Pan American clipper, Vol. 5, No. 10, July 24, 1946

              Volume 5
July 24, 1946
Number 10
CHIC CHICKS
The PubRel staff blinked and rubbed their collective eyes a recent morning when Web Bartram sailed in with a smug cluck and deposited 30 gaily hued baby chicks on his desk.
The little peepers, specially flown by Clipper from San Juan for a picture story in color, were all bright green or blue or red or purple — not an ordinary yellow chick in the lot. They were born that way, after a harmless vegetable dye had been injected into the eggs and the hole sealed with wax.
NEW CUPPER NAMES ARE ADOPTED FROM OLD TRADING SHIPS
Nineteenth century Clipper trading ships — the sailing vessels that first carried the American flag into the far ports of the world — have inspired the new names for the flying Clippers of Pan American World Airways.
Henceforth all Clippers in the system, including both Constellations and DC-4s, will bear the names of famous old American ships.
In the Atlantic Division, the 13 Constellation Clippers will be designated as the CARIB, CARRINGTON, CHALLENGE, COURIER, DONALD McKAY, ECLIPSE, EMPRESS OF THE SKIES, GREAT REPUBLIC, INTREPID, INVINCIBLE, PAUL JONES, UNDAUNTED and WINGED ARROW. The word “Clipper” will precede each name.
Late last year, announcement was made of a Clipper naming contest, open to all Atlantic Division employes. It was then expected that the names for PAA planes would be selected from the many entries in this contest, but later the new system-wide policy for naming Clippers was adopted and the matter was taken out of the Division’s hands.
Prior to the recent decision to name all planes after the sailing Clippers, geographical names had been temporarily assigned to the Constellations of the Atlantic Division. A number of these names, or names very similar, were among those suggested by entrants in the contest, and the judges now announce that the PAA-ers who first submitted these names will receive a $25 victory bond for each suggestion used.
Eunice M. Bryan, senior engineering clerk, will receive a $25 bond for hitting on the name, European Clipper, and M. C. Dorangric-chia, senior draftsman in engineering will be rewarded for suggesting the African Clipper.
The name “Congo Clipper” was among those most frequently suggested by entrants in the contest. To Richard L. Forster, office manager, goes the award for having sent in this name first.
Hamilton Richards, passenger supervisor, wins a bond for having sent in the name, Bermuda Clipper (he was stationed in Bermuda at the time) and Alden M. Tibbetts, briefing (Continued on page 3)
LHS0341 Keel 6ck "6
Operations Approach Normal
Following Grounding Order
The Atlantic Division is approaching normal flight operations again as a result of prompt reorganization following the grounding of all Constellations by the CAA as a precautionary measure.
The CAA ruling, ordering all Constellations to remain grounded for a 30-day period starting July 12, had hardly been announced before a DC-4 from the Latin American Division was winging northward toward New York. Two more DC-4’s were also loaned by LAD, and another Douglas Clipper, on loan from the Pacific-Alaska Division, flew from Honolulu to join the emergency fleet
at North Beach.
A fifth DC-4, flying for the Latin American Division between Buenos Aires and New York, is being used during its layover periods at North Beach to fly passengers between New York and Bermuda. This daily round trip was reinstated July 15.
The first Clipper to arrive from Miami was sent to Stephensville to pick up passengers stranded there by the grounding order and to complete their flight to London. This plane, together with the DC-4 from Honolulu, is being used in the daily London service, which was also resumed July 15.
The second Clipper from LAD went into Long Service at North Beach prior to being assigned to the transatlantic crossings and the third DC-4 from Miami will go through Long Service as soon as it can be released by the Latin American Division.
Negotiations are now underway for the acquisition of additional aircraft from other sources to permit the Atlantic Division to maintain its schedules as fully as possible. It is anticipated that weekly flights to Lisbon will be resumed on or before July 24.
Thanks to the prompt cooperation of the other Divisions and the speedy adaptation within the Atlantic Division, the number of passengers inconvenienced by the grounding of the Constellations has been far fewer than was at first anticipated.
PAA personnel affected by the reduced schedules have taken advantage of the presence of the Division’s 13 Constellations at North Beach in a variety of ways.
Maintenance crews have gone to work at full speed on the L-49s’ engines to replace the old carburetor typ$ of induction system with
the fuel injection system. This modification had been planned before the CAA’s order was issued.
In addition, a number of jobs related to fire prevention have been assigned, several minor refinements have been undertaken to improve the reliability and serviceability of the L-49 power plant, and engineering work is continuing on an improved cabin pressurization system and an improved automatic pilot system.
In the interests of bettering passenger service, improvements are being made in galley facilities, the cabin heating system and the ventilation system. Flight movie equipment is being installed as the projectors are received, and engineering is at work on the installation of bassinets in the planes.
Maintenance Training is using the Constellations for the first-hand instruction of maintenance crews, and the grounded Clippers are also< being used by stewards and stewardesses as classrooms for refresher training courses in flight service.
Since the first Constellation was put into operation by the Atlantic Division on January 14, and prior to the grounding order by the CAA, these Clippers have piled up a total of 53,125,981 revenue miles, 2,016,734 plane miles, and 9,537 flight hours. During that time tens of thousands of passengers have been flown swiftly from New York to Bermuda, Gander, Shannon, London, Lisbon, Leopoldville, Brussels, Prague and Vienna.
Pan American was the first airline to operate Constellations commercially and at the time of the grounding order was flying more Constellations than any other operator.
Here is the first Skymaster Clipper to join Pan American’s transatlantic fleet following the grounding of the Constellations.