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December 13, 2018 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Clippers

“From the earliest colonial days, ship-building has been a favorite industry in America. The first vessel built within the present limits of the United States was the Virginia, a pinnace of thirty tons, constructed in 1601 by the Popham colonists”.

In the year 1668, the ship-building in New England, small as it may now seem, had become sufficiently important … of 1332 vessels registered as built In New England between 1674 and 1714, no less than 239 were built and sold to merchants abroad.”

“(T)he American vessels showed a marked superiority in point of speed over British men-of-war and merchant ships during (the American Revolution and War of 1812)”. Then came the clipper ship.

“The origin of the word clipper is not quite clear, though it seems to be derived from the verb clip, which in former times meant, among other things, to run or fly swiftly.”

“The word survived in the New England slang expressions ‘to clip it’ and ‘going at a good clip,’ or ‘a fast clip,’ are familiar expressions there to this day.”

“It therefore seems reasonable to suppose that when vessels of a new model were built, which were intended, in the language of the times, to clip over the waves rather than plough through them, the improved type of craft become known as clippers because of their speed.” (Clark)

The Clipper ship, generally either a schooner or a brigantine, was a classic sailing ship of the 19th century, renowned for its beauty, grace, and speed.

“The Clipper Ship Era began in 1843 as a result of growing demand for a more rapid delivery of tea from China (and) continued under the stimulating influence of the discovery of gold in California and Australia in 1849 and 1851”. (Clark)

Fast forward, and a new clipper made the scene across the Pacific – the flying boat. The flying boat dominated international airline service in the 1920s and 1930s.

As airplane travel became popular, Pan American Airlines asked for a long-range, four-engine flying boat. Pan Am chief Juan Trippe called the airplanes ‘clippers’ to link his airline with the maritime heritage of the world’s great ocean liners. (Pacific Aviation Museum)

In October, 1931, Pan Am introduced the Sikorsky S-40, the first American Clipper. When it began to fly, record after record was broken for performance in the air. (Horvat)

At the beginning of the decade, flying across oceans was a life-risking experience. However, beginning in 1936, Pan Am began to fly across the Pacific. (Pacific Aviation Museum)

On November 22, 1935, Postmaster General James A Farley and Mr Juan Trippe ordered Pilot Musick, commanding Pan Am’s China Clipper, to take off on the first airmail flight, by way of Hawai‘i and the other islands, on to its Manila destination.

Twenty thousand spectators were on hand to watch festivities at Alameda (on San Francisco Bay), all eyes on the immense silver airplane. They saw an estimated 110,000 pieces of mail weighing nearly two tons being stowed on board. (hawaii-gov)

First to make the Pacific crossings by way of Hawaii and other islands, through the years Pan American steadily increased its world services.

The first Martin Clippers were augmented in 1941 by larger Boeing Clippers. On November 16, 1945, Pan Am resumed commercial operations with their Boeing Clippers which had been leased to the Navy during the war. (Horvat)

Passenger numbers on a clipper depended on fuel needs and cargo–air mail and packages had priority. Usually only eight or nine passengers (sometimes fewer) flew on the long mainland-Hawaii hop. The clippers flew one trip a week in each direction.

“Her interior was like that of no other airplane,” reported journalist H. R. Ekins. “Her lounge… would seat 16 persons comfortably, leaving plenty of space in which to walk about.” The seaplane seemed to him “as roomy as the [airship] Hindenburg and as steady as a rock.”

The main cabin also served as a dining room. “It was a conventional supper–grapefruit, celery and olives, soup, steak, vegetables, salad, ice cream, cake and coffee,” wrote passenger Charles McKew Parr. “The captain acted as though we were his guests.” (Smithsonian)

The first paying passengers of the Pan American Hawaii Clipper included: Richard F. Bradley, San Francisco; Mrs. Zetta Averill, Aberdeen, WA; TF Ryan, III, San Francisco; Alfred Bennet, Hightstown, NJ; Col. Charles Bradley, Chicago; Mrs. Clara Adams, Philadelphia; and Wilbur May, Los Angeles. (hawaii-gov)

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Pan American -California Clipper' Honolulu-PP-1-5-001-1939
Pan American -California Clipper’ Honolulu-PP-1-5-001-1939
Sikorsky S-42 Clipper
Sikorsky S-42 Clipper
Sikorsky S-40. The exposed struts and wires caused Charles Lindbergh to call the plane a 'flying forest'
Sikorsky S-40. The exposed struts and wires caused Charles Lindbergh to call the plane a ‘flying forest’
Pan American Clipper afloat off seaplane ramp on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor-PP-1-7-007-April 20, 1935
Pan American Clipper afloat off seaplane ramp on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor-PP-1-7-007-April 20, 1935
Pan American Clipper on ramp being fueled-PP-1-7-002-1935
Pan American Clipper on ramp being fueled-PP-1-7-002-1935
Pan American Clipper flying over Waikiki with Diamond Head in background-PP-1-8-013-1935
Pan American Clipper flying over Waikiki with Diamond Head in background-PP-1-8-013-1935
Pan American Clipper in Middle Loch, Pearl Harbor-PP-1-8-015-1935
Pan American Clipper in Middle Loch, Pearl Harbor-PP-1-8-015-1935
Pan American Clipper afloat off Ford Island, Pearl Harbor-PP-1-7-001-1935
Pan American Clipper afloat off Ford Island, Pearl Harbor-PP-1-7-001-1935
Boeing 314 Dixie Clipper
Boeing 314 Dixie Clipper
Crowd inspecting the Pan American Clipper, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu-PP-1-7-011-April 20, 1935
Crowd inspecting the Pan American Clipper, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu-PP-1-7-011-April 20, 1935
Pan American Clipper in Pearl Harbor-PP-1-8-016-1935
Pan American Clipper in Pearl Harbor-PP-1-8-016-1935
Martin M-130 China Clipper
Martin M-130 China Clipper
Flight deck of Boeing 314
Flight deck of Boeing 314
B314-seat-map
B314-seat-map
Boeing 314 Flight Deck
Boeing 314 Flight Deck
B-314-cutaway-interior
B-314-cutaway-interior
Baltimore clipper Ann McKim
Baltimore clipper Ann McKim
The clipper Flying Cloud
The clipper Flying Cloud
The clipper ship Le-Rye-Moon, built for the opium trade
The clipper ship Le-Rye-Moon, built for the opium trade

Filed Under: Economy, General, Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks Tagged With: Aviation, Clipper, Hawaii, Pan American

April 25, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1950s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1950s – Diamond Head opens to the public, the Waikīkī Shell opens, Pan-Am jet service to the Islands and Statehood. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

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Timeline-1950s

Filed Under: Buildings, Economy, General, Place Names, Prominent People Tagged With: H-1, Hawaii, Pali, Pali Tunnels, Pan American, Statehood, Timeline, Timeline Tuesday, Waikiki Shell

April 11, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1940s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1940s – bombing of Pearl Harbor, Honolulu Marathon starts and Tripler Hospital is dedicated. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

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Timeline-1940s
Timeline-1940s

Filed Under: Buildings, Economy, General, Military, Place Names, Prominent People Tagged With: Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu Marathon, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Pan American, Pearl Harbor, Timeline, Tripler Army Medical Center

April 4, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1930s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1930s – sugar production peaks, Pan-Am Clipper service begins, Hickam Airfield is constructed, ‘Aloha Shirt’ is trademarked and Doris Duke builds Shangri La. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

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Timeline-1930s
Timeline-1930s

Filed Under: Buildings, Economy, General, Military, Prominent People Tagged With: Aloha Shirt, Doris Duke, Ellery Chun, Hawaii, Hickam, Joint-Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Pan American, Shangri La, Sugar, Timeline Tuesday

April 17, 2015 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Pan Am

The first scheduled airline in America started in January, 1914; Tony Jannus hauled one passenger 22 miles from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Florida. Losing money, the venture was discontinued after three months.

In 1925, Scadtka Air Lines was set up in Colombia by a World War I German military aviator. SAL planned to fly to Panama, Central America, Cuba and the US, transporting passengers and mail.

Under the leadership of Juan T Trippe, on October 28, 1927, competitive firms joined forces and formed Pan American Airways, Inc and began scheduled mail service between Key West and Havana. Passenger service started on January 16, 1928.

There were few aviation facilities in Latin America, only three weather stations and no aeronautical radio. A radio genius, Hugo Leuteritz joined the company in 1928, and Charles Lindbergh became the company’s Technical Director in 1929. That year, the company had four contracts, 44 multi-engine planes.

An expansion of major proportions began. Within 2-years Pan Am routes extended from Miami to Brazil and Buenos Aires, and from both Miami and Brownsville, Texas, via Central America to Panama.

Then attention was directed to the Orient. They chose a flying boat to safely and comfortably carry crew, passengers, mail and cargo, from California to the Orient and back again, over water on a regularly scheduled basis.

In October, 1931, Pan Am introduced the Sikorsky S-40 (four-engined flying boats,) the first American Clipper. Many new routes were opened by Lindbergh himself, and by then Leuteritz had completed a system-wide radio network, and equipped all aircraft with two-way radio.

Trippe put Hawaiʻi on the aviation map when he chose to use the Islands as a springboard to reach the Orient – stepping stone islands along the route upon which to light for servicing, passengers and rest. The route was fixed as San Francisco to Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam, the Philippines, and then to China.

On January 1, 1935, Trippe sent his technical staff from the east coast to San Francisco to set up a Pacific base of operations. Two months later, an expedition team set up operations and flew the route from California to China

Less than eight months, Postmaster General James A. Farley and Trippe watched the China Clipper take off on the first airmail flight, by way of Hawaiʻi and the other islands, on to its Manila destination. (Farley called it “the greatest and most significant achievement in the marvelous, fascinating development of air transportation.”

Then on April 17, 1935, the Pioneer Clipper landed in Hawaiian waters, just 17-hours and 44-minutes from its Alameda, California, starting point. The next day it headed to the Philippines and the Orient.

On October 21, 1936, Pan American initiated regular six-day weekly passenger service between San Francisco and Manila via Honolulu.

In 1940 the world’s first pressurized airliner, Boeing 307 Stratoliner brought new, fast service to Latin America, augmented by new Douglas DC-3As throughout Latin America, Alaska, and China.

At the time of Pearl Harbor, Pan American operated on 88,500-route miles, serving 52 countries and had 8,750 employees, with 162 aircraft, 192 radio/weather stations and 300 airports. (During the WWII, Pan Am operated many services for the military and other branches of the government.)

In the postwar era, expansion resumed.

Pan Am re-opened its Pacific and Atlantic routes; and on June 17, 1947, Pan Am opened a new Round-the-World schedule, followed by the new ‘Jet Era’ in October 1958. The 747, a new ‘wide-body,’ started in 1970.

The 1970s soon brought major increases in fuel prices. Deregulation brought increased competition. At the same time, Pan American made a bid to link the United States and Japan via Alaska, by passing Hawaii in a “modernization of the Pacific air structure.”

In rapid succession, Pan American’s 50th anniversary on November 22, 1985 of their first flight across the Pacific was followed by the announcement of the sale of their routes west of the Islands to United Airlines and then the sudden closing of all operations in Hawaiʻi on April 26, 1986.

The tragedy of Lockerbie (the Scottish town where Pan Am flight 103 crashed following a terrorist bomb attack on December 21, 1988) was Pan Am’s deathblow. Pan Am was forced to declare bankruptcy on January 8, 1991 and ceased operations on December 4, 1991. (Lots of information here from hawaii-gov, Pan Am and Banning)

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vintage_airline_flight_bag
vintage_airline_flight_bag
Crowds in Hawaii inspect the Pan American Clipper air giant. April 20, 1935
Crowds in Hawaii inspect the Pan American Clipper air giant. April 20, 1935
Commercial air service to Hawaii inaugurated on April 20, 1935 - Pioneer Clipper
Commercial air service to Hawaii inaugurated on April 20, 1935 – Pioneer Clipper
China_Clipper-at_Dock
China_Clipper-at_Dock
Library of Hawaii and Pan American Airways books to Midway and Wake Islands-June 1936
Library of Hawaii and Pan American Airways books to Midway and Wake Islands-June 1936
China_Clipper
China_Clipper
China_Clipper_at_Dock
China_Clipper_at_Dock
Pan Am Clipper
pioneer-post-05-19-1945-060-a-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
pioneer-post-05-19-1945-060-a-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-12-28-1942-045-M3-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-12-28-1942-045-M3-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-12-07-1962-064-a-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-09-17-1956-043-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-09-17-1956-043-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-09-15-1958-028-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-09-15-1958-028-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-08-31-1953-000-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-08-31-1953-000-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-04-21-1967-053-a-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-time-04-21-1967-053-a-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-si-01-12-1959-030-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-si-01-12-1959-030-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-life-10-13-1941-997-M-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-life-10-13-1941-997-M-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-life-10-04-1963-070-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-life-10-04-1963-070-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-life-05-19-1958-059-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
panam-life-05-19-1958-059-M5-Gogd_tjs-labs_com
PanAM_Airline_Fleet_Chart
PanAM_Airline_Fleet_Chart
Pan_Am-707-at_Honolulu_Airport
Pan_Am-707-at_Honolulu_Airport
Pan Am-Ad
Pan Am-Ad
hawaii-by-clipper
hawaii-by-clipper
Pan Am bag
Pan Am bag

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: Hawaii, Pan American

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Images of Old Hawaiʻi

People, places, and events in Hawaiʻi’s past come alive through text and media in “Images of Old Hawaiʻi.” These posts are informal historic summaries presented for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes.

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