Clipper, Vol. 11, No. 20, October 27, 1955

              20th YEAR PACIFIC-ALASKA DIVISION
Voi. 11 No. 20
Read From California To Calcutta, From Alaska To Australasia
PUBLISHED BY THE EMPLOYEES OF PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS
23rd YEAR PAA HAS FLOWN IN ALASKA
October 27,1955
PAN AMERICAN JET PURCHASE
IT'S A RUSH JOB - MACH .88
Aviation Industry Pays Tribute To Pan American For Being First Airline To Order U.S.-Built Jets
HAILED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
PAA'S $269,000,000 INVESTMENT
Here are the Clippers of tomorrow. At top is a model of the Boeing 707 that will carry 104 passengers in standard configuration and 125 in tourist. Below is the Douglas DC-8 that will carry 104 and 131 passengers in standard and tourist configuration, respectively. Both aircraft are designed to cruise up to .88 mach number, and a contract cruising speed of 575 miles an hour at 30,000 feet is the same for both planes.
From three different places in the United States came announcements two weeks ago to salute Pan American on one of the most important undertakings in its long list of aviation “firsts.”
Out of Seattle, Washington, came these words:
“Purchase by Pan American World Airways of 20 Boeing 707 Jet Stratoliners marks the beginning of a new era in air transportation,” said William M. Allen, president of Boeing Airplane Company.
“Introduction of the 707 ]et Stratoliner on Pan American’s routes will, in effect, make the world 40 per cent smaller,” he continued. “Most major cities of the free world will be only 12 hours or less from the United States.”
The Boeing president also pointed out that this new order marks the fourth major airplane type that Boeing has built for PAA—the others being the famed 314 flying boat, the 307 Stratoliner and the B-377.
The 707 prototype now has almost 300 hours of flight test time. All items of equipment have been tested and retested. Boeing is now building for the U.S. Air Force a sister ship of the 707 known as the KC-135. This plane will be in service when the 707 deliveries to Pan American commence.
Boeing has already built more
This Reservation Almost Cracked The Sonic Barrier
Pan American’s scheduled jet operations may be three years away, but the reservations section (jet division) at the San Francisco district sales office is already in business.
The news of PAA’s jet purchase broke in the afternoon papers in San Francisco two weeks ago today. Friday morning’s mail to the DSO brought a letter from a San Francisco man wanting a seat on the first jet flight to Honolulu.
The gentleman has now been listed as passenger number one on jet trip number one from San Francisco to Honolulu.
than a thousand of the 200,000 pound B-47 Stratojet medium bombers and is also engaged in quantity production of the 350,000 pound B-52 Stratofortress, a heavy, long-range jet bomber.
From the other end of the Pacific Coast in Santa Monica, California, this announcement made headlines:
The order that Pan American has placed with Douglas Aircraft Company is the largest and most significant single contract in the history of commercial aviation.
The PAA purchase, the first firm agreement for United States-built jet transports, calls for expenditures in excess of $160,000,000 including spares.
“The Pan American sale opens a new chapter in global aviation and brings the jet age closer to the lives of millions throughout the world,” said Donald W. Douglas, president of Douglas.
Continuing, the Douglas president said, “We are proud to be associated with Pan American in this tremendous undertaking. Through the decades of aviation’s growth Pan American has been in the forefront of pioneers whose vision and courage have extended the horizons of commercial aviation and have strengthened the bonds of friendship between the United States and other countries and peoples of the world.”
And from East Hartford, Connecticut, came this word:
“We have had ten years of speculation on the timing of the jet transport age. Today we know in a really concrete way when it will begin.” So said Frederick B. Rent-schler, chairman of United Aircraft Corporation, two weeks ago.
United’s Pratt and Whitney Aircraft division will build the jet turbine engines that will power both the Boeing and Douglas transports.
The manufacturing executive went on to point out that an all-American team has been fielded for the development and production of jet-powered air transports capable of trans-oceanic operation.
“This team consists of Pan American, the company which pioneered
all of the world’s overseas air routes, Douglas and Boeing, names synonymous with long-range, heavy intercontinental transports, and Pratt and Whitney Aircraft, whose Wasp piston engines have been well known on the world’s airways since the 1920’s,” he added.
Put Out A Good Line And You Might Win Yourself A Prize
Don’t forget the SFO Panair Club’s striped bass derby this Saturday. Tickets are still available. The prize list is growing bigger every day to take care of all those big ones that don’t get away.