Clipper 'Belle of the Sky' is just airborne off RWY 16.

About to land on runway 30 at MIA with parked and holding aircraft in the background. Originally delivered to National Airlines who then merged with Pan Am. Later it flew as 4K-AZ2 with AZAL Azerbaijan Hava Yollari, N461RD with Dodson International and 5N-BCY with Freedom Air Service. Currently on display at PTG / FAPB.

A seaplane journey to Latin America on Pan Am started here at Dinner Key in Miami. The terminal building is now the Miami City Hall. NC15064 to Panair do Brazil as PP-PAW.

A Pan Am 'Strato Clipper' over the Hawaiian islands with Diamond Head, Oahu in the background. Aircraft inherited from American Overseas Airlines. Renamed Clipper Mandarin at some point. Withdrawn from use in 1960. To Israel in 1962. Preserved at Hatzerim. Photo from: SFO Museum

The dawn of heavier-than-air passenger service across the Atlantic, 28 June 1939. Somewhat embarrassingly the flight had taken four days due to fog at the Botwood, Newfoundland stop. The aircraft carried 19 passengers, twelve crew and 60,000 letters but this was not considered a regular flight, which causes some confusion. On 28 June, NC18605 Dixie Clipper departed New York on the first regular passenger flight, via the 'southern route' to Marseille through the Azores. Yankee was back in NY on 2 July and flew the first regular pax service to Southampton on 8-9 July. She had also made the first mail flights, to Marseille in May and to Southampton in June. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

The first of three S-40 flying boats for PAA, first flown on 6 August 1931. Large airliners for their day, they carried up to 38 passengers. First Lady Lou Hoover christened N80V the first Pan Am Clipper, American Clipper, on 12 October 1931. Charles Lindbergh piloted it on its first scheduled flight from Miami one week later, although he was critical of the draggy design. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

300,000 people reportedly turned out for the three-day 'flight festival' around the dedication of the new terminal at SFO. Photo from: SFO Museum

Overflying Pan Am's new seaplane terminal on Treasure Island. All buildings of the Golden Gate International Exposition were razed down in 1940 to make room for a new land airport, but it became a naval facility instead. This is the second Boeing 314 airframe, the first to fly with triple tailfins. Named California Clipper, it was approaching Auckland in New Zealand on a regular transoceanic flight on 7 December 1941 when news came in of the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor. Captain Robert Ford was ordered to proceed westward to New York and managed to complete an amazing 50,000 km trip via Australia, Java, Ceylon, Karachi, Bahrain, Sudan, Congo and Brazil. Photo from: SFO Museum

Later renamed Bermuda Clipper. The S-42 was used mainly on Pan Am's Miami - Rio route. Pending the completion of the Marine Air Terminal at New York - LGA, the modest Port Washington facility on Long Island was used for Atlantic flights, although revenue services only reached as far as Bermuda until the Boeing 314 became available just before WWII. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

Overflying the under-construction San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which is not the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco is the closest US west coast city to Hawaii and Pan Am's Pacific flying boat terminal was to be built on artificial Treasure Island, to the left of Yerba Buena Island, in the background. The S-42 had insufficient range to start transoceanic services but Pan American Clipper was used for experimental Pacific flights, hence the NR registration. Photo by: Clyde Sunderland / California State Library

Pan Am's one and only China Clipper at Alameda in 1936. I took this with a 620 Box Brownie camera at age 14.

Third S-43, the first for Pan Am. Also flew as NX15063 and deliveries to Pan Am were reportedly delayed. To Panair do Brasil subsidiary in 1940 as PP-PBA. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

Delivered new 9th Jan 1970 and converted to freighter Sep 1992, then leased to Air Hong Kong as VR-HKB 12th Nov 1992, returning as N735PA 28th Apr 1993 and transferred to Polar Air Cargo 14th May 1993. Re-registered N735SJ 1st Oct 1993 and to N830FT 3rd Feb 1995. Withdrawn from use KMOB (Mobile) Dec 1996 and scrapped

Ex Braniff/Air One/World Airways, registered to Air Atlanta Nov 1986 and transferred to PanAm July 1987, then re-registered N377PA May 1988