WINGS TO THE ORIENT : PAN AMERICAN CLIPPER PLANES 1935 TO 1945 (A Pictorial History by Stan Cohen)
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Characteristics
| Book cover finish | Perfect paperback |
| Special features | Third edition |
| Condition | Used very good (name of previous owner handwritten on first page) |
| Number of pages | 214 |
| Published date | 1987 (EO, 1985) |
| Language | English |
| Size | 21.5 x 28 x 1.5 cm |
| Author | Stan Cohen |
| Publisher | Pictorial Histories Publishing Co. |
EXCERPT FROM THE INTRODUCTION
This book is about three types of airplanes, several individuals, and a new concept in overseas travel. The airplanes commonly called "Clippers," are the Sikorsky S-42, the Martin M-130, and the Boeing B-314. The individuals include Juan Trippe, founder of America's pioneering overseas airline, Pan Am. The new concept, formulated by Pan Am during the Depression days of the 1930s, involved island-hopping by air. The ocean to conquer was the vast Pacific.
Wings to the Orient is the first attempt to portray this massive undertaking through the use of historical photographs, some of which have never been published. It is fitting to bring out this book in 1985, for April 1985 is the 50th anniversary of Pan Am's first survey flight over the Pacific, and November marks the 50th anniversary of the first airmail flight from San Francisco to Manila.
Today, it is difficult to appreciate the significance of these first trans-Pacific flights. In modern jet aircraft, one can fly the same route-San Francisco to Manila- in just under a day's time. Yet in the early 1930s, the quickest way to the Orient was to spend three weeks on an ocean steamer. The Pan Am Clippers, which stopped overnight along the route, reduced that to a mere six days, a feat considered remarkable at the time.
The Clipper planes will always be fondly remembered. Despite the hardships of the Depression, the 1930s were a time of luxurious travel-luxury cruise ships plied the oceans, luxury trains criss-crossed the continents, and manufacturers were building a wide assortment of luxury automobiles.
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