I am Clipper Juan T. Tripp. Over 20 years ago I was born, the first commercial 747 to fly. How proud I was to be delivered to Pan Am. Through the years my wings have spread over the oceans and distant lands. My wheels have felt the touch of foreign soil. Hands of many nations have tended to my needs. Many have walked my aisles in the service of those in my care. In countless ways, Pan Am have cared for me. Through endless night and days, you've guided me through the sky. Now my job is done, my task finished. I leave you as proudly as I came to you. My blood is blue, my heart a blue ball, farewell. We signed our names that morning with a heavy heart as a fond farewell. You were the first, and the last of the great Pan Am Clippers. We wish you godspeed on your journey, Clipper Juan T. Tripp.
Pan Am was the Cunard Line of Airlines, much like how TWA was the White Star Line of Airlines. All four were trend setters that set standards for customer service, comfort, and luxury, and that cared about those things in their respective industries.
PanAm were the ledgends of the skies for so many years. Tragically all good things come to an end. Unfortunately they were involved in 2 of the most horrific accidents, Lockerbie 1988 and Los Rodeos crash of 1977.
Pan am is the no. 1 world's airline in the year 70's and 80's.i first and last saw this jumbo jet in the mid 80's when my grandmother's siblings left the philippibes for America. At the old Manila international Airport.
Ahh... Looks like you're familiar with PAA round-the -world Flight numbers! I spent 26 years there and it have been longer if they didn't shut down in 91.
Ye politics and bad management that was it, I started in 1960 saw it all bad recession fuel was 10 cents a gallon then we got rights to fly from Atlanta to London but Georgia politics took care of that. Even though Delta did not have the equipment to fly. Amen
Flew a Pan Am 747 from Panama straight threw to Hawaii back in the early 70s, exciting as a little kid, all I saw was puffy white clouds and a huge blue ocean, Ill never forget it.
That’s pretty terrible news coverage - Juan “Trip”? And that logo graphic? Yikes!! Still, it was the end of an era and that is absolutely true. PA was a hell of an airline. I flew on N747PA [Juan Trippe], the plane in this video, in 1984. I stepped through that door when she operated Pan Am flight 103 from London on that day, a flight number that was to symbolize another terrible day in Pan Am’s history a few years later. N747PA herself ended up with her wings clipped in South Korea, as a restaurant. When the restaurant failed, she was eventually scrapped, no doubt unceremoniously given her conspicuous place in history.
Pan Am was not really technically bankrupt, the corrupt Washington politicians crippled the airline, as well as TWA later on and others, you don't know anything, someday I hope you will if you run across the right people and ask questions, but be careful.
DC10 Fomin wasn't just that, the oil crisis in '73 hit them pretty hard and they never fully recovered from as well as the mechanic strike in '85, the Chernobyl disaster in '86 and then the Lockerbie bombing in '88 which was pretty much the final nail in the coffin
The oil crisis is what made Pan Am go bust. They had too many 747s which comsumed alot of fuel and also during the 70s flights were almost empty. They tried turning it around by buying national and ordered some airbus planes but it was too late.
DC10 Fomin I’ve can honestly say I’ve never heard anyone say Pan Am was not technically bankrupt. Towards the last several years before they stopped operations they were hemorrhaging millions of dollars a day and had already sold their most valued assets. Pan-Am invested heavily in the first generation 747’s fuel guzzlers and that coupled with strikes, gas crisis of the 1970’s, war, poor security which helped cause Lockerbie etc. just to name a few. Pan Am just made poor decisions after Juan Trippe and nobody after him was as smart and as innovative as him. Deregulation had something to do with it but dumb business decisions made it worse. They blew tons of cash they didn’t even have buying National when industry analysts told them to wait and not purchase it. They did it anyway. They got into a bidding war and lost big. Lockerbie finished Pan-Am off because the flying public didn’t trust them with their safety. Politicians didn’t have anything to do with that. That was all PA’s lax security because they were not able to pay for extra security measures and screening machines they need to make bomb detection more reliable. My dad was a pilot for them so our family had a ring side seat for everything Pan-Am. Fortunately my dad was still young enough in his career that he was able to fly 747’s for Delta. Employees lost everything. Medical benefits, pensions, retirement.......everything.
"Clipper Victor" N736PA was actually a backup plane to "Clipper Young America" when that aircraft had engine problems while attempting take off, and just too keep thing flowing "Clipper Young America" was stenciled over the "Clipper Victor" name....
+George Parker N736PA Clipper Victor was indeed the first PA 747. When Clipper Juan Trippe or Clipper America was taxing for t/o at JFK bound to London, it suffered and engine failure on which the plane returned to the gate. Clipper Victor was sitting as a back up plane and available. PA changed planes, it's name was repainted to Clipper America and was the one in which the first Boeing 747 flight was conducted on January of 1970. After Juan Trippe died, then Clipper America was re christened as Clipper Juan T Trippe becoming PA flagship until December/04/ 1991.
Why why did they do this tl pan American air lines I was 18 on this flight and I worked for pan am so it's 2013 and know one even now's what pan am is but we will always remember it beauty of aviation clipper of the seas
I was never a fan of Pan Am, but even I realize what a sad day this was. The 747 and PA were synonymous. The truly sad thing about this particular aircraft is what eventually happened to it. It would up as a restaurant in Korea that was never really successful. The restaurant closed and the aircraft languished for years before finally being demolished in Dec 2010.
Pan Am had class and even though it isnt with us any longer,it still outshines the airlines of today..I had my first flight on a 747 with Pan Am in 1972 from JFK-San Juan and the airliner was the "midnight sun" the return was called "Derby hat",and I was so impressed that is had a "domino lounge" in economy class LOL
