The Plane that Accidentally Circumnavigated the World

[Lon Moer]

The Long Way Round: The Plane that Accidentally Circumnavigated the World

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the crew of Pan Am flight 18602 were forced to do something almost impossible: return to America the long way round.

Fascinating story about the Pan American California Clipper/Pacific Clipper caught in New Zealand when the war started.

[Lon Moer]

[airnutz]

Thanks for posting this Lon, I was jonesing on yet another day of stalled morning reading of "This Damm Navy". What an adventure!! Too bad they had to keep a lid on the story. A Frank Wead screenplay sequel to "China Clipper" would have been exciting..."Desperate Journey of the California Clipper" with Bogey as the now mature Hap Stuart who now commands the left seat with hot headed 2nd seat pilot John Garfield ....
I cringe to think of the interpretation they'd perform nowadays. Starring Ben Affleck, 50cent and Lady GaGa...

[Lynn Allen]

I heard that its available on Kindle but haven't found it yet. Has anyone seen it on Kindle and if so, how is the title listed?

Thanks

[Lon Moer]

I heard that its available on Kindle but haven't found it yet. Has anyone seen it on Kindle and if so, how is the title listed?

Thanks

That's a link to the story in the first post.

[Tom Moungovan]

I went to an airshow in Hollister, CA in 1984 with my dad. He introduced me to several other retired PanAm pilots
who flew the boats in WW2. One of them was on this flight and he said that when the Clipper got strafed, one of the bullets
just missed a vital oil line and that would have been it for getting out of there.

[Duggy009]

Lots more photo's and info here LINK -- http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e ... ic.php?290

[old iron]

I think we should be more careful of how we use words. This flight around the world was in no way accidental; the pilot was not Douglas Corrigan (if indeed that flight was accidental). They were professional, they knew what they were doing...

Perhaps "improvised" would be a better word!

[JohnB]

If you read the chapter on the Boeing in Ernie Gann's Flying Circus, Pan Am had a predetermined code for the expected Japanese attack and the crews had directions of what to do given various locations.

Yes, it would be a great story...either by a great non-fiction author or fictionalized (as long as they didn't mess it up with an improbable romance or kids...in the case of Spielberg). The film would probably have them in a Albatross....and have Kim Kardasian as the stewardess.

[bdk]

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