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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami and Florida AVIATION Historical Photos Gallery - Airports, Airlines, Aircraft - All Years - click on image to view >> Historical Pan American Airways System and Pan American World Airways Photo Gallery - click on image to enter > 1930 - Pan American Airways System Consolidated Commodore inflight
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1930 Florida State Archives

1930 - Pan American Airways System Consolidated Commodore inflight

Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida


The state archives description: "With this Commodore-type Clipper (first of the Full fledged seaplanes) PAA opened service to Kingston, Jamaica in December 1930. The Commodore (a twin-engined aircraft) played an important role in the development of many of the pioneer, international airline's routes)."

The Consolidated Commodore designed as a Naval patrol flying boat originally. It was the first passenger aircraft to have upholstered seats. Pan American used these aircraft in the Caribbean area during the 20s and 30s. The aircraft had 22 seats, flew at 108 mph, had a 17,600 pound max gross takeoff weight, 1000 mile range, was powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines (575 hp), was 68 feet long, 16 feet in height, and a 100-foot wingspan. Pan American had 14 Commodores. The last one left service after 16 years of flying for Pan Am on September 19, 1946.

In addition to passenger service, Pan American trained hundred of Royal Air Force navigators in Commodores modified for navigational training in 1944.


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Mark Lincoln 25-Apr-2015 18:30
One Commodore still exists. It sank in a lake in British Columbia in 1942. The last Commodore flying was c/n11 which was operated by Bahamas Airways as VP-BAA from 1949 until some time in the 1950s (a BA DC-3 was registered as VP-BAA in 1958). VP-BAA was the last Pan Am flying boat in airline service.