From San Francisco to Honolulu.

A bit of history.

 

Pan Am's Fabled Gateway to The Pacific

 

In 1935 Pan American Airways bridged the world’s biggest ocean, reaching out across eight thousand miles of the Pacific linking North America with Asia regularly by air for the first time. The accomplishment was magnificent but the original U.S. terminal for the route was anything but. The China Clipper and her two sister Martin M-130 flying boats came and went from a man-made harbor constructed from the rusting hulks of decommissioned navy destroyers at Alameda Island on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. The on-shore facilities were just simple structures adequate to the task of handling a handful of passengers on the once-per-week schedule (after passenger service commenced in October 1936), along with the all-important sacks of airmail, which thanks to government airmail subsidies had higher priority.

 

There was a lot of civic energy in the air in mid-1930's San Francisco - constructive and otherwise. The Depression was making life tough for a lot of people. The city had experienced a cathartic and violent general strike in 1934. But there were tangible symbols of what a better future might bring too. Two magnificent bridges were under construction: the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the even more spectacular Golden Gate Bridge. Civic leaders decided to boost San Francisco's up-and-coming image even further with a world's fair. And to add utility to the concept, (and get Federal dollars committed to the project) the plan called for an intermodal airport on the proposed 400-acre man-made island that would be the site of the fair.

 

Within sight of Pan Am's Alameda base, just north of Yerba Buena Island (also known as Goat Island) was a shallow area known as Yerba Buena Shoals. This maritime navigation hazard would be transformed into the site of the world's fair, officially known as the Golden Gate International Exposition. Work began in 1937, with a bulwark being driven into the shallow depths to form the island's perimeter. Massive amounts of rock and sand scooped up from the Bay were dumped into the enclosure, to be topped off with thousands of tons of topsoil to complete what would be known as "Treasure Island" in a tip of the hat to California's gold rush past.

 

Absolutely integral to the plan was Pan American's new flying boat terminal, consisting of two large hangars and a magnificent terminal building. This development was in keeping with the future plans of the airline. It was obvious from the early days of the transpacific service that the Martin M-130 flying boats, as advanced as they were in 1935, would soon need to be augmented with aircraft that could carry more payload and fly farther. In 1936, Pan Am signed a contract with Boeing Aircraft for six new flying boats, the Boeing B-314's. It was these aircraft - with three more added later - that would really showcase the Treasure Island base.

 

Treasure Island was a joint project of the Federal WPA, PWA, the City of San Francisco, and private funds. The US Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the engineering of the island. The construction, like many Depression-era public projects, was completed in record time. The world's fair, it was hoped, would turn a profit by offering all sorts of attractions to lure both high-minded seekers of culture, as well as those just wanting some diversion. But one attraction that appealed to every sort of visitor was the Pan American Airways operation. When the fair opened, the big Boeing and Martin flying boats were on display in the hangars, as they underwent routine maintenance in between flights. If visitors were lucky, they might even witness an arrival, or even more exciting, the departure of a clipper.

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/f2e00780f3a5035c59dfdcec6e0bd5e0/1551253282/90430/1304374/S_44_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-07-48/i9-13000168/800x533-r/i.gif

Sikorsky S-44.

Six o'clock in the morning local time.

Departure from the “Treasure Island” hydroport.

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/f3f6257a198e78ba20de9e1f68e59fac/1551253572/36974/1304374/S_44_3_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-07-49/i9-13000179/800x454-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/2bd2252de3b229fc252b27d700fa9fdb/1551253766/34030/1304374/S_44_4_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-07-49/i9-13000184/800x402-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/b85f3defdf232a8472b8f284876d20b0/1551253797/39275/1304374/S_44_5_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-07-49/i9-13000186/800x440-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/6a3f69e5d0be667924ca6ed1f8581b04/1551253822/27021/1304374/S_44_6_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-07-50/i9-13000187/800x330-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/4cd9bb00c7fadd8e6bcb1e23a7776cfe/1551253856/76061/1304374/S_44_8_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-07-50/i9-13000189/800x442-r/i.gif

Radiogram.

9 hours of flight.

The flight goes well.

1200 miles completed.

Spent 60% of the fuel.

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/46914c0547ea2f75c7394f9205f1bcfd/1551256964/34813/1304374/S_44_2_1_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-08-42/i9-13000321/800x494-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/08987f2d9f39596eeacaf24bdd894ea8/1551257061/34147/1304374/S_44_2_2_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-08-44/i9-13000327/800x490-r/i.gif

After fifteen hours of the flight:

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/2ce7688ad485b0efe5f6e81f336637fd/1551276545/28744/1304374/S_44_41_2_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-14-09/i9-13001108/800x412-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/9f95db3dddb7612d3ba079887f87a40b/1551276592/37827/1304374/S_44_42_2_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-14-09/i9-13001113/800x404-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/840ad9d2ef353bd6cb01b773da6c946a/1551276616/26770/1304374/S_44_43_1_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-14-10/i9-13001117/800x408-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/544be1de0158df03ddc449351a532544/1551276633/23758/1304374/S_44_44_1_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-14-10/i9-13001119/800x406-r/i.gif

 

http://i.piccy.info/i9/216a7990a726e2681c9a0c637373b0b7/1551276659/30589/1304374/S_44_45_800.jpghttp://i.piccy.info/a3/2019-02-27-14-10/i9-13001120/800x394-r/i.gif

Wow, great shots. Especially liked the narrative. Excellent historical perspective.

Wow, great shots. Especially liked the narrative. Excellent historical perspective.

 

Many thanks

Much fine! Yes, that was those times when seaplane were considered the best way for long distance air travel. That was not without consequence however as seaplanes were good neither like boats, nor planes :):) Along with the large dirigeables air balloons, they had to let room to modern planes like the DC3 (I hope it's that reference; the plane which turned the Dakota during WW2). After some last endeavours after WW2, the seaplanes definitely were no more used

Vlad, I enjoyed your flight VERY much. :cool::cool::cool: What scenery do you use in pic 1?

History in the making, as it were. I can't imagine a 15 hour flight. The noise and turbulence would have left one needing a long Hawaiian vacation. ;)

Lately I've been having trouble keeping FSX-SE working for more than a half hour without a CTD? Good to see someone is having more success. -- Bob

Vlad, I enjoyed your flight VERY much. :cool::cool::cool: What scenery do you use in pic 1?

 

Thank you very much, Peer!

About the scenery. This scenery appeared a few days ago on the forum FsVantageAIR.

http://forum.fsvintageair.com/

I think that soon this scenery will appear on the CalClassic forum.

Vlad

History in the making, as it were. I can't imagine a 15 hour flight. The noise and turbulence would have left one needing a long Hawaiian vacation. ;)

. -- Bob

It was a very long and tedious flight.

It is good to fly at home at the computer. I can imagine how hard it was for pilots to fly at that time. Constantly in suspense, listening to every creak and sound of motors ...

Highly informative post Vlad, thank you. Good pictures too and great effort flying. I have always looked at the original Pan Am Clippers with a lot of admiration. It concurred with lots of other civilian flying boats that flew routes no other aircraft could fly in those days, owing to the fact they could utilize any stretch of calm water as a runway and their long range. Most notable other aircraft in the same class were those made by Short brothers.

 

I find this Daily Mail illustrated article very interesting and in relation to the thread:

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5191131/Inside-glamorous-world-luxury-flying-boats.html

 

Best wishes.

 

Khalid

 

NB: Thank you Jan for the heads up to my mistake.

Thanks very much Vlad! :)

Fine work with the flying boat retro flight Vlad. Very nicely done. :cool: :cool: :cool: :)

Thank you, guys!

I am pleased that you enjoyed it.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5191131/Inside-glamorous-world-luxury-flying-boats.html

 

Tanks Khalid

 

Passengers of those times obviously did not have pain their knees ... )

Khalid: much fine, and informative link about those seaplanes!

Here's another interesting article about the first transpacific passenger flight: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/first-transpacific-passenger-flight Take note of the fare prices which, like the flight itself, were not for the faint of heart. -- Bob

What was the range of these flying boats? How could they make it all the way to Hawaii w/o re-fueling?

Great plane scenery and story. Thanks for sharing!

Great plane scenery and story. Thanks for sharing!

 

You are welcome!