Pan Am's China Clipper II - November 22, 1985

The China Clipper II, A Pan Am Boeing 747 commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Pan Am's first Pacific crossing back in 1935. Pan Am was the first airline to make the transpacific voyage, offering an instantly speedier alternative to traveling to Asia from America by ship. The 50th anniversary flight retraced the original routing of the Pan Am Clippers, kicking off from San Francisco to Honolulu, and then on to the islands of Midway, Wake and Guam, and then on to Manila in the Philippines.

The 50th anniversary trip also marked a sad irony. Pan Am in 1985 gave up its entire international Pacific division to United Airlines for 750 million dollars, and this marked the beginning of a decline of the venerable airline until its demise in December 1991.

Featured are some cameos of James Michener, Imelda Marcos, and Ed Acker (the Pan Am CEO in 1985).

Re-edited by Sparkingwave with new age music by Jim Brickman - We Met Today.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Pan
• American
• World
• Airways
• Am
• Boeing
• 747
• China
• Clipper
• II
• Ed
• Acker
• Imelda
• Marcos
• transpacific
• James
• Michener
• Guam
• Midway
• San
• Francisco
• SFO
• MNL
• HNL

[compdude100]

Why did pan am sell their pacific routes to united?! That was so stupid of them.

[sparkingwave]

@compdude100 There were several reasons. Among them: PA's purchase of National Airlines, buying too many different types of aircraft (747SPs, DC-10s, and L1011s), trying to figure out how to do business with deregulation, and also the 1982 recession.

[Crusty134]

Very nice work!

But I can't watch your video "Worl'ds Best Pan Am 747 Video" in germany since a view month because of the content from Sony Music Entertainment. :(((((

Is it possible to reupload this video, or can you tell me the title of the music?

It was so wonderfull!

[sparkingwave]

@Crusty134 Have you tried switching your location to "worldwide" at the bottom of the page? See if that works.

[skygod747]

Hi sparkingwave thank you very much for sharing this video with us. Where did you find this? Can you find more? FYI Clipper Sparking Wave tale number n741PA was in service from 2/1970 to 12/1991 but was Clipper Kit Carson in the begining and was renamed in the 1980s I use to work quite often on this plane. What a fun and exciting company to work for. I still can not belive they are gone. I would do anything to have that life style back! thanks again.

[sparkingwave]

This video was a bonus that came along with a Pan Am poster I had bought on ebay. It was a much longer documentary with lots of speeches by Pan Am brass and other guests, and it wasn't very well made. I took the best parts and edited it down and added the music. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm also on the lookout for other PA 747 videos to add on here.

[fsxb757]

Its that a 747-100 or -200?

[GMHGTO]

@compdude100 some people build businesses or Assets to sell them to other businesses, in Pan Am's case though I think they wanted cash and selling Asian routes allowed them to stay in business.

[compdude100]

@sparkingwave I think Pan Am killed themselves by buying National Airlines.

[RicoCoracao2011]

@sparkingwave this don't work in germany, better Crusty will use an US PROXY..

Sony makes us here in Germany very angry with this and we should boycott all Hardware from this Company !!

[mikeycbd]

A wonderful video and great to see Qantas featured in this historic film clip.

[PanAmclipper100]

pan am was soooo wonderful! if you like pan am check my chanel! ; )

[Crusty134]

Hi Sparkingwave, I have switched the location to worldwide, but it doesn't  works. :(((