Clipper, Vol. 6, No. 20, October 5, 1950

              15th YEAR PACIFIC- ALASKA DIVISION
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Read From California To Calcutta, From Alaska To Australia
18TH YEAR PAA HAS FLOWN IN ALASKA
PUBLISHED BY THE EMPLOYES OF PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS
HOW ABOUT IT, GINNY, WE'D SURE LIKE TO KEEP YOU UNDER OUR HAT
These GI’s, about to board a double-decked Clipper for the Korean war zone, still had time for a bit of frolic before their plane left the West Coast. Stewardess Virginia Wilcox traded her blue bonnet for the corporal’s steel helmet, and the battle-bound soldiers were ready to welcome a new recruit with open arms. But Ginny decided to stay with Pan American and do her part on the Clippers that continue to play a vital role in the Pacific airlift.
MERRY-CAN 88—OOPS! CLIPPER 883
AA Captain D. K. Smith Lauds Pan American's Airlift Operation and Treatment Given Crews
Vol. 6, No. 20
18 Douglas DC-6's Will Be Added to PAA Fleet
No Decision Made as to Where New Clippers Will Be Based
By the fall of 1951 Pan American’s fleet of Clippers will be increased with the addition of 18
DC-6’s.
A recent announcement from system headquarters confirmed the purchase of the 325 mile-an hour DC-6B’s at a cost of approixmately 21 million dollars. Faster and larger than the original DC-6, the new version of the airplane is expected to provide the utmost in passenger satisfaction. DC-6’s now in service have operated 13 billion pasenger miles.
Franklin Gledhill, Pan American vice president in charge of equipment purchases said, “The new Douglas DC-6B is one of several fine American transports available to operators today. We have selected it because our engineering and operations studies have convinced us that it is the finest in its class for the requirements of our international routes.’’
Powered by four Pratt and Whitney R-2800 engines yielding a total horsepower of 10,000, the airplane promises high performance with low operating costs.
In one version the Pan American DC-6B will be a tourist class airplane, and in another it will be a luxury Sleeperette plane. No decision has yet been made as to where the new Clippers will be used.
OFF TO THE WARS
First Lieutenant Harold Benedict is waving good-bye to his budies in the San Francisco Instrument Shop after being called back to duty by the Air Force. A troop carrier pilot in World War II, Hal expects to be assigned to the Plans and Engineering section of MATS.
One of the many pilots based at San Francisco International Airport to fly the Pacific airlift is Captain Donald Kelley Smith, known among his Flagship flying buddies of American Airlines as “D.K.”
Unlike most of the pilots of the other airlines assisting Pan American on the airlift, Captain Smith didn’t have any moving to do, as he is based in San Francisco by American, for whom he flies both DC-4’s and DC-6’s. “D.K.” feels right at home until he starts to call the tower, when he has to struggle to say “Clipper 883” instead of “Merry-can 883.”
He learned to fly in the Army Air Corps, graduating in 1933. George Fly, PAA skipper based in Rio was a classmate, while Captains C. A. Goyette of the LAD and Elkie Hale in the PAD were in his lower class. After receiving his wings “D.K.” was stationed at Brooks Field in San Antonio, Texas. In 1934 he flew the air mail for the Army between Chicago and Omaha. Following this duty he was assigned to Scott Field in Illinois where he flew Thomas Morse
0-19’s. In February of 1936 he joined American Airlines.
Over-ocean flying is nothing new to the skipper, who made a total of 132 crossings of the north Atlantic during the war years while flying on American’s contract operation for the Air Transport Command. He was aboard the last trip that American flew for the ATC early in 1946.
In New York on his vacation when the airlift started, “D.K.” hurried home to volunteer for his present job. He likes flying the airlift very much. The main difference, he said, is in the length of his flights. His longest haul for American is the six and one-half hour stint between San Francisco and Tulsa.
Commenting on the modifications the different airlines—PAA, American, Capital and Eastern—have effected on their DC-4’s, the captain said, “The auto-pilots on your Clippers come in handy—we don’t have them on our 6’s. But the best fea ture about your planes is that contrivance called the bunk! What a (Continued on Page 2)
October 5, 1950
Barney Frizell Named Panair Club President
Christmas Dance and Kiddies Party Next on Club's Slate
The San Francisco Panair Club counted the ballots last week and announced that the following officers will head the organiaztion for the coming 1-year term: President, Barney Frizell; Vice President, Sherry Sheridan; Treasurer, Arleen Brown; Secretary, Gerry Farrar.
In addition to those four, other newly-elected members to the board of representatives included Jessie Langdon (B and F, Executive, Legal and Economic Planning), Holt Atherton (Flight Operations), M. 0. Potvien (Maintenance), Jack Peak (Traffic) and Bob Thorpe (Ground Operations).
Hold-over representatives include Dick Ford and Don Newport from Maintenance, Frank Ashby of Communications and John Olson of Supply-
The first bit of business conducted by the new board was an expression of thanks to out-going prexy Don Newport for the splendid job he turned in during his year in office.
Next big events planned by the club are the Christmas dance and kiddies’ Christmas p®rty.
DK'S FRUSTRATED FOR HIS FLAGSHIP
Captain D. K. Smith of American Airlines was a little confused when he looked at the insignia on the plane for his first airlift trip, but now, like all the other Pacific airlift skippers, he shows no partiality as he climbs into the cockpits of planes belonging to PAA, Capital, Eastern or his own American Airlines—all playing a vital role in rushing men and supplies to the Korean war zone.