FIRST Flight: Pan American: Baltimore to Bermuda, March 16,1938, Fam 17.
First Flight for a new airmail route, Fam 17.
Flown by Pan American's "Bermuda Clipper".
The photographs shown in the listing are included. The post card size item has the photographs on the front and back
Details of the First Trans-Pacific flight and aircraft:
The first trans-Pacific flight from the San Francisco Bay area to Manila was
an inaugural airmail journey completed by Pan American Airways on November 29, 1935. Flown by a massive
Martin M-130 flying boat named the
China Clipper, it marked the beginning of commercial ocean aviation.
Flight Details & Route
- Departure: Took off from Alameda Point on San Francisco Bay on November 22, 1935.
- Arrival: Arrived in Manila on November 29, 1935.
- Duration: The total flight time was 59 hours and 48 minutes, spread out over six days.
- Stops: The 8,000-mile journey made intermediate legs at Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Midway Atoll, Wake Island, and Guam.
- Crew & Cargo: Commanded by Captain Edwin C. Musick, the aircraft carried no passengers but transported over 110,000 pieces of mail.
- Model: The China Clipper was a 25-ton, four-engine Martin M-130.
- Capacity: It featured a wingspan of 130 feet and was the largest aircraft in world service at the time.
- Cost: The aircraft was custom-built for Pan American Airways at a cost of $417,000
Historical Impact & Expansion
- Passenger Service: While the 1935 flight carried only mail, points along the route were upgraded to accommodate passenger service, officially launching the first press and regular passenger trips by October 1936.