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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0584.PDF
PASSENGER LOG By ROBERT J. BLACKBURN "Flying Clipperwise" to Frankfurt and Berlin "AT last! We've kept the flight waiting for you since /% nine-thirty." This from the P.A.W.A. station officer who met me on arrival at London Airport one recent Monday morning. Sure enough, I could see the Stratocruiser waiting on the apron ready for departure, but my pride in having personally kept a "giant airliner" waiting for two hours was mixed with surprise, since I had reported at the time given to me. An explanation appeared as, at record speed, I was propelled through Customs, past Immigration and across the marshalling area to Clipper Washington. The aircraft had flown direct from New York and arrived well ahead of schedule because of a strong tailwind. A correspondingly early departure for Frankfurt was prevented only by die fact mat one passenger—myself—had booked to come aboard at London. The journey promised to be an interesting one on several counts. In the first place it provided an opportunity of sampling the com fort of a transatlantic-type first-class flight, and of Pan American service, without the expense or time involved in actually visiting America. Frankfurt, the most important airport in Germany, is not only the main European terminal for PanAm's long-distance services but the centre of an extensive regional network operated by this enterprising American carrier in the absence of German air sovereignty. Most of the Stratocruiser's passengers had disembarked at London and only about half a dozen remained for the final leg to Frankfurt. However, about 60 more had already gone ahead on that day's "Rainbow" tourist service, operated by DC-6B. As fitted out for the luxurious "President" service, for which a $25 (£9) surcharge is made, the Stratocruiser carries up to 59 passengers in great comfort. Although it has been flying the North Atlantic since June 1949, the big Boeing is still a very competitive aircraft for the route. The DC-6B and L.1049C are slightly faster, and from the range viewpoint they correspond more closely to the ideal of a non-stop transatlantic airliner, but they lack the ship-like spaciousness of the Stratocruiser's interior. Aeronautically, there is nothing very novel about a scheduled airline flight to Frankfurt, but as this was my first trip with PanAm I found much to interest me. First a sortie below decks via the spiral staircase to the 14-seat lounge. The bar was closed, so in solitary comfort I was able to enjoy an uninterrupted view of Kent 11,000ft below. Suddenly a loudspeaker on the forward bulkhead emitted a crackling cough and announced itself as Captain Blair, Eight large transports can be accommodated on the covered-ln apron at Tempelhof; on the left are seen the stairways which give access to the actual terminal building. This impressive structure escaped serious damage during the war.
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