Pacific Clipper : The Untold Story - Softcover

Tucker, Albert S.J.; Paxton, Matthew W.

9780970965806: Pacific Clipper : The Untold Story

Softcover

ISBN 10: 097096580X ISBN 13: 9780970965806

Publisher: News-Gazette, 2001

A new book by Albert S.J. Tucker Jr. and Matthew W. Paxton IV with Eugene J. Dunning, recounts the exploits of Captain Bob Ford and crew of a Pan American Airways flying boat that had to circumnavigate the globe in 1941 just after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The flight was a thirty-four day ordeal. It took over 31,000 miles, 3 oceans, 5 continents, 12 nations, 22 landings, and crossed the equator 4 times.

They had no airways to follow, had to use bad fuel, had no spare parts. They had engine failures, were nearly shot down, and made numerous overloaded takeoffs. With few air navigation aids, Ford was still able to employ precision celestial air navigation. Captain Ford and crew accomplished the impossible and made aviation history.

Four years of research and writing, this incredible and absolutely true story of the Pacific Clipper is a tribute to the greatness of Pan Am, her crews, and is worthy of a Cecil B. De Mille epic movie!

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From the Publisher:

"..a tale of resourcefulness, cool competence and courage."

This is the story of the Pacific Clipper, a Pan American Airways Boeing 314 flying boat, which was the first commercial airliner to fly around the world. In 1941-42, it was stranded in New Zealand after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and made it back to New York, flying west, through Australia, the Dutch East Indies, India, Africa, the South Atlantic, and Caribbean. Captain Bob Ford and the crew overcame lack of support facilities, inferior fuel, engine failure and enemy intrigue to complete their mission.

From the Author:

The story of Bob Ford and his crew is relatively unknown, and their story deserves wider knowledge and acclaim. "Pacific Clipper, The Untold Story" recounts the Pacific Clipper saga and, in a larger sense, that of Pan American Airways. The book tells a tale of resourcefulness, cool

competence and courage.

If you have an interest in the era of the grand Pan Am flying boats and the adventure of early scheduled trans-oceanic flights, and raw adventure, you will enjoy "Pacific Clipper, The Untold Story." If you admire Pan American Airway's contributions to the science of air navigation and the development of commercial aviation, you'll appreciate the desire of the authors to see that Pan Am's achievements are given the recognition they are due, albeit belatedly."

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