[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10795-S10796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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  TRIBUTE TO COMMEMORATE THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHINA CLIPPER'S 
                              FIRST FLIGHT

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, this month marks the 65th 
anniversary of the world's first commercial trans-Pacific flight. I 
wish to pay tribute to those who possessed the vision and tenacity to 
achieve this historic milestone, which significantly altered the travel 
industry, mail service, and cargo service, and forever change my home 
state of Hawaii.
  On November 22, 1935, Pan American World Airways' China Clipper 
traveled from San Francisco to Manila. This feat was remarkable for 
many reasons, including the following:
  This inaugural fight was the longest ocean-spanning flight in 
history. The China Clipper traveled 8,746 miles and completed the one-
way route in six days. Prior to this flight, the longest over-water 
flight was a 1,865-mile journey from Dakar in French West Africa to 
Natal, Brazil, in South America.
  This aircraft delivered the first airmail across the Pacific ocean. 
It carried 110,865 letters weighing a total of 1,837 pounds.
  This China Clipper, an M-130 aircraft built by G. L. Martin Company 
specifically to meet the demands of this trans-oceanic flight, was the 
largest flying boat ever.
  About 125,000 people cheered as the four-engine China Clipper taxied 
out of a harbor in San Francisco Bay and headed for the Philippines. 
They watched from vantage points along the shore and the still-under-
construction Golden Gate Bridge, and aboard recreational boats and 
small private planes. Postmaster General James A. Farley traveled from 
Washington, D.C. to witness this inaugural event and President Franklin 
D. Roosevelt sent a special message conveying his heartfelt 
congratulations.
  The China Clipper made stops at several Pacific Islands. On November 
23, 1935, its arrival in Oahu's Pearl Harbor was watched by about 3,000 
people. Then the aircraft continued on, making stops at Pan American 
bases at Midway Island, Wake Island, and Guam. The China Clipper 
brought the staffs at these bases 12 crates of turkeys, and cartons of 
cranberries, sweet potatoes, and mincemeat. The meals represented these 
islands' first Thanksgiving celebrations.
  The China Clipper's brave crew of seven were: Captain Edwin C. 
Musick, First Officer R. O. D. Sullivan, Second Officer George King, 
First Engineering Officer Chan Wright, Engineering Officer Victor 
Wright, Navigation Officer Fred Noonan, and Radio Officer W. T. Jarboe, 
Jr.
  Captain Musick's own description of the landing at Wake Island, a 
barren atoll, offers a glimpse of what it was like to be aboard the 
China Clipper's inaugural trans-Pacific flight. According to Captain 
Musick, the landing was the ``most difficult'' on the trip and ``called 
for the most exacting feats of navigation on record.'' It was like 
striking a point that was ``smaller than a pinhead'' in the ``vast map 
of the Pacific Ocean.''
  On November 29, 1935, the China Clipper landed in Manila and on 
December 6, it arrived in San Francisco to complete the round trip. 
Although the aircraft did not carry any paying passengers, its journey 
marked the beginning of trans-oceanic passenger commercial aviation.
  Eleven months later, on October 21, 1936, Pan American inaugurated a 
passenger service route with stops in San Francisco, Honolulu, and 
Manila. The four-engine China Clippers cruised at 150 miles per hour. 
Passengers, who sat in broad armchairs and ate their meals with fine 
china and silverware, paid $1,438 for a round trip from San Francisco 
to Manila. The airlines purchased six Boeing B-314 aircraft to add to 
its Pacific-route fleet.
  Thirty years later, the advent of the jet age brought Hawaii--located 
approximately 2,400 miles from the nearest major port--closer to the 
rest of

[[Page S10796]]

the world. In 1967, visitor arrivals jumped 34.6 percent to 1.1 million 
tourists from the previous year when the first jets arrived in Hawaii. 
By 1968, Continental Airlines, Western Air, Braniff International, 
American Airlines, Trans World Airlines, Inc., and United Airlines had 
joined Pan Am in flying Hawaii-Mainland routes. Today, Honolulu 
International Airport is home to about 40 carriers. In recent years, 
the state's annual visitor count has approached 7 million tourists.
  The China Clipper also paved the way for the export of Hawaii's 
agricultural products, such as pineapples and flowers. The Hawaii 
floriculture industry's out-of-state sales each year are about $40 
million. The timely export of these perishable goods is made possible 
by aviation.
  Today, agriculture and tourism are mainstays of Hawaii's economy. The 
China Clipper's crew and Juan Trippe, who was president of Pan American 
at the time of the inaugural flight, would marvel at the economic and 
social ramifications of that historic journey more than six decades 
ago.
  I salute the people of Pan American World Airways, G. L. Martin 
Company, and Boeing who pursued what others thought was impossible. It 
is my hope that today's aviation industry will follow the example of 
its forebears by continually striving to achieve new milestones in 
safety, efficiency, and customer service.

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