Pan
Am served as an international leader in aviation transportation.
Pan Am was a pioneer in aviation equipment, air routes,
commercial passenger service, navigation techniques and
communication systems.
Charles Lindbergh served at the technical advisor for 45 years
and played a huge role in determining Transatlantic routes.
The
Jet Age
In
1955 Pan Am ordered 45 jet airliners, 20 Boeing 707s and 25
Douglas dc8s for $269 million. Pan Am only received 18 of those
DC8s and ordered 130 more from Boeing.
Until
realistic flight simulators were introduced in the late 60s Pan
Am pilots took all their training in actual planes, many times
in dangerous flying conditions.
October
26, 1958 entered the jet age with a B707-121 named Clipper
America. It flew from NY to Paris with 111 passengers and 11
crewmembers for 8 ? hours including a fuel stop at Gander. This
flight allowed the introduction of jets and economy fares.
In
jet engines unlike piston engines, all parts spun in the same
direction. Eliminating vibration and decreased frequency of
engine failure.
A
once profitable airline, 1961?s annual report boasted $460
million in revenues. In 1970 Pan Am carried 11 million
passengers approximately twenty billion miles, and employed
19,000 people in 62 countries.
 January
1980 Pan Am merged with National Airlines. Due to the high price
of acquiring National, the purchase was considered Chairman ‘Seawell’s
Folly".
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