#22: the china clipper

the china clipper [17:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

i’ve just returned from a short vacation to a distinctly un-san francisco like location… hawaii! it took me a little while to come up with a san francisco connection, but on the flight home i remembered that san francisco was once home to the “china clipper”, the first transpacific airline service to those gorgeous islands. these titanic yet graceful flying boats were the ultimate way to travel to the newly accessible paradise of the south pacific. they take us back to a more gracious and elegant period in the history of travel, and i hope you enjoy the podcast, as well as the photos, videos, and websites listed below.

» flyingclippers.com is a wonderfully complete and nostalgic history of these lovely craft.
» this pbs website provides newsreel videos and some great photos.
» a newspaper account of the first flight over the pacific.

thanks to kevin macleod for the use of the track “modern jazz samba”. check his royalty-free music site at incompetech.com.

5 responses to “#22: the china clipper”

Kirs10
August 24, 2005 at 4:48 pm

Great work, R. I just want to add that there is a Clipper exhibit at SFO in the international terminal. You can see a real propeller from a Clipper. In October there’ll be a whole Pan Am exhibit there.

So… if you’re ever bored while waiting for a flight at SFO, head over to the museum.

DC
October 29, 2005 at 4:49 pm

Your word pictures are simply amazing. Your recreation of a trans-Pacific flight was incredibly detailed. The highest complement I can give you is that I could see every detail in my mind’s eye that you described. I have enjoyed all of your Podcasts, but, so far, this one is my favorite.

Chloe
February 23, 2009 at 4:09 pm

Hi, Richard,

Oh, how I longed to be on that plane with you as you spoke of gentlemen in hats and the days when manners meant so much. I could see you walking through the aisles and I could feel the rich and extravagant atmosphere. Yet, like you, I would not have been able to afford to fly had I essentially the same resources available to me then as I do now.

A lovely story, Richard. Thank you!

Chloe

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trackbacks & pingbacks:

Pingback from Zoe the Pirate returns to Treasure Island » Sparkletack - the San Francisco History Podcast
November 13, 2008 at 9:16 am

[...] but here’s the sweet part: see the fetching young woman whacking a bottle of bubbly against a China Clipper up there? That would be Zoe Dell Lantis, the official “Pirate Theme Girl” of the [...]

Pingback from Timecapsule podcast: San Francisco, November 17-23 » Sparkletack - the San Francisco History Podcast
November 17, 2008 at 12:13 pm

[...] Clipper fleet would go on to rule trans-oceanic travel until World War II arrived, signaling the end of an elegant era. [...]