Free Republic

“What’s up Gene?!” Asked Rod Brown the plane’s Second Officer, who’d been close enough to witness the radioman’s reaction and now moved to his side. “The Japs have attacked Pearl Harbour!” “You’ve got to be kidding.” “No! No!” Leach insisted, “Just now… they bombed Pearl Harbour! No joke man!” Seeing the expression of horror on Leach’s face soon dispelled any doubt in Brown’s mind. And then the reality of what this meant hit him: if the Pacific was no longer a friendly sea then they were cut off. They had no route home. Brown headed towards the cockpit to warn...

Just as the flying boat seemed about to hit the gorges he gave one final, desperate, heave on the yoke and she finally broke a few inches free from the water. The California Clipper flew forward over the rim of the gorge. Without the benefit of the ground effect that had allowed her to break free of the surface, she immediately plunged down into the rocky defile below, curving out just above the water once again. The plane was now racing along just a few feet above the water through the narrow rock walls of the Congo valley. With her...

A documentary on the history of the great flying boats in the early years of passenger air travel including the famed Pan Am Clippers.