from Japan Fishers.
They were very noisy and rough, nothing like today's turboprops. The constant vibrations and droning sound was very irritating and made sleep difficult. They flew at low altitude so turbulence was a huge factor. Pan Am forgot to mention this in their infomercial.
Great film about the early days of exotic tourist travel. This was not getting on a ship but flying there is a few days. $$$$ I was so sorry to see Pan Am lose it's way with jet planes and unable to adapt to the new competition.
Not too much about the clipper but it is what it is. I would love to live in that time (apart from the upcoming war of course) and experience the clipper and others like her.
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As a former Pan Am flight attendant from 1978-1990, this video gave me goosebumps of joy and great memories. Pan Am was not just an airline...we were a culture...and this video shows how far back that went. Incredible memories of having worked with Pan Am will last forever as will the friendships I made with other Pan Amers over the years.
Feel sorry for everyone that lost everything when they closed their doors overnight ,I worked for TWA as a mechanic showed up to work one morning and was told everyone was to clean out their lockers and were escorted off the premises everything was gone pension retirement 401 k gone without any explanation some folks had 40+ years all gone PanAm employees went in the same fashion , I hope you didn’t suffer the same fate ☠️✈️
Thanks for sharing your TWA story. I had a very good friend who was a TWA flight attendant based at JFK and it really helped that so many TWA employees were able to understand things at PanAm better than those at other airlines. Fortunately, I saw the handwriting on the wall a few months before the actual demise and left at that time so I didn't witness the kind of thing you so accurately described. Appreciate your reply.@@Cola64
I have a good friend who was a Pan Am flight attendant. Her name is Ellie Nicklewicz. By any chance did you know her?
I ran that name through my memory bank and while I can remember someone named Ellie, I can't be sure of the last name. Often, it's the first name that stays with you more readily. I was based at JFK in New York. Was your friend based there or elsewhere?@@bsmy84
My wife and I went on our Honeymoon to Paris on Pan Ams "China Clipper" that was the name of the plane and the Pilot took time to talk to me
it was 1985 great Memory
My father is the young man in the sailor cap, taking the train from Wilkes Island to Peale Island (25.51). He is also shown diving from a small sailboat (2754). He was the assistant airport manager for Pan Am on Wake Island in 1939.
That is fantastic to have him on video way back then
I grew up in the 70's in Australia and remember the Pan Am vs Qantas rivalry
Thanks for mentioning this. It really personalizes these old films. Pretty cool!
just a curious question, what were his wages as Asst. Airport Manager at that time?
I was just a baby when my father was stationed in Hawaii as an officer in the Navy. My mother bundled me up and we flew across the Pacific in a Clipper dubbed the "diaper special". It was a flight specifically for military dependents. Too bad I was too young to remember any of that.
How did you remember that then?
@@derrickwillie4449 Because maybe he was told that by his mother and father and they have pictures and diaries of the deal...how the hell else do you think he did?
@@KB-ke3fi he/she could have made up that story.
@@wulfhere83 23 likes on RUclips
@@derrickwillie4449yours is the ridiculous comment of a smarty pants.
The true pioneers of air travel. I still marvel at all Pan Am accomplished during its existence.
I was a flight crew member on the 777. United inherited the Pan American flying boat routes. From HNL to Tokyo you would often see Midway used for emergency diversion only. From HNL to Guam you would often see Wake, which served the same purpose. If you went Southwest from HNL you would fly over Fiji and American Samoa to Sydney or Auckland. Specks in the Ocean developed by Pan Am, the pioneers of Pacific air travel. A true privilege to stand with respect on the shoulders of giants.
There was a good, recent TV bio on Tripp.
I always thought the pioneer of air travel was Howard Hughes. Yes, I believe he was. A TWA guy.
I flew from Detroit to Narita then to Guam, we hugged the Russian Coast after flying over Alaska I believe. Narita to Guam was a trip to remember, tiny plane.
How old are you?
I think I remember seeing a Continental Airlines route-map showing routes accross the South Pacific.
I guess 'United' has those route now too.
That was better than nowadays. 🤚. I am an old man missing this fantastic period. Cheers from France to all the people from my generation ……
Sorry, but i dont think it was better for all people, it was good for the wealthy, at least today most people live in decent conditions compared to those old days .
Yeah except that it was only accessible to the very rich and it took 5 perilous days instead of 13 hours!
My whole life up to 18 years ('32 - '50) was spent on the edge of Keehi Lagoon. The flying boats flew over my house so low that that it shook up the whole house. I could still hear the rattle of the dishes till this day. Keehi Lagoon was my playground on and off shore.
Fantastic thanks!
Thats a great childhood memory.
That was a Catalina base during WWII.
They were hunting for IJN subs that never showed.
@Mister Google Makes sense to me. They’re saying that they spent the entirety of their first 18 years of life there.
@@Sashazur yes it makes sense all right. Yet the slight ambiguity leaves room for humour. Saying "the entirety of my first 18 years....." would have eliminated all ambiguity. But yeah- it's fine; and Grammar Nazi is done. Carry on.
It was the Golden Age of Aviation, Air Travel Was an Adventure Back Then ! If You Could Afford it ! Great Video, Thanks for Sharing !
Love it ! “Passing the Golden Gate and its *NEW* Bridge!”
The story of Pan Am 314 is a very good read. Cut off from return to SF at the start of the war they flew around the world to NY. The problems they dealt with and the ingenuity they used was amazing.
I saw that story on The History Guy a few days ago!
Still not sure why their story hasn't been turned into a movie by now.
Anywhere specific in NY? Probably NYC.
Do you have a link to the read? Sounds amazing.
@@kindnessfirst9670 The Marine Terminal at La Guardia.
My mom would take us to the SF terminal to greet my father on his return from Japan and the Philippines after the war. He would disembark loaded with gifts. We had Pan Am memorabilia around the house for years. What an age
I was stationed at the Midway Islands (it is TWO islands named "Sand" and "Eastern") from 1966 to 1968. Yes, the "gooney birds" were indeed the Layson Albatross. But there were also the black footed albatross which were also on the island in lower numbers. Very similar to the Layson except for coloring. Of course, the dancing is a mating ritual. What they didn't show (as many films do) is how they can sort of crash land. This really only happens the first day or two after coming back to the island after being at sea for many months. They get accustomed to just gliding down on the water. When they do that on land, the ground trips them up. They quickly re-adjust and then almost always land successfully by going into a final stall just inches above the ground and then settling down vertically.
@@My_Fair_Lady Why do you make that charge? Midway--an atoll, actually, consisting of a barrier reef, a number of sandy islets, and the much larger Sand and Eastern Islands--was used extensively during the Vietnam War (and previously during the Korean War).
@@My_Fair_Lady You don't seem to understand that I could have lived at Midway (18 months actually) AND also seen some of the many films presented on TV and now on RUclips over the years. I was a Naval Electronics Technician assigned to the Naval Communications Unit at Midway, and more specifically, at the transmitter site on Sand Island. In fact, that is how I know the videos of them crashing are selective because I have seen countless clean landings once they become accustomed to being on land again. You can see photos I took there of the transmitter site, transmitters, and the antenna field that I have provided to several Navy Radio and Midway Island sites. Just search for something like my name plus "navy radio". Your claim that I am a "liar" is ludicrous and unfounded. Also, I am a "he", not a "she."
@@oarsteed Thank you for noticing that the remark by "C E" was unfounded. You just get all types on "social media" (often antisocial). Yes, I was there during the Vietnam era as my first tour of duty. The USS Norton Sound AVM-1 was my second tour. There were about 3,000 military on Sand and Eastern Islands. And a small number of civilians such as schoolteachers, those who worked in the Navy Exchange (the store, supermarket, etc.) and dependents. And then there were the four antenna maintainers which were civilians and were all Hawaiin.
Thinking about Wisdom the Laysan Albatross - who is at least 71 years old and quite possibly older - it's not out of the realm of possibility that some of the baby albatrosses seen in this film (and in John Ford's documentary The Battle of Midway) may still be living today.
Do those birds migrate to/from Sam Francisco? My Dad once said there was an island Navy ammo depot with gooney birds there during the war.
Never could fly with pan am , but I love pan am. As a kid when I flew from Frankfurt to Tunisia saw all times Pan Am 747, 737 and 727, later also the A310. The plane and also pilot and purser dresses gave me an such impression that now as a sim pilot recreated the PA fleet and fly constantly original routes. I'm in love with pan am. Was a sign of freedom and elegance and and and when a PA landed on an airport. Never forget , pan am is in our hearts
My Uncle, Emil Kissel, was a flight engineer on these clippers. During the war, they were used to fly important cargo and people between Natal, Brazil to Liberia in Africa. This was because many ships were sunk crossing the ocean. Once better planes were able to escort these ships, the clippers were retired.
I visited Wake a few years ago; my military plane landed there for fuel. We got a tour around the island by the installation commander. Fascinating.
In 89 we were “allegedly” on a search & rescue reconnaissance mission out of the Philippines when we had to land on Midway. The base commander met our C130, driving a golf cart and wearing shorts and a faded Hawaiian shirt. It’s funny, I don’t recall the refueling as much as I remember all the cases of liquor and meats that was delivered.
Amazing how bad things have gotten over the years. I remember flying on Pan Am in the jet era, they sure understood customer service and how to treat “guests”. That’s the way they used to treat us as “guests” not as “live cargo” as the airlines do today. This is amazing these flying boats were ultra luxurious!
I don't see what's bad about it. A transatlantic flight in 1940 cost the equivalent of $6000 today (one way!). Flying went from being something that was only for the wealthy to something that is far more accessible today, albeit by sacrificing some comfort. And if you want to be pampered, you can drop the cash for a first class ticket (and still be paying less than in the 40s adjusted for inflation).
Gave up on flying years ago when it turned into a disgusting mess.
Propeller planes took me and mom to Europe in the 1960s. The pilots let me into the cockpit as a little boy. Flying up until the 90s was tolerable. I switched to RV travel recently and stay stateside now.
Bizarre. You can fly TODAY in ultra luxury for less money first class. Better seat, food and flying timel
Well the customers back then had respect for the airline personal ... now they think they are owed everything and are rude and belligerent. Would say a different class of people but many of the travelers now have NO class !!!
I always loved flying in those days, and Pam Am was the best!
Amazing planes and great footage of the past.
So many comments! This posting was really enjoyed by many as were their comments. My Dad was sailing with Matson, Hawaii to S F at this time. Aloha nui to all.
My father worked for Pan Am from the early 1930's to mid 1950's. He had many a story about his trips form SF to Honolulu. He started out as a shipping manager then ended up as an executive who was responsible for opening offices across Japan and China. He said the China Clippers got all the glory but the PBYs where the work horses.
Lovely film. Loved the romance of it all. Gentler more civil times.
Thank you for showing this film. Loved seeing the majestic planes and scenery from a bygone era. Everything seemed so much nicer then😢
The ceiling height is amazing. Table Service. And time to enjoy it. Civilised. Today we fly in cattle trucks.
But nowadays average people can fly, back then probably only the wealthy types.
True...but I got to Hawaii in less than 5 hours for 300 bucks round trip.
Those were the days. When people had style and manners. Everything is clean and organized and functioning. Watching films frome these days back then I can't help but thinking that society is regressing with an alarming speed.
You are viewing air travel from a time when the people who could afford to fly could also afford style and manners. Do you know what a trans-Pacific flight on a Boeing 314 cost? The average flight from L.A. to Boston in 1941 was worth $4,539.24 per person in today’s money, and it would have taken 15 hours and 15 minutes with 12 stops along the way. Postwar, when air travel expanded to include more of the hoi polloi, meant that it changed along with everything else. Going back is not an option. Oh, and welcome to 2024!
@@mencken8 "Going back" is absolutely an option. There is (just for example) NO need for 18-20 year old kids fresh out of high school flying around the world just for fun, because "that's what people do". Flying is pure luxury ... and people should get used to the actual worth and costs of things ... and especially how much WORK it takes until you can AFFORD such luxury.
@@ulrichschnier307 I’m afraid I don’t see how this applies to my point, which had nothing to do with younger people flying. The postwar revolution in air travel was fueled by the war itself, and unstoppable. First there were the dozens of airports with long runways built during the war to accommodate the fleets of heavy bombers, perfect for large passenger planes. Second, there was the jet engine, also a product of that war, which made air travel much faster and more reliable. Third, a rising standard of living which lent time and disposable income to pursue leisure travel. Fourth, of course, the expansion and exploitation of oil reserves worldwide, making cheap fuel available. Given these things, the result was predictable, and resulted in a “golden age” of air travel and tourism, at least numerically. I’m guessing that time is coming to an end, but what will replace it I neither know nor care, since I won’t be around to see it. But I’m completely sure there will be no return to the past. History doesn’t repeat itself, people just repeat certain behaviors.
@@ulrichschnier307 am with you,bro!
Sir, this is a commercial
Ken Follet's Night Over Water uses a clipper for its setting and what a story!
I've read it!
My grandmother was one of the first stewardesses. She said that in the days before radar they had to circle in foggy conditions forever. She wasn't in the greatest marriage either.
Modern travel is not romantic like it was in the days of PAN AM. In those days, the flight itself was part of the adventure. You could stroll casually about the cabin, play a round of cards or have a Mai Tai. Smoking and talking with fellow passengers was a thing, although we don't do the smoking bit anymore. It was all a relaxed and comfortable experience. In other words, the journey was just as enjoyable as the vacation itself. In the modern era, the journey is quick but devoid of any class or style.
have a look at the videos of Etihad's The Residence. Absolutely loaded with class and style.
If you had the money for it. And it was a LOT of money.
It’s all a trade off. Flying today is much faster, much cheaper, and much safer. If you still want to pay thru the nose you can go first class though how luxurious that is depends a lot on the airline. First class on USA airlines is McDonald’s compared to some Asian ones.
And much less dangerous!@@Sashazur
Because you are flying in economy class. Ive been lucky to be able to fly business / first class since I turned 19. Fully paid by my parents, and now paying these trips myself.
This is absolutely fantastic!!!
"Will that be smoking or no smoking, ma'am ? "
" Actually you know what, I prefer to smoke at the dinner table "
Fantastic! Just wish there were more interior shots beyond the dining area. Glad to see a little bit of the cockpit.
These are stage sets, not actual aircraft interiors.
“Ultra-modern terminals.” It does look lovely by comparison. I never realized those flying boats were that large.
Those are Howard Hughes flying boats. It all came from his work and vision.
Actually,those flying boats were built by Sikorsky, Martin, and Boeing. The plane featured here is a Boeing 314 Clipper. Howard Hughes was responsible for the Lockheed Constellation. His only flying boat was the Hughes H-1 which people nicknamed the spruce Goose. It only flew once in 1947.
I love the charting and navigation during that time.
Such elegance. In 1940 people dressed better for the beach than a lot of people dress for work today. I love vintage films for the glimpses of the fashions.
That flight was 13,000 $ adjusted for today's money and yet the comment section is full of people who complain that people dressed better for air traveling 😅 No sh*t sherlock....given that the only ones traveling back then were the ultra rich.
I highly recommend going through thrift store and estate sales I also happen to know a lot of the older people at my church and they have given me some of their old clothes they couldn't fit into anymore I look like I'm out of a retro magazine while the youngins charge 35$ for a pair of vintage looking cheap glasses online
I have the real thing from the 50s and I got it for free can't be beat having old people as your friends their also way more lit than people generally think 😂
My sentiments exactly.
@@thegreatujothanks for putting it into perspective. A fair chunk of change there.
I remember reading that the entire round trip to China cost double the average salary in 1940. @@thegreatujo
We were such a civil, well mannered society back then.
Great color footage from the 1940s!
MORE FOOTAGE OF MY FAVOURITE PLANE. Love the B-314. I love watching it fly :3
I'm 62. I've always wished I lived back in the 50s but looking at this from the '40s it introduced America to such a diverse world they have not seen before
I love these old Hawaii videos!
I genuinely believe if someone was dedicated they could make a modern version of these and operate successfully. It would have to be the full package like a cruise line but as long as they priced it like a luxury cruise it would work.
If it matched the best first class experience you can get now and flew you straight to some kind of super luxurious remote seaside resort then I could see this. But you probably wouldn’t want to bring back the 3x longer flight times and having to land several times to refuel!
@@Sashazur and flying THROUGH weather rather OVER it. Not showing the effects of hours of turbulence on those gourmet meals
I would do it, just to play some Goony golf!
@@sledawgpilot Yes I forgot to mention that, these old flights were at much lower altitudes and therefore encountered a lot more turbulence.
They took dedicated and involved training to fly. Pilots were relieved when they were retired. Amazingly there were relatively few accidents and emergency landings, only one resulting in loss of life
All of 200MPH WOW! I try to imagine those times and this is a great help !! Thanks for putting this up.
These leviathans cruised at around 150 MPH and were woefully underpowered.
Boston born 1960, we'd pledge allegiance to the United States of America every morning to start school, hand over heart, WW2 effects were still very strong, American pride was huge, watching this great story reminds me of the past America. God bless America 🇺🇸
Pretty haunting to hear past tense used throughout to describe scenes that had been filmed just a year or two earlier, because the world depicted had already vanished and been replaced by the horrors of WWII.
The "huge Atlantic base in New York" at 1:12 is the Marine Terminal at La Guardia Field. It's been repurposed, but it's still there.
Thank you. I was wondering where that was. Didn't realize these planes all took off and landed on water.
That tells you a lot. I was fortunate enough to get to fly to Hawaii in 1973. There were no hula girls at the Airport, and the flowers were fake. It was really something. Hawaii is so beautiful. I am jealous of the people who can afford to live there.
The first time I flew to Hawaii was in the 1990s and they gave us real flower leis when we landed. That was the first and last time that ever happened!
I flew to HI in 1975. We had a real orchid on our lunch plate. The snacks were macadamia nuts and the whole terminal was decorated Polynesian style, complete with Hawaiian music. The flight attendants wore Hawaiian attire and there was more room in coach back then, then there is in first class today! The 747, what an experience!
Thank God Pan AM established these bases before ww2 started, saved a lot of time and lives
Lol
You might want to acquaint yourself with Magellan, cook, et al
The same major waypoints were identified and developed during the 1600s
Spanish galleons were making annual circuits between phillipines and Mexico, and Mexico to Spain (spanish main, right?)
We grabbed Hawaii as a coaling station after we nabbed all the pacific asia terrorities from spain
Shell oil (one of the 7 sisters) was created from the major Dutch Indonesia oil fields before 1910
These fields were the real target of the japanese. They attacked Singapore and pearl to neutralize the brits and us navies
Wake, Guam, Manila and Hong Kong were taken by the Japanese very early in the war and other than Wake were retaken at enormous cost to the United States military. There were civilian contractors working for PAA on Wake when the Japanese attacked, and few of them survived captivity.
I was waiting to board a plane once and an old lady in a wheel chair who was waiting next to me leaned over and said "flying used to be so much more comfortable back in the day". Now I see what she meant!
Except flights were a lot longer - and being at lower altitude, were much more likely to have turbulence. The engines were usually noisier too.
@@Sashazur Cry me a goddamn river. What's your stupid goal here again, to teach us about an era you were never apart of. God, just say it already, just say that you can't stand anything nice being said about this era 🖕🖕🖕
Just Fantastic! God Bless Juan Tripp!
Soothing to watch. Enjoyed video greatly.
Amazed at how they got off the ground with that much weight in mail and crew, very spacious such a shame there not around today
Incredible engineering feat….but I don’t think I’d have the guts to fly on one…especially over miles of open ocean!
@@jamesmack3314at least you could land safely in the ocean and send out distress signals
@@mcshaz914 land safely in the ocean….therein lies the problem
@@jamesmack3314 there can be problems from landing, but I do feel more assure that it is capable landing in water bodies and call help
Hawaii sure will make a fine state someday!
As a boy in the 40s, my father was taken to Newark airport on outings just to watch the planes and the scene.
ME Too it was Perfect ORD and Cost nothing. Unreal like 10 years old then.
Same thing here, but Chicago Midway in the 60's - there was a free open air viewing deck on the terminal roof - right in the city, buildings right up to the runways. Airport still there, cool and unique.
Absolutely LOVED this!
Fascinating footage. Thanks for sharing :)
I've done the LA to Hawaii crossing many times starting in 1973. I flew from Taiwan to LA (18.5 hours) in first class because I got thrown up on by the lady next to me. I smelled a little funny but it was a great flight. Slept like a baby.
I always like the history of the Pan Am clipper ship and all the beautiful countries and all the supplies they took and the people who flew with the pilots I 1940
Pity they're still not runnin, its not all about getting yesterday! Nice 1 Periscope!
Excellent video . I remember the old PAA terminal at Dinner Key.
when flying was an expensive adventure but 1st Class in every single bit !!
A classic that has influenced travellers and tourists ever since. A great shame, Lockerbie and its influence on Panam. Thanks for the video, a part of history. Rmb5*
The heyday of our ancestors! It's great to see and yet so disturbing to see the path we've chosen.
The path we chose means flying is accessible to far more people because it’s so much cheaper. It’s also much safer and faster. It’s a worthwhile trade off.
All of this less than forty years after the Wright Brothers and their earliest flights. Have to appreciate too the advances in engine technology in such a relatively short time.
I was the last civilian (completely by random) to cross that eastern span of the SF bay bridge shown in the film before it was replaced
The interior scenes on the aircraft are sooo shot in a sound stage!
This version was released in early 1942, when the Second World War postponed civilian flights to Hawaii (and other overseas destinations)- as noted at 2:17 - until after the war ended.
Yeah OK, the '1940' title date seemed dubious to me.
Right
I am thinking the surge of military personnel during the war more than made up for the lost revenues from a few flights a week
I'm not sure HOW much of a profit Pan Am made from the military for transportation of military personnel........
Thanks. Title mentions 1940 but then they mention December 1941 early on.
I also note that the narrator uses the past tense a lot as he describes the way things use to be.
By the time you get through TSA, and all the other stuff, it takes just as long to get to Hawaii now as it did in 1940.😅
I hope everyone understands the "cabin" shots were filmed on a movie set on dry land.That doesn't take away from the sheer civility and luxury that those travelers experienced
Yeah, too bad. Would love to see the interior from that time period in actual use.
No different from today’s shooting of commercials.
Well thanks for spoiling my viewing experience, Dougy downer. Lol!
I hope for world peace. To each their own.
It was my impression as I viewed what looked like a house room.
What a wonderful travel log. By no means as fast as todays air travel it sure was a great way over long distances for comfort. And those islands suffered great damage and destruction in only a short year too. History lesson as I thought Midway Island was named as it was halfway across the Pacific Ocean.
They were basically flying luxury hotels. The cost to fly one way from San Francisco to Hong Kong in 1940 was $760 - nearly $15,000 today.
Wow $15,000 makes sense with a dozen flight crew plus all the other onboard staff, never mind all the fuel that would be burnt up in five days. For The wealthy only!
You find some great film keep it up.
THANK YOU FROM FAR ROCKAWAY NEW YORK
The old days flying were so good.
11:23 The fact they would take Sextant readings at night and day showed these men were truly Navigators in every sense of the word.
Fascinating. Would love to have seen those engines up close.
B-29 has FOUR Big Ones..Flew one !!
I fit in somewhere between this and now... Sydney to London in 1971 was nearly 48 hours... I was 6 at the time...
8000 ft in the sky! Must have been pretty bumpy flying in that weather!
I flew a lot in my life (as a passenger, in addition to being a pilot myself)..but the degradation between even 1970's flights and today's, are barely comparable. In the days of 'you could smoke on passenger aircraft', you also had about 6-inches more leg room, wider seats, very polite service, better (and more frequent) service...and we won't even talk about 'much more-accurate schedules'. By comparison, today you are paying high rates to be packed into a 'cattle car' and trucked from point-A to point-B. As for rates, well, no one ever points out that fuel is the BIG price-driver for airlines, so if fuel is high, so are tickets. If fuel stays pegged at some fixed percentage of 'mean income', then the tickets will also stay relatively stable...and airfare is ALWAYS equal to rail and MAYBE 5% more than driving. If a flight is 'in-country' and less than 3-hours in length, you are NORMALLY better off to just drive it, anymore...because you don't get the 'tour', you don't get the 'friendly service'...just 'shut up, sit down, get this over with'...fly with a private pilot sometime, and understand 'what was' versus 'what is'...it will really wake you up!
Yep, since the 1970s, most things about flying have gone backwards. Worse comfort, worse service, worse food (if you even can get any), worse and slower airport experience because of the mostly useless security. And the flights aren’t any faster, in fact they are often slower to save fuel. But flying is much safer, and cheaper.
I wish I could of taken that trip
have
‘could have’, not ‘could of’. Sorry, it’s a pet peeve.
The Pan Am terminal and even better the TWA terminal at Kennedy airport were special places to start one's trip.
I’m old enough to remember the TWA terminal at JFK. Now it’s a cool retro hotel and I would love to stay there!
I would have enjoyed visiting these lands before the more modern world took over and in many ways ruined it. Yes we have improved in many ways but we have lost something as well. Anyway, I really enjoyed this post. Thank you.
Very few places on the globe have not been changed by human actions. Good or bad the world will not return to days of old.
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@@efromhb unless
Indeed. The previous century, despite World War II and other wars, was just the most fantastic time to be alive. Since the turn of the century, because of capitalism and the demise of morality, the world has been in a downward spiral from which, sadly, it will never recover.
@@wouterswanepoel5753 What's your suggested replacement for capitalism?
They were quite the sight on Sydney Harbour !
Has a wonderful view of Alcatraz.
Sometimes I think that the slower travel method is really best...the ritual of departing, living, sleeping and arriving brings a better sense of how far you have traveled vs. the fastest way to get there and worn out seems a cheap alternative.
Except you were on the plane three times as long, at a much lower altitude with way more turbulence.
Imagine the turbulence at 8,000 feet, and the noise. This onboard scenes aren't realistic.
Was a magical time in aviation. The good that came from WWII mostly was in the form of aircraft development. It would have eventually happened, just not as rapidly.
I have to chuckle at the voice over -- voice over nothing. The engines back then were LOUD... their vibration very noticeable.
There was only one-class of ticket: 1st Class -- with an epic price tag to match.
It was MAIL that made the flight viable. For the times, this was Priority Mail + FedEx.
The war changed aircraft technology so fast that the post-war world was utterly different.
Sea planes couldn't compete.
Here's something neat - the nominal price of air travel has grown by less than one percent per annum since the 1940s. My family and I came out to Australia in 1969 and one of us found a site that listed the cost of air fares back then and found that it was around $900 per person, not far off the $1200 pp you might pay today off peak. What has changed is that $900 in 1969 was a LOT more than it is today.
Although you didn't need an airport for a flying boat, a flying boat supposedly had to be built heavier to be able to withstand landing on water. And anyway, you had to have the water.
Be that as it may be, I wonder whatever happened to them after they went out of service. And also, when the last commercial flying boat flew a route.
@@kennethquesenberry2610 Some of the smaller intermediate sized planes could land on water or runways... One of the advantages of flying boats, was that it is impossible to destroy their 'runways'.... Another advantage they had is they could land in the middle of the ocean in case of an emergency onboard, and no problem, a ship of repair people could be sent with parts and personnel to repair it... If it was a civilian flight, that plane could safely off-load it's passengers and their luggage onto a ship passing by, to get them to safety...Another HUGE military advantage they had , was they could land in the middle of the ocean and transfer fuel to or from another ocean vessel, and greatly extend it's range by doing that... Several of those advantages are exclusive to flying ships/boats...
@@kennethquesenberry2610 I saw some other RUclips video documentary about the Clippers, and in the comments, someone asked what Air museum can he go to, to see one of the Boeing flying boats, and he said "none", they were all scrapped. He didn't say why. What a terrible thing to do. I think in his video, that there were other US airlines that bought these Airplanes besides Pan AM. I think one was TWA. I don't remember what the title of video was. It was like a good documentary of the Airplanes. 🙂
@@brucebillington8336 There are a few flying boats still in existence, although I don't know if any are the big Boeings. The Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia (part of the Smithsonian) has two flying boats. One is a Grumman Goose, which is a relatively small airplane. It also has a Sikorsky JRS-1, a larger airplane, but not the size of the old Boeings. But both of those are real flying boats. There are also two or three floatplanes.
I grew up in a small town in West Virginia that was at least big enough to have an airfield. Not an airport, just an airfield with a gravel runway. It was just privately owned aircraft that operated from there. One of the airplanes was a flying boat! Don't know what it was but it had a distinctive body, and a single engine behind the cabin, mounted up high. That was in the 1950s. Somewhere I have a small photo taken probably at Virginia Beach, probably around WWI, give or take a few years, based on how people are dressed. The photo is about 3x3 inches. I happened to notice that out in the water was a seaplane of some sort, I think a biplane, but the photo is poor, yet pretty interesting.
If I could go back in time to the 1930s, I would fly a Boeing Clipper to Honolulu and stay at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
Perhaps I shall still do one of those things. :)
Halekulani hotel is older than the Royal Hawaiian and, in my opinion, much better. Best view of Diamond Head and the best beach side entertainment (music and hula). Not to mention FREE valet parking. That will cost you $15 bucks just to park at the Royal with less of a view and not very good entertainment.
If I had a time machine that time is where I will be
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These trans-pacific took longer than today’s flights but look so much more comfortable and enjoyable- unless you have the $, or more likely the mileage status to fly first class. If not, then it’s just an endurance contest.
That was really good
What a cool film !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That pineapple harvester is now rotting just behind the botanical gardens at the Dole property. Pretty cool.
Beautiful Old Philippines!
What a romantic way of travelling. The best lifestyle is back in that day, we all dreamed about.
In the Movie “Wake Island”, Marines Robert Preston and William Bendix race to reach a glass ball in netting floating towards shore. I didn’t know the attraction that they were from Japan Fishers.
I love propeller planes. Wish I could have flown on a clipper.
They were very noisy and rough, nothing like today's turboprops. The constant vibrations and droning sound was very irritating and made sleep difficult. They flew at low altitude so turbulence was a huge factor. Pan Am forgot to mention this in their infomercial.
Great film about the early days of exotic tourist travel. This was not getting on a ship but flying there is a few days. $$$$
I was so sorry to see Pan Am lose it's way with jet planes and unable to adapt to the new competition.
Lockerbie is what killed PanAm.
The CEO of Pan Am was overheard referring to economy class travelers as cattle. I think they lost a lot of business because of that.
they also got into some trouble with the faa, didnt help either
A Plane CRASHED so U go Broke Paying for that..
@@paulnicholson1906Other airlines have survived multiple major crashes. I think Pan Am was already struggling and Lockerbie was the final straw.
Not too much about the clipper but it is what it is.
I would love to live in that time (apart from the upcoming war of course) and experience the clipper and others like her.
That wonderfully smooth video of the surfers in Hawaii must have been achieved using the chickenhead S8000