Evening star., 1937-06-26

Clal subsidies for the development
! Of international air transport.
Pan-American has gone out and
developed its markets and its routes.
The airmail has followed Pan-Amer-
ica's developments. as opposed to the
| more general practice of building air.
lines upon the basis of mail con-
tracts.
There has been an entire absence
| of the pioneering atmosphere from
the opening of the Bermuda line.
So thoroughly has "Pan-Am' worked
out its principles of ocean flying that
it now is able to apply them to
activities on any of the seven seas
and to set up complete. going con-
Germ with a minimum of effort and
with no confusion at all. AS a pas
senger on the first dress rehearsal
had an opportunity to observe dur
ing the formative period the estab-
lishment of this new service.
THE trip to New York was made
aboard 2l-passenger Douglas
7 DC-3 on Eastern Air Lines, fitting
link between the conventional land
transports and the great flying boats
now being developed for ocean service.
Taking off from Washington Airport
at l O'Clock of hot June afternoon
the big transport slammed into a
thunderstorm about 20 minutes out
but after some six or eight minutes
Of instrument flight through rough
air and heavy rain. came out on top
of a world of cloud mountains and
valleys. After passing Havre de Grace
a half-hour out, the sky began gradu-
ally TO clear away and the landing
at Newark Airport. only IS minutes
after the take-off from Washington,
was made in bright sunshine
A visit to the American Offices.
on the flfty-seventh floor of the
Chrysler Tower, found William I.
Van Dusen. master of ceremonies"
for the initial passenger flight. clean
ing up the task of gathering for the
customs people the necessary informa-
ton on each of his passengers. The
passengers were instructed 10 be at
the Pan-American ticket office on the
first floor Of the building at am.
the next morning
The morning daWned with rain and
low clouds. As the passengers arrived
they and their baggage were weighed
and tickets issued Three big limou-
slnes, spanking new, carrying seven
passengers each, were waiting at the
curb. The baggage was loaded aboard
and as each car was filed. a uni
formed driver, as trim and smart
as the flight personnel, took the wheel
for the 25-mile drive across Queens
borough Bridge and through Long
Island to Port Washington, on the
north shore
The big four-engined Sikorsky ABB
Clipper could be seen, moored to a
wharf, with its engines idling as the
passengers were driven into a fenced
Enclosure marked Temporary Allan
tic Survey Base A customs official
was waiting in the as yet uncom-
pleted terminal building and hangar
to answer questions as to articles
which might be brought back on the
return trip. Passengers were warned
specifically that cameras of foreign
make would have to be registered
by number, owing to the ban against
German cameras.
pRELIMINARIES we're completed
quickly and the baggage was on
the way to the plane in trucks. The
passengers, IS of them, went aboard
by way OF the after hatch, where
they were welcomed by Purser B, A.
Blackman, who assigned seats for
the take-off. The crew, headed by
Capt. R. o. D. Sullivan. was COM
posed Of First Officer w. S. de Lima.
Second Officer J. W. Walker. the
navigation officer; Third Officer j. A.
Flske, engineering officer; Fourth Off,
Ger H. N. Vandeveer, radio; Flight Me-
chanic G. T. McEwen and Steward
Michael Claverino.
Lines were cast of and the big ship
TAXED down winding channel
through light rain to open water. from
which it took off at 9:19 am. after a
run of only 80 seconds. Almost at
once the passengers were out of their
seats, moving around the ship, looking
out one side and then the other at
Long Island, sliding by below in the
mist and rain. Roosevelt Field and the
great Long Island estates were points
of interest.
The Crossing of Long Island was
speedily completed and at 9:33 am.
the clipper crossed the coast at Jones
Beach. leaving the great beach tower
about half-mile to port All this
time the plane had been climbing. soon
after leaving the coast it plunged into
the clouds at about 5000 feet. Although
it had been hot and sticky on the
ground, ventilators now were being
closed against the chill
Flying blind" much Of the time, the
big flying boat climbed easily through
three distinct cloud layers, passing
through a very heavy rain squall
which hammered audibly through the
sound insulating material. For about
l. 4 -