A First Day Cover marking the First Transpacific Flight to Hong Kong. This event was possible since the British opened up Hong Kong to the Pan Am Clippers, nearly 21/2 years after the first transpacific flight to Manilla.
The extended route included flying from Manila further west to Macau, then the last leg to Hong Kong.
This cover is specific from Honolulu to Hong Kong. April 23,1937 is the Honolulu departure date
The photographs shown in the listing are included. The post card size item has the photographs on the front and back
Details of the flight and aircraft:
The first commercial transpacific passenger flight arrived in Hong Kong on April 28, 1937, operated by Pan American Airways using the legendary Martin M-130 flying boat, the China Clipper. The landmark journey across the Pacific Ocean was officially completed after crossing roughly 8,000 miles.
Key Details of the Historic Flight
- Departure: The flight departed from San Francisco Bay, California, on April 21, 1937.
- Arrival: The aircraft touched down in Hong Kong on April 28, 1937.
- Passengers: There were 7 revenue passengers on board.
- The Route: The flight path crossed the Pacific via stops in Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam, Manila, and Macau before reaching its final destination in Hong Kong.
- Model: Martin M-130 flying boat.
- Crew: Carried a crew of nine and a capacity of eighteen night passengers.
- Construction: Built at a cost of $417,000 by the Glenn L. Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland, and powered by four 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines.
- The journey marked the inauguration of commercial transpacific aviation, establishing a route that required over six days to complete.
- The success of the route proved the viability of long-haul transoceanic flight, prompting Pan Am to later expand its network using newer Boeing 314 Clipper seaplanes.