"PAN AM HISTORICAL FOUNDATION'S MISSION ...To preserve and promote the unique heritage of Pan American World Airways, Inc. and its incomparable contributions to the technology, convenience, safety and excitement of commercial aviation."
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New Content:
We started with Pan Am Places, a popular feature of our website that continues to expand, and recently added a new section Pan Am People which we anticipate will be just as interesting to our viewers. See our first entry for Pan Am visionary Juan T. Trippe.
Will the Pan Am series find a new home? Although cancelled by ABC on May 11th, there's speculation that the series may end up on cable. And way over the horizon are rumors of a broadcast documentary in the works. For updates link to PAHF's Pan Am series page.
Take a look at our new section: "Ground School" connecting you with resources to educate and encourage everyone of any age who wants to learn more about the science and technology of flight.
Check out Letters & Comments, featuring correspondence for and about the Foundation from PAHF members and others.
Pan Am People:
Juan T. Trippe
Juan Trippe (r) talks with Boeing test pilot Tex Johnston, 1955
The annals of commercial air transportation are filled with illustrious names – some are still known to generations born long after the actual individuals have passed on.
But it’s no exaggeration to say that one individual truly belongs in a class by himself. Had there never been a Juan Terry Trippe, the whole evolution of the air transport system we take so much for granted now would have been very different.
Take jets, for example. In the mid-1950’s virtually all airline decision-makers – that is, all but Pan Am’s Juan Trippe - were contemplating an easy and gradual transition from the proven and reliable fleets of piston driven airplanes they were still buying, to the eventual use of turbine-powered planes. But Trippe saw an opportunity no one else could visualize. It was assumed that the future was going to mean jet travel for the masses someday, but only he could see that future was only two or three years away. .
Never mind that the spectacular failure of the first generation British Comet jet transport (beautiful, but fatally flawed) had left the world deeply skeptical of the future for civilian jet transports. By dint of his commanding vision, business acumen, persuasive personality, and not least his gambler’s risk-tolerance, Juan Trippe re-ordered the universe of commercial air transport. Boeing’s Bill Allen and Donald Douglas were artfully maneuvered into creating stunning new jet airplanes to match Trippe’s vision for Pan American and in short order, the rest of the world’s air carriers were forced to follow his lead. Before the ‘50’s were over, there was a new standard for air travel – years ahead of what had been previously accepted as state of the art. The “jet-age” 1960’s would simply not have been without Juan Trippe.
This is only a single example of what Juan Trippe meant to the world. His accomplishments and historical stature deserve a wealth of informational resources, and to that end we are pleased to provide these links to sources that point to his life and accomplishments.
John Leslie, Pioneer Aeronautical Engineer and “Brilliant Administrator”
by Peter Leslie
John Leslie boards the China Clipper in 1935
My father worked for Pan Am from 1929 to 1970 and, for a time, was Juan Trippe’s probable successor until he was stricken with polio. He left me boxes of his personal Pan Am papers and memorabilia. For years historians have contacted me seeking information on the early days of international commercial aviation.
Two years ago I “holed up” and read every word: letters, memos, technical documents, news clippings, speeches and memoirs. What emerged was my book “Aviation’s Quiet Pioneer,” available on Amazon, and a personal view of my father that was new to me.
My father majored in Art and Archeology. He compiled an extraordinary two volume architectural history of the ancient world. After immersing himself in the distant past, he enrolled in 1926 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to get a degree in the emerging field of aeronautical engineering, an abrupt shift of gears.
My father described himself as a decent engineer, but more interested in hands-on applications than in theory. He was as proud of his qualification as Aircraft Engine and Aircraft Mechanic as he was of his two MIT degrees. He could go out on to the shop floor and strip down an engine. Juan Trippe described him as having “developed the engineering technique for long range flight which made possible the first commercial air service across the Pacific.”
Historical Donations to PAHF
In more than six decades operating around the world, Pan American World Airways touched countless lives, and left an enduring legacy. With the passage of time, many tangible artifacts and other items of historical interest related to the airline have taken on increased significance. The Pan Am Historical Foundation is always keenly interested in identifying and preserving additional memorabilia, and written and visual documentation that can provide insight into Pan Am's heritage. Click here for more details.
The Clipper, March 2012
Vol. 18, No. 1, March 2012
Table of contents:
Pan Am horde to invade Monaco by air, land, or sea
World Wings’ Renate Van Kempema climbs Kilimanjaro for CARE
Searchers find C-47 that crashed in the Himalayas 69 years ago
Pilots have brains. Computers don’t.
Flying is safer than ever; statistics say so
The more things change.....
Pan Am’s haute cuisine; praised to the high heavens
World Wings float; another Pan Am first (prize)
