Pan Am celebrates 2nd anniversary at NW 36th Street
On the eve of completing its second year in Miami, Pan Am had much to be proud of. The following article, reprinted from the Miami News on September 14th, 1930, explains why.
PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS GROWS
Second birthday finds lusty infant flying 23,000 miles on schedule
Time: Two years ago tomorrow
Place: Pan American Airport, Miami
Event: A Sikorsky amphibian plane waddled down the field and took to the air, with veteran pilot, Edwin Musick, at the wheel. It was loaded with United States mail and passengers for Key West and Havana.
This simple event was the first scheduled flight of Pan American Airways from Miami. It placed this city on the map as an international airport.
Since that date two years ago, hundreds of transport planes have been operated out of Miami on regular schedules, day in and day out, with railroad regularity.
The year just closed shows that over 3,000 planes departed from and arrived at this airport. Each plane that took the air settled to earth on foreign soil. Each plane that landed arrived from a foreign country.
Thus has been established the largest air transport system in the world. Pan American Airways now operates more mileage than all of the United States air mail lines combined.
From one plane daily, starting Sept. 15, 1928, and operating from Miami to Key West and Havana, the schedules have been increased until now Pan American planes fly more than 90,000 miles every week, with Miami as the main operations. This mileage is covered on regular schedules as official carriers of the United States mails. Passengers are also transported on most of these runs.
In two years the Pan American system has been increased from a mileage of 261 to more than 23,000. This mileage includes lines covering the West Indies, Central America, Mexico and encircles the entire continent of South America.
Miami’s international air transport system now serves every country in the western hemisphere with the exception of Bolivia, Canada and Alaska. Eight associated railroads bring air passengers to Miami where they may now embark by air for any of 29 foreign countries to the south.
A significant feature of the operations of this system has been the regularity with which the schedules have been maintained. A recent report of the United States post office department records an efficiency of 99.67 percent scheduled air mail flights completed by the Pan American system.
For Miami, it is significant that the company has expended between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000 at Miami banks, about one quarter of which has been paid directly to employees located in Miami, which in turn finds its way into Miami business channels. The payroll in Miami, of approximately $40,000 per month, is steady the year round.
It is also a matter of pride among citizens of this community to realize that the Pan American airport is rated among air transportation authorities of Europe and America as second only, in its facilities, to the Templehof airport at Berlin. The equipment and facilities of the field, which is located on N. W. 36th St., have constantly been improved until at the present time this airport is one of Miami’s points of interest for visitors and Miamians alike. To accommodate those who visit the airport, a special guide, observation balcony, patio, restaurants, and other facilities are maintained. These are always open to the public.
Miami, as the operating capital of this air transportation system, has been stressed in publicity and advertising throughout the United States, and is also becoming known to the governments and citizens of the 29 Latin-American countries which are now closely bound to the United States through this port of the air.
The establishment of this new gateway trade and travel between the countries of North and South America presents for this community remarkable opportunities for the development of foreign trade and industry. With the continued development of these possibilities Miami should, in the future, become an exposition ground and trade center, where the Latin and Anglo-Saxon races of the western hemisphere meet, display their goods, and transact business.
In this connection, Capt. L. L. Odell, chief airport engineer of Pan American Airways, recently made the following statement:
“It is also probably not too much to anticipate that the aggressive minds of American industry will find it convenient and profitable to establish branches and factories in the Miami district, in order to provide facilities immediately at hand to meet all demands that will certainly develop in connection with this highly efficient channel of trade.
“Such a development, properly handled, can be made to spell complete economic independence for Miami without in any way detracting from its recognized merits as America’s playground.
“But, in any event,” continued Captain Odell, “we are now established here the year round, and the industrial lifeblood of our payrolls and purchases flows evenly, regardless of season, into all lines of business in Miami. We seek the most complete cooperation with all Miamians, and your investigation of the material things which we have been able t to accomplish. We want you to take pride in calling the attention of visitors to your outstanding air transportation system. We want the citizens of Miami to feel that Pan American and this community are definitely linked together by the bonds of common interests.”