Pan American initiated trans-Pacific airmail service on 22 November 1935, and began carrying passengers in October 1936. When we think of Clipper service, we usually focus on passengers. Pan Am made half of its annual revenues from the carriage of mail. The flying boat service between San Francisco Bay & Manila Bay required about 60 hours of flying time over 6 days, with intermediate stops at Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, and Guam. In 1939, a ticket from San Francisco to Honolulu cost $278 one way.
The Clipper 314s had a lounge & dining area, galleys were crewed by chefs from 4 star hotels. Pan Am Boeing 314 Clippers brought exotic destinations to air travelers and represented the romance & luxury of flight. Pan Am provided service along recently impossible routes. Although Pan Am used airports when it could, there were more bays than airports, they used flying boats such as the Clipper and float planes heavily. Only 12 were produced. World War II brought an end to established routes. After the start of the war, U.S. military took over Pan Am’s eleven Martin M-130's and Boeing B 314's.
Clippers could carry 74 passengers, cargo, and mail over 3,500-mile hops. Boeing had previously built the XB-15, which was heavier than the later B-17. Boeing responded to Pan Am’s needs by adapting the 150 foot wing of the XB-15 and the engine nacelles to an enormous flying boat body. Using new Wright 1,500 hp and later 1,600 hp Twin Cyclone engines, the 314A was able to carry this enormous bulk at cruising speeds of 188 mph. Copy provided by Dolly Ozols Dolly.Ozols@LocationsHawaii.com 808 209 4444
The flight from San Francisco to Manila took six hops. The big jump was the flight between San Francisco and Honolulu. This 2,400-mile flight was roughly a thousand miles longer than other routes. Even with Boeing Clippers, overnight flying was unavoidable. Due to the long distance of this flight, even the Boeing Clippers only carried about 25 passengers and limited their speeds to between 135 and 144 mph. On other legs, the Boeing Clipper could carry 74 passengers with cruising speeds as high as 188 mph. Night flying was hazardous because aircraft could fly into unseen storms. Consequently, only the Honolulu–San Francisco leg used overnight flying.
The flight from San Francisco to Manila took six hops. The big jump was the flight between San Francisco and Honolulu. This 2,400-mile flight was roughly a thousand miles longer than other routes. Even with Boeing Clippers, overnight flying was unavoidable. Due to the long distance of this flight, even the Boeing Clippers only carried about 25 passengers and limited their speeds
to between 135 and 144 mph. On other legs, the Boeing Clipper could carry 74 passengers with cruising speeds
as high as 188 mph. Night flying was hazardous because aircraft could fly into unseen storms. Consequently,
only the Honolulu –San Francisco leg used overnight flying.
Excerpts from Pacific Aviation Museum and Wikipedia.
