The Pan Am three-part documentary series by Moreno/Lyons Productions, with Pan Am Historical Foundation

"ACROSS THE PACIFIC"

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When Pan Am's M-130 flying boat "China Clipper" took off for the first scheduled flight to Manila on November 22, 1935, it riveted the attention of people around the world. At that moment Pan Am vaulted to a commanding position and the world changed forever as a result. That's the story brought to life in "Across the Pacific." Newly unearthed archival motion pictures, photographs, and original sound recordings as well as stunning graphics, help bring this history back to life. The film by Moreno/Lyons Productions tells the epic story of how Pan American Airways became the first to bridge the mighty Pacific - the first airline to cross any ocean. Focusing in particular on the contributions of Pan Am’s visionary leader Juan Trippe, aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky, and radio engineer Hugo Leuteritz, the three-part program is currently broadcast on PBS. "Across the Pacific" premiered on VPM PBS in Richmond Virginia May/June 2020.

FREE STREAMING ON PBS.ORG ENDS SOON

Episode 1 - "Airborne

Episode 2 - "Latin Laboratory"

Episode 3 - "Another Ocean

Virginia Public Media's Blog on each episode

1. “Airborne”
Airline executive Juan Trippe, pilot Charles Lindbergh, airplane builder Igor Sikorsky and radio engineer Hugo Leuteritz join forces to build an airline to Latin America as Pan Am takes flight.

https://vpm.org/watch/articles/13582/across-the-pacific-episode-1-airborne

2. “Latin Laboratory”
Pan Am builds larger flying boats and harnesses radio for navigation as it dominates service to Latin America. Juan Trippe’s plans to cross the Atlantic are dashed when Britain bars his planes from landing. So he sets his sights on the Pacific instead.

https://vpm.org/watch/articles/13825/across-the-pacific-episode-2-latin-laboratory

3. “Another Ocean”
Defying the skeptics, Pan Am builds an airway to Asia, allowing the China Clipper to hopscotch across the world’s widest ocean by landing at five stepping stone islands: Hawaii, Midway, Wake Island, Guam and the Philippines.

https://vpm.org/watch/articles/14032/across-the-pacific-episode-3-another-ocean