Steve Hersh and Emily Gibson
Hersh and Gibson jointly responded to these questions. Both work at the Special Collections Department of the University of Miami Libraries.
Steve Hersh - Research services assistant
Emily Gibson - Visiting archivist for Pan Am records
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How was Trippe an enforcer of high safety standards?
Trippe relied on Andre Priester, who was the Chief Engineer for Pan Am for many years. Priester had great attention to detail, and was a major advocate for increased safety in flying. How did Pan Am assist the war effort during World War II and Vietnam?
Pan Am was critical to the American effort during World War II. Many of the Pan Am planes were nationalized for use by the military. Pan Am personnel played an important role in running supplies to Africa during the War. Pan Am also built airports in areas such as South America, where the U.S. government was fearful that the Axis powers would infiltrate if Allied air supremacy was not established. In regards to Vietnam, Pan Am provided soldiers with what were called R&R (rest and relaxation) when they went on leave. Pan Am was also the last flight out of Saigon when U.S. involvement was coming to an end. Why did Trippe invent tourist/economy class? How did it affect Pan Am’s competitors?
After World War II, the demand was evident for increase in global travel. Economy class was invented so that the average middle class individual/family could afford to travel as well. This upset PAA’s competitors, because it disrupted the airline regulation process that all airlines had to follow. |
How was Pan Am involved in the development of the Boeing 707 and 747?
Pan Am was the first customer for both planes, and so both orders were customized first to the specifications of Pan Am. Emily relates a story that Trippe “surprised” many other airline executives and employees at the FAA at a dinner party one night, announcing off hand that Pan Am had bought 707s. At that point, the purchase had been something of a secret.
Why did Trippe want to build a much larger jet (the 747)?
Trippe had a belief that air travel would one day be just another form of mass transit, like riding the subway. So with that logic, a larger plane was necessary. Obviously, that did not come to pass. However, by moving the pilot cabin to the 2nd floor, this also provided more space for cargo, which proved a popular feature of the 747.
How did Pan Am give back to the community?
Pan Am was well known for humanitarian efforts. They would often fly medical supplies to destinations in need, or transport sick children who needed the attention of a certain doctor in another city. Pan Am also operated the Pedro Pan and Freedom Flights programs, which transported Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro regime.
Overall, what were Pan Am’s greatest contributions to the aviation industry?
It is a very general statement, but essentially, Pan Am “did it all.” When most people/companies scoffed at the risks, Pan Am and Trippe took them. They were the first to establish a transatlantic and transpacific routes, they ushered in the Jet Age, and they had the first international electronics reservation system. Many air routes that Pan Am flew were in essence, established by the company.