Did people fly in a boat from America to Europe?
Some people did. Including President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In June, 1939, the Dixie Clipper, a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat completed its first commercial, scheduled flight from America to Europe.
The seaplane was moored in the water at Port Washington on Long Island, New York. The flying boat lifted off from its water runway, flew 3120 miles non-stop, and landed on the water at their destination ports of Lisbon and Marseilles.
There were actually six Boeing 314 Clipper flying boats in the Pan American fleet, carrying passengers and mail across the Atlantic Ocean.
A Luxurious Flying Boat
It wasn’t like commercial airplanes today. At 109 feet long, it had a dining salon with tables, where you sat and ate as if you were in your own dining room. Couches and chairs to relax in, and the seating for 74 passengers could be turned into 40 bunk beds with privacy curtains for an overnight flight. And the ladies’ salon boasted mirrored vanities with stools to put on make-up in style. WOW!
A Wartime Workhorse
When America entered World War II in December, 1941, the fleet of six Boeing 314s were requisitioned by the U.S. War Department for service in the Navy. During the war, the seaplanes carried high-ranking military, USO performers, and even medical supplies and other vital raw materials such as rubber.
And in 1943, President Roosevelt was the first president to fly while in office. The flying boat was used on his trip to the Casablanca Conference and other locales. As a matter-of-fact, the President celebrated his 61st birthday in the air during one of the legs of that trip.
After the war, the planes were offered back to Pan American, but the company decided they would use land aircraft. The flying boats were sold to various companies, but through a series of bankruptcies at those companies, the clippers were out of service by about 1951.
New and Maybe Not Improved
Commercial seaplanes are still used today, mostly to reach remote locations where travel by land is difficult, if not impossible. But I don’t know of any that rival the Boeing 314s for luxury and style.
With the exception of private aircraft and the luxury those afford (to those who can afford it), my only comment is:
Sometimes the “new and improved” isn’t really an improvement.
What was your most positive, memorable flight?
Flying In A Boat – What was your most positive, memorable flight? Share on XJoni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.
May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.
That is so interesting, Joni. I am not a fan of any kind of flying, even though I had to do it for work for many years. The older I got, the less I liked it. The Boeing 314s sound like a neat way to fly though. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks for reading and sharing, Tim. I think it would be cool to have flown on that aircraft as well.
Very interesting lesson from history. I have always found it fascinating the length that people from long ago went to make things luxurious…like the vanities for applying makeup. I think they did more self-care than we do today, ha ha. I’ve not flown very much, but love looking out at the clouds and down on the earth… God’s view.
Thanks, Jane. I recall looking out the window of the plane on a sunny day. The tops of the clouds were so white, it was almost blinding. Sometimes on rainy days, I always remember that the sun is always shining above the clouds – and how brilliant they look.
Fascinating! Thanks, Joni.
Thanks for reading. I love history, so I enjoyed writing this blog.