Episode 51: Crossing the Atlantic in 1939 and Making History Once More

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In this episode we explore the first transatlantic passenger flights of Pan Am’s Boeing 314 flying boats in the late 1930s and we welcome back to the program Pan Am flight attendant and author Becky Sprecher who will share her insights -and family history– of these flying clippers!

Becky was our guest in Episode 7: Flying the Line and Episode 29 AIDS Epidemic of the 1980s, Remembering Those We Lost.

To learn more about Pan Am’s flying boats, listen to Episode 3: Flying Boats, Irish Coffee, and a Hollywood Star and Episode 8: A Lifetime of Romantic Adventure... From Flying Boats to Jumbo Jets after listening to this installment.

On March 29, 1939, the Yankee Clipper made history and took off from Baltimore to Europe under the command of Captain Harold Gray. On this inspection flight, the clipper traveled to the Azores, Lisbon, Marseilles, Southampton, and Foynes and back. 

On June 17, 1939, Pan American arranged for a special flight for 16 members of the press departing from Port Washington on the Atlantic Clipper; a brilliant marketing and public relations strategy for the airline. This press flight is historically and culturally significant because the radio reporters on board reported live at an altitude of 10,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean to listeners all over the country tuned into their radio sets with great interest.

The cost for a one-way ticket to Europe was $375 (that’s about $8,500 in 2024 money adjusted for inflation) or $675 roundtrip (which is over $15,000 today).

There are no original Boeing 314 flying boats in existence today. However, the Foynes Flying Boat Museum in Foynes, Ireland ahs an impressive full-scale replica of the Yankee Clipper you can tour with every detail accurately recreated. 

The Records of Pan American World Airways Inc. are part of the Special Collections of the Richter Library of the University of Miami.

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A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!