Pan American World Airways

By Laura J. Hoffman and retired Pan Am Captain Duyane A. Hoffman

In 1927, American entrepreneur Juan T. Trippe founded what would later become Pan American World Airways, one of the world's most prominent airlines of the 20th century. From the very first airmail flight flown from Key West to Cuba, Trippe provided leadership and innovation that put Pan Am at the top of the commercial airline industry. His global pioneering spirit expanded the world's reach for the masses while at the same time provided the most glamorous of air-travel experiences. The rise and fall of an American empire is examined in this full-color postcard history of Pan Am.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Apr 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781439650769

Laura J. Hoffman

Capt. Duyane "Dewey" Hoffman was hired by Pan Am in 1942; he was based in Miami, Rio de Janeiro, Brownsville, and New York. He flew on the Boeing 314, Consolidated PB2Y-3 and Commodore seaplanes, and the Lockheed Constellation. As captain, he flew the Convair 240, DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, Boeing 707, and the Boeing 747. He retired in 1978. Laura Hoffman is the youngest daughter of Captain Hoffman and the author of Postcard History Series: Coney Island. She shares her extensive collection of Pan Am postcards to illustrate the iconic history of the "World's Most Experienced Airline."

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INTRODUCTION

I was a teenager when my father retired from Pan American World Airways (also known as Pan Am). As such, I did not have a clue what a major accomplishment that was, and it is only now—as I work on this project—that I begin to realize its significance. My mother, sister, and I were fortunate enough to accompany my father on his final trip—flying to Rome and spending several days there.

At the time, I thought it was pretty cool. We got to hang out in the first-class lounge, on the second level of the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, and I thought that spiral staircase was neat. I also remember not caring for the caviar that was served (not that I had ever tasted it before that day). There is one thing I will never forget, though: On the return flight, as we approached JFK International Airport, the copilot announced that this would be my father’s final landing after 36 years of flying for Pan Am. After that one last, perfectly smooth landing, all of the passengers unbuckled their seat belts, stood up, and started clapping. Those passengers, complete strangers, showed their respect by giving my father a standing ovation. We were then ushered into the terminal, where Pan Am crew and staff staged a retirement party. It was 1978, and my father was 58 years old.

Oh, how the world has changed since then. Hijackers have become terrorists, and flying has become a nightmare. Few of us will ever have the chance to work for the same company for 36 years, and even fewer will be able to retire—by choice—at age 58. There are no more spiral staircases leading up to the luxury lounges of Clipper jumbo jets. Champagne and caviar are no longer served to passengers as they travel to exotic locations. There is no more Pan Am.

The history of Pan Am is conveyed quite well through postcards, thanks to the large number of them that Pan Am Corporate Communications issued through the years. The time frame for the company’s existence also correlates well with the era in which postcards were a popular form of communication.

Pan Am founder Juan Trippe was a true pioneer in commercial aviation, putting the company on the leading edge with his innovation and determination. Born in 1899 in New Jersey, Juan Trippe became fascinated with aviation at an early age, after his father took him to an air show and race in New York City. Trippe was attending Yale University when the United States became involved in World War I, and he joined the Navy and was trained as a flight aviator. He returned to Yale after the war, graduated in 1921, and went to work on Wall Street. Continually captivated by aviation, he was able to channel his business acumen to become a business owner in 1922, when he purchased some ex-Navy training airplanes and started his first airline—Long Island Airways. That first venture did not last, but in 1925, after the United States government passed the Air Mail Act, Trippe founded Colonial Air Transport with a group of investors. He used his influence to bid on, and win, the New York-to-Boston airmail route, but after disagreeing with his partners on the best way to secure other routes, Trippe parted ways with Colonial Air Transport. In 1927, he used this experience to become involved in the merging of several airlines, which became Pan American Airways (PAA) and later Pan American World Airways. He successfully secured the first international airmail route from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba, and on October 28, 1927, he put Pan Am on the map for the first time.

Juan Trippe first met Charles Lindbergh in 1926 at Teterboro Airfield in New Jersey—the year before Lindbergh made his legendary first-ever solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean on May 21, 1927. After Lindbergh