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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 - NYRBA / Pan American Airways System Consolidated Commodore at Dinner Key
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1930 Florida State Archives

1930 - NYRBA / Pan American Airways System Consolidated Commodore at Dinner Key

Dinner Key, Miami, Florida


From the state archives description: "In 1930, PAA placed the first full-fledged seaplanes in operation with the introduction of the Consolidated Commodores. These were twin-engined seaplanes and helped to pioneer many of the company's new routes. Flights were made from the Dinner Key seaplane base in Miami."

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 Caribben 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 28-Apr-2015 13:55
The Commodores were originally ordered by the New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line which operated them in service between Buenos Aires and Miami between February and August 1930 when NYRBA suffered a shotgun marriage with Pan Am. NYBA was responsible for opening airline service from Dinner Key.
Kathryn Banks 31-Jul-2008 17:42
My husband and I learned from some old timers on the block some years back, that Indiana Street in Coconut Grove was developed by Pan Am to house its pilots and was called the "Pan Am Compound." One of my N.Y. friends, who in the 40's came through Miami with her parents and flew south from Dinner Key, said that her family visited one of Pan Am pilots at his home at the "Compound." We own one of the original Pan Am homes and are interested in any related documentation or information. And your site is spectacular. Thank you.
May-Frances Boutte Morrison 22-Oct-2007 19:22
It is interesting to me that no one seems to remember that NYRBA Airline had Clipper Ships flying from Dinner Key Base to Havana, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Airies in 1929 and 1930; in 1931, Pan Am apparently acquired this airline. Does anyone remember this? My father was in charge of all the floating equipment for NYRBA Airline between Dinner Key and South America at that time.
bob 15-Jun-2007 15:16
In 1951 or 52, two of my friends and I were fishing in the dinner key channel catching sand perch, when one of these "flying boats" took off. We were right in the path of the big bird/boat, and had to crank our motor like crazy to get out of the channel. We could only imagine the fun they were having in the cockpit watching us skeedaddle.