Clipper, Vol. 9, No. 5, May 1952

              Our Goal Should Always Be 4 Satisfied Customer
Fan American Wo rio Airways LATIN AMERICAN DIVISION
Arguments With Passengers j	Are Never Won
VOL. 9
No. 5
MAY, 1952
52519
PAA Set New Transportation Records in 1951
Passenger Miles Hit
-$>
Clipper Cargo Sales in Colon Set PAA Record
Station First in Division to Exceed Passenger Figures in a Single Month
Another “first” was recorded for LAD Clipper Cargo in April when, for the first time in its history, cargo sales exceeded passenger traffic sales at one of the Division’s stations.
The precedent shattering station is Colon, Panama, which reported
PAA President Awarded of Honor
Trippe
Legion
Juan T. Trippe, president of Pan American World Airways, v awarded the French Legion of Honor at a luncheon given in his honor in New York by the French Chamber of Commerce of the United States. The award was made on behalf of the French government by Count Jean de la Garde, French Consul General in New York.
Trippe organized and became president of PAA in 1927. Under his leadership, the line has expanded to every country in South America, across the Pacific to the Orient and Australasia, across the Atlantic to Europe and South Africa, to the Middle East and around the world.
Now the largest international air transport system in the world, PAA last year carried 25 per cent of all U. S. residents traveling abroad by steamship or airplane.
Trippe has received his government’s top civilian decoration, the Medal for Merit, and has been decorated by China, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Portugal, Lebanon, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Port-au-Prince Improvements Are Planned
A $12,500 project for improving and modernizing PAA’s Sales Office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is scheduled this summer.
Final plans for the project now are being drawn up at LAD headquarters in Miami, and a contract for the job is expected to be let in May. Work is due to begin as soon thereafter as possible.
The project includes enclosing the present open-air structure, modernizing the building inside and out and completely air-conditioning it.
Improvements at Port-au-Prince are in line with the rapidly growing importance of Haiti as a tourist mecca. Clipper traffic through Port-au-Prince during the first three months of 1952 totaled 11,566 persons—42 per cent ahead of the volume for the same period of 1951.
Clipper cargo sales of $30,109.01 compared with passenger sales of $29,372.35.
Making the Clipper cargo figure even more impressive is the fact that passenger sales exceeded the station’s quota for the month by almost $3,000.
“In other words, it was not a case of passenger traffic declining but cargo sales setting a new high,” LAD Traffic Department executives pointed out.
The Clipper cargo sales total for the month exceeded by slightly more than $20,000 the April quota set for Colon. Poundage-wise, the month’s total represented 1 4 7,35 1 pounds of outbound Clipper cargo.
A contributing factor to the increase in Colon Clipper cargo sales is the fact that the Panamanian government recently established a Free' Zone there. This international trade zone makes possible the shipment of goods into the area for storage, processing and reshipment without the customary customs fees and duties.
In offering congratulations to Charles E. “Chuck” Maher, District Traffic and Sales Manager in Colon, John C. Cooper, LAD Cargo Sales Superintendent wrote:
“PAA historians will refer to you, your staff and your station as the first to prove that with cargo lies the future of any air carrier.
“We here in Miami wish to extend to you and your staff our congratulations for an excellent job done. The Free Zone?—yes, without it this story would not be true—but without the interest, effort and hard work from you this increase would not have been possible.
“Again, we all offer our heartiest congratulations.”
And if you ask any of the men in Cargo in Miami, they’ll Say: Did you see those Clipper cargo figures from Colon for April. Boy, that’s a sign of things to come, for sure.”
LAD GIVES GLOBE TO SCHOOL
MANY THANKS says Dr. Bowman Ashe, right, President of the University of Miami, as he accepts the globe in the background from LAD Manager Humphrey W. Toomey. The presentation took place in the Student Club on the University campus. The globe, which cost $5,000, was given to the Miami school to aid students in their study of world geography. It formerly was located in the downtown Miami ticket office.
Several Property Sites Offered For Panair Recreational Club
With reports of the charter member rolls of the Panair Recreational Club, Incorporated, growing steadily, James M. Mowry, club president, has announced that several club sites have been offered the newly-formed LAD organization.
“We thought that LADers in^
Miami would like to know what they can have if we attain the sort of membership we are seeking,” Mowry said.
“We have been offered 18 acres of undeveloped land in the northwest section of Miami, for example, which we could take over after the July deadline for charter members, with only 1,200 paid up memberships.
“On the other hand, we have been offered the Curtiss property in Miami Springs, whieh already has a large residence on it; swimming pool; lake, and other facilities, which could be obtained by the club with a
Variety Hospital Gives LAD Thanks
Tracy B. Hare, Administrative Dirctor of Variety Children’s Hospital in Miami, has sent a letter of thanks to Wilson M. Leary, LAD Auditor of Disbursements, for the employe contributions to the hospital from the Payroll Deductions to Combined Welfare Fund.
“Would you express to PAA employes our heart-felt appreciation for remembering us in the work we are doing for the children of the community. We assure you that the money will be well spent for the benefit of the children in our care,” Hare wrote.
membership of 2,500.
“These are just examples of what can be done by the Panair Recreational Club,” Mowry explained. “Nothing will of course be decided until the charter member drive is completed and the membership states its wishes on where the club facilities shall be located.” Reports from “Boosters” who are soliciting new members indicate a great deal of interest on the part of employes in progress of the member drive, with the number signed-up now exceeding 300, Henry S. “Pete” Wenner, Secretary and Treasurer reported.
Mowry, in discussing the club’s plans, reiterated the fact that the Panair Recreational Club’s goal is to provide PAA employes, and their families, with a swimming pool, rifle range, softball diamonds, tennis courts, pool, billiard and bowling facilities, as well as meeting rooms for employe organiza-
tions, a dance floor and snack bar.
“As a non-profit organization we will be able to provide many of these facilities free of charge,” Richard E. Cannon, Vice President, pointed out.
“The response so far has been most gratifying and we are looking for a big increase in the member rolls as the campaign nears its conclusion,” he said.
Initiation fee, of $3, is to be paid within 90 days of becoming a PAA employe, or by June 30 for those on the payroll April 1, 1952. Thereafter, the initiation fee becomes $6. Annual dues are 50 cents per month.
Nessi Second LADer to Die In Korean War
First Miami-based LADer to give his life in the Korean conflict was Albert Nessi, Jr., 19, of 2949 N. W. 92nd St.
Young Nessi, Duplicating Machine Operator in Services of Supply, joined the company in March 1951, and entered the Armed Forces in July—only four months later. A native of New York, Nessi had attended Edison Junior High in Miami before joining PAA.
Nessi’s death brings to two the number of LADers making the supreme sacrifice for their country during the Korean action, the first having- been a San Juan-based employe.
New High
Opening of Tourist Service Hailed By Trippe
Pan American World Airways carried more overseas mail — 495,000,000 pieces—more overseas passengers—1,287,000—and more overseas cargo — 77,540,000 pounds — than any other airline in the world in 1951, Juan T. Trippe, PAA’s President, told stockholders in the annual report.
“Revenue passenge r-miles reached a new high of 1,572,366,-000, an increase of 25 per cent over the previous year,” Trippe reported. “Cargo ton-miles increased 24 per cent,” he revealed.
“The expansion of passenger and cargo transportation was accomplished with an increase of only 8 per cent in revenue plane-miles flown.
“The company’s long campaign to establish tourist-class service over the North Atlantic has been successfully concluded. All govern ments concerned granted necessary approval to permit inauguration of the service on May 1 between New York and the principal gateway points of Western Europe.
“Heavy forward bookings assure wide public acceptance of the new service, tariffs for which average 30 per cent less than first-class trans-Atlantic fares.
“The importance of this type of service is indicated by the fact that in 1951 revenue passenger-miles flown in Pan American’s tourist service accounted for 20 per cent of the company’s total revenue passenger-miles,” Trippe reported.
The report also stated:
1—The company has 30,000 owners and 16,500 employes. More than half of the owners own less than 100 shares. About 35 per cent are women. In the aggregate, their investment represents approximately $100,000,000.
2—Deliveries have commenced on the company’s order for 39 four-engine high-speed Douglas Super-6 Clippers, the largest, fastest and most efficient civil air transport yet produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company. These Clippers are designed to be readily convertible to Sleeperette, Standard First-Class or Tourist Service arrangements.
The report -also reviewed the company’s activity for the national defense. Under the direction of the United States Air Force, the company continues to operate a substantial portion of the emergency trans-Pacific military lift and in Germany provides a daily airlift between Berlin and the Western Zone.
LAD Opens Teletype Link to Mexico City
Automatic landline communicant tions designed to speed traffic and operational messages has just been put in service by LAD between its Miami offices and Mexico City.
The new system provides the first direct teletype service for the airline between Miami and its Mexican affiliate, Compania Mexi cana de Aviacion (CMA), eliminating four previous relay and message-handling points,