Death of an American Dream: The Pan Am Story (1992, Documentary)
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- From Stepping Stone Productions, filmmaker Tas Salinin's 1992 documentary provides first person interviews with recently unemployed employees and Pan Am veterans along with a comprehensive history of the iconic airline during the months right after Pan American World Airways ceased operations on December 4, 1991 when the company was being liquidated.
The film captures the raw heartbreak of employees and provides a unique perspective of the airline's demise as interviews happened shortly after the airline closed down and during the dismantling of the company in the first half of 1992.
Many of those featured have since passed away in the last three decades.
Note: William Seawell's name is mispronounced. The correct pronunciation is "sue-wool."
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33 years later, I'm still 💔
December 4 1991 was the saddest day ever when I found out I lost my job when pan am closed down I was lucky though I went right back to work with American Airlines I just retired after 33 years
My father worked for Pan Am for 30 years and at 50 had to start again. Both my brother and I were just finishing high school. We were based in London. It was the most devastating time. My father knew all the crew that died on the Lockerbie bombing flight. Such a tragic ending of an era. None of us ever recovered. Both of my parents have passed now but my brother and I still remember the horror of it all . Regardless, I’m grateful for the Pan Am experience and the Pan Am family we had. There will never again be anything like it 😢
I too remember that dreadful day, December 4th, 1991 overnight I became unemployed, I was 24 at the time and I was hired by Pan Am at 18 years of age. And just like you I went right back to work and was hired at TWA On January 10th 1992. I'm now with American Airlines, and I can say that as a flight attendant for TWA and American, Pan Am hands down was the best airline to work for.
sadder then 9/11?
PA 001 was a flight that flew around the World every day, never flew the whole route but a lot of its sectors
@@deltaboy767 Hahaha, it would be TWA scooping you up. But what did you get to do for Pan Am at 18?
Most of my working life was 'invested, not spent' in commercial aviation. I was beginning my ninth year as a BAC industrial engineer, when the announcement came over the production floor PA system, of the avionics manufacturer, that I was visiting as part of a TQI/TQM SPC eval - that Pan American Airways had suspended operations. I hadn't noticed, but there were two MACH Airspeed Indicators being calibrated prior their being handed-over to a specialty courier, who was waiting for the QC and shipping department to sign off the routers, then hand deliver them to JFK by 8:00 PM that evening, as these were hand carried by that very same courier only 20 hours before, and were "PRIORITY STATUS: A.O.G." (Aircraft On Ground) Instruments. At the very same time, the courier received a pager alert to contact his supervisor, who ordered him to leave both instruments with the vendor.
Within about 20 minutes, the vendor's C.O.O. instructed a QC engineer to personally deliver both instruments 'back to Pan Am', because they were (both) from a 747 that was scheduled to 'fly the return trip from Heathrow to Kennedy, with passengers and Pan Am employees, whose aircraft were under an impound order, and not permitted to fly, by the company's insurer. The insurer's primary goal was to ensure that as few people as possible were stranded 'thousands of miles away from home'. I later found out that TWA and British Airways combined their efforts to fuel and service that very same aircraft. Nine years later, TWA met a similar fate, prior to being acquired by American Air Lines.... It's a small world.....
🥲❤️
What a sad state of affairs. My father was a member of the PanAm family for 30years , based in London. The worst tragedy was the Lockerbie bombing. He knew personally, the entire crew. He never got over it. None of us did 😓
@mosaicsanctuary3 Yesterday, was the 60th anniversary of PAA Flight 214's mid-air lightning induced explosion over the area's east of Elkton, MD, and west of Newark, DE. Pan Am's routes were the toughest because most were intercontinental, and involved at least 'pond skips, or jumps.' My masters thesis was largely based on 214. When you study something for 30+ yrs, you, through assimilation, become almost part of the flight crew, and 214's was the very best in the air that day.
Flew Pan Am in 1978. From Bangkok to NY. Then from SF to Singapore.
Still remember the song.
Pan Am. We fly the world the way the world wants to fly.
Still remember the captain 's smile and nod.
Valued my presence as a passenger.
Thanks Pan Am.
Bye.
It's a shame PAN AM never kept a clipper 747-100 in a museum, that was silly
there is a pan am 747 in a hanger at JFK but I don’t know who’s responsible for it or why they hide it there, but i’ve seen it with my own 2 eyes about 4 different times
There was a attempt to save ‘Clipper Juan Trippe’ a Boeing 747-100 second off the production line to be saved Smithsonian Air/Space museum but unfortunately nothing came of it.
Clipper Victor was in the Tenerife airport disaster
3 minutes in and watching that poor pilot choking up. So sad. I’m from the Scottish highlands and was born in the late 70s. I remember the night PanAm 103 went down over Lockerbie - one of our teachers had family there. I’ve never had the chance to fly in a 747 of any variant and I’ve never flown in a Dc10/MD11. I feel like I’ve missed out on an amazing experience as today’s aircraft, while cleaner and more cost efficient for the airlines, just don’t have the character of the older aircraft. The 727 is another beautiful girl I’ll never get to experience. The closest airport to me is Inverness, and that’s 2 hours on the east coast - I’m on the Isle of Skye and r minutes from the castle that was in Highlander. The only aircraft there are those piddly wee A319/320s or little prop aircraft that fly over to the western isles. Anyway, I really hope I manage to at least get to see a 747/8 at some point but I don’t have the funds to buy a ticket to fly across the Atlantic on Lufthansa’s 748. I hope I win the lottery! I’d spent the rest of my days going round the airports of the USA to see the different airports I’ve wanted to see for years. I’d love to go to Anchorage to see the cargo 747s too. I’m 45, my kids have left home and my husband wouldn’t notice if I buggered off for a few months - so lottery gods, help me see some gorgeous aircraft and airports before I get too fat and old to fly!
As a young girl, my family flew a bit and we flew TWA or Ozark since we live in St. Louis (headquarters for Ozark and one midwest hub for TWA). TWA operated a lot of 727s and Ozark operated Douglass aircraft. 727s were extremely noisy (I mean LOUD) in the rear of the aircraft, and the bathrooms back there always reeked of jet fuel/exhaust. The Douglass aircraft from Ozark were the same way. Engines in the rear and very loud and smelly. Plus, everyone was allowed to smoke onboard so the planes all stunk of stale cigarette smoke. Every seat had an ash tray in one of the arms and they were always full and dirty from a previous customer. I do npt miss those days at all.
I hope your wish comes true. Hi from Texas, where it's hot as 🔥. 👋 👋
I was hired by Pan Am in 1987 I was a flight attendant for the airline until they closed down in December 4 1991 I went on to work for American Airlines I recently retired after 33 years of flying
Great video..thank you so much. I worked MIA 1990/1 for Eastern air lines always respected the crews at Pan Am maintenance. Great memories thanks once again
That sign is still there & the building is back to being a restaurant.
Maybe they can put this & the BBC documentary onto a dvd to raise money for the museum 🤔🤞
We would love to, but we do not own the copyright to do so. If you like what we’re doing, we urge everyone to consider making a tax-deductible donation: www.thepanammuseum.org/support-us/
Pan Am ....!!! WE LOVE YOU...WE MISS YOU...!!!!
I had to try and research how this company went out of business after years of being on top. The most immediate cause was no capable leader filled the CEO post since Trippe retired. He was the visionary who could see past the curve of the planet, ahem, future, and knew how to navigate through uncertain seas and handle difficult curveballs.
The curveballs brought them down. First, the oil embargo which especially hit Pan-Am, which specialized in long-distance international flights, needed more fuel, and at that point, had fewer customers. Second, the deregulation of airlines, leaving other airlines leeway to compete on international flights, while Pan-Am had no domestic routes. Third, the terror attacks.
And even then, they could have survived if they had capable leadership from on top.
54:55 This Pilot's Poetic summerization of Pan Am Demise is Heartbreaking
It was. But it makes you ask where was Juan Trippe when you needed him? Pan Am's days were numbered when he retired - he was like the vital organs of that elegant, beautiful woman. Without a leader of Trippe's capability, it was a matter of time before the company went down.
Leadership is the hit or miss factor for any business or entity. Apple almost went out of business before Steve Jobs returned in the late 90s. GE went down after Jack Welch retired. Chrysler also was on the verge of bankruptcy until Lee Iacocca got hired - and went down after he retired.
Had a friend who was an operations engineer for Pan Am and I remember how much he loved his job and this amazing airline. I was lucky enough to get some flights on 747s to U.K. and Europe while the airline still existed. They had trouble for years before they declared bankruptcy.
My dad preferred pan am I remember. Sad a company that have so much part of history specially during the war was neglected by the very government it helped.
Exactly the own government they helped held them back from domestic flights then let them shut down. Personally I believe that the outcome of war without panam would definitely be different
Err...the COUNTRY it helped.
I agree; if US Government had given just a fraction of the billions it spews gushingly in Ukraine's direction, PanAm might be alive today. Tragic demise.
Loosing Pan-Am would be like us Aussies loosing QANTAS.
However, nothing lasts forever, and no doubt, QANTAS will go the same way in time....
It would probably be reformed into another entity or a airline would start from scratch later. SABENA no longer exists, but it reformed to become SN Brussels Airlines, then eventually Brussels Airlines. And Westjet sort of became the new Canadian Pacific/Pacific Western/Canadian Airlines - albeit not with the same level of service.
I never flew Qantas, what's it like?
Canada never really had an airline like Pan Am - but I will say our current flag carrier, Air Canada, is actually quite lousy. I flew Canadian Airlines a couple times, they were decent - but not on Pan Am's calibre.
Sou Brasileiro... mas até os dias de hoje, não me conformo com a extinção da PAN AM. Voei algumas vezes em suas aeronaves 707 e 747... a saudade dos bons tempos da aviação, me fazem melancólico as vezes !!! 😢🎉🇧🇷
E voou Panair do Brasil?
Thanks for sharing your video. I enjoyed watching. Take care and God Bless.
Excellent documentary.
We can thank Pan Am and those who worked for this fantastic corporation for being an international airline.
My father worked for PanAm they helped me want to be a flight attendant, I flew for Eastern, then United I just retired from United always wished I could have flew for Pan Am
Hi Barbara, my father was a UAL pilot and mom a stewardess in the 60's. Did your father transfer to another airlines? Also, do you remember Branif Airlines? In our neighborhood where I grew up there were several pilots based out of JFK. TWA, Branif, and United.
Great to read your story and I admire your long career in the airlines!✈️🙏
@@gabrielle-AV-n-PFloyd my father worked for pan am only,yes I remember braniff I also wokef for Eastern Airlines’s
@@barbarasjelin5196 Amazing! You were blessed to have been working in that coveted Stewardess position.
@@gabrielle-AV-n-PFloyd over 40 years for for 2 airlines
My cousin worked for eastern out of newark.rita maguire passed away 2006 so many payed there respect to her they layed bus,s for her.born in scotland and would help so many.never fogotten.
It's an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it.
A sad day in aviation history
It’s also a shame Pan Am’s N707PA was not preserved!
Tho not the first 707
The tail number is historic
Pan Am tried to find a museum to preserve N707PA, but they failed and they scrapped the aircraft after the 747-121s replaced them.
unfair Marketing & Bankrupcy Fraud No Doubt, the final words "stripping her" just makes my blood boil, it's crimes against "HER" No Respect, Political Corruption That Should Have Never Happened.
Pan am was truly a trail blazer and is responsible for a lot of the procedures we have in place today (2024) that has contributed to an organized and successful commercial airline business in the United States.
It's a well-known fact that being at the forefront of any industry does not mean that will always be the case.
The business changed and evolved over time while pan am failed to stay abreast with the new realities.
I salute all the risk takers and efforts of everyone who made pan am a successful enterprise, its legacy will live on.
This was very emotional to watch…..it was more than a paycheck, it was an American institution 😢
With the demise of Pan Am a era of aviación abruptly ended. Fortunatelly Mr Juan Tripp died in 1981 and did not see the end of his dream!
If there's any one singular fault in the demise of Pan American, or any other legacy air carrier, it's the Airline Deregulation Act of 1977 (Enacted 1978).
While this was planned to afford greater efficiencies in air travel to the travelling public, it only resulted in tremendous hardships to countless airline employees, and problematic service to the travelling public.
And the Administration who supported the Legislation of this action still has a former President alive today, living in his modest home in Georgia, surrounded by Secret Service Agents.
All this while the rest of US are crammed into 32-inch pitch seats, typically with little or insignificant amenities, and overbooked flights.
And ironically, if you want to be a Millionaire (now Billionaire), get a Million bucks, and buy an Airline. And good luck.
Exactly. I’m a TWA brat and I remember clearly that my dad said that only four or five majors would survive and he also said the regionals would go away or be absorbed.
If you are interested in the WORST flight of your life, fly Frontier Airlines...it is a horrible experience!
Very few people could afford to fly before deregulation,pilot, attendant, mechanic,etc. Union Rackets would throw a tantrum and go on Strike; not how any business should be run Old saying " live by the sword,die by sword". Southwest used to be great carrier,low cost,great service, over time bad management has allowed Unions to destroy it once outstanding business-model. Bad Management and Cancerous Unions are a disastrous mix.
American Airlines survived the deregulation. So did United, Delta, and Southwest. There was no reason Pan-Am couldn't.
Their problem was since Juan Trippe retired, no leader of his stature could fill the void. This company required a leader who could reinvent the wheel every year, innovate a new avenue forward.
The said president of the United States still alive, responsible for the deregulation, well alas, he was one of the worst leaders yet for America. But I imagine his successor would have also deregulated the airline industry, but neither of them would have wanted this fate, both of them probably flew Pan Am regularly.
Sad this has me in tears
If Pan American followed the law at Heathrow and matched onboard luggage with actual people onboard, perhaps they would still be in business.
Can you explain what you mean? I'm just learning about Pan Am's history, sparked by my recent viewing of episodes from the short-lived TV show.
@@shawandabonner9681 The rules AND THE LAW stated that luggage put in a plane has to match an actual on board passenger.
Pan American at least in London WASN'T doing this. Hence, the checked suitcase with the bomb was aboard the 747 when there was no passenger onboard corresponding to it.
They were fined heavily, but it wasn't enough, I think.
Doubt it Pan am was already in deep financial trouble in 1988. I doubt they could have survived passed 9/11 even if they managed to turn things around a bit.
@@stuartlee6622they were in financial trouble long before that.
PanAm 103 was a CIA inside job to cover up Iran/Contra...CIA OWNED PanAm for decades..Trippe thought he was doing the right thing helping US Govt from WW2...
BUT it just became a demonic monster as CIA took over.
Juan Trippe WAS A REAL GENIUS..THAT IS TRUE...
He was the visionary for the 20th Century's aviation growth.
Him and Howard Hughes.
Fortunatelly he died in 1981 and did not see the unhappy end of the story!
@@TERoss-jk9ny Howard Hughes knew nothing about running an airline and one of the things that put TWA in a bad position.
@@johniii8147 : Maybe not, but he was genius enough to strike Juan Trippe in a way that affected the airline industry forever more.
That is so sad that this happened to Pan Am, I'm not a pilot are anything like that and I've only been a plane once, I kinda feel the employee's pain of losing their jobs of this beautiful airline, my heart go's out to all the employee's and to everyone who flew on Pan Am planes
TWA could fly domestic and International.
Sill never forgotten Pan American.........never
Me as well😢😢
5:00 - Such a "funeral" would never happen for any other business. There was something in the Pan-Am culture that was unrealistically magnetic to drive every employee to be this fully vested, going so far to even help customers off the plane on the last day, unpaid. And then hold this memorial?
Nobody would ever mourn American Airlines going out of business. Well, maybe a few employees and loyal customers, but for every one who mourns, two would celebrate.
So Delta delivered the final blows. I'll never forgive them :(((
Delta sucks. They f up every airline they touch, including any regionals.... signed, a regional airline employee whose company was affected by delta 57:21
‘Woke’ DEI garbage product.
Great. Historical airline.the made the international routes.. I flew on them once
What a voice the narreter has awesome
I worked for Pan Am for 34 years. On the many flights I flew with them I was treated specially. Today the cattle cars service you grieve, maybe a bag of peanuts . I choose not to fly anymore.
Iconic
Interesting though , i am enjoying the different aspect of PAN AM
we were a family , one of the saddest days being driven out to the hangers to get our tools seeing all the planes parked,
Carter was a wrecking ball.
I'm from Georgia, but I totally agree. I was working as a Century 21 real estate agent during his presidency and we had RECORD HIGH interest rates, so nobody was buying. As a person, Jimmy Carter was probably okay, but as President, he was horrible!
Interesting doccie. However Pan Am was not the first airline to fly jets. On May 2, 1952, the British Overseas Aircraft Corporation (BOAC) began the world's first commercial jet service with the 44-seat Comet 1A, flying paying passengers from London to Johannesburg.
True, but it didn't work out very well for them. A more accurate statement would have been that Pan Am were the first airline to successfully fly jets.
Also, the video states that Pan Am was the first American alirline to fly jets.
@@fernandofojo4782 exactly.
My old bf's ex-wife owned the PanAm building in NYC.
LMAO
And to think that 🤔 Eastern TWA would follow by dissapearing also.
Eastern ceased operations earlier that year in 1991. TWA did not cease but was acquired by American.
Part of the planned demise of the U.S. and its economy.
Looking back at history ( which i did in master's thesis) it was easy predict would all would fail. All 3 had bad management and strategy for years..
Um Qantas airways was founded August 1920.
And KLM in 1919.
31:10 What he says makes sense, but Carter signed deregulation Oct 24, 1978. Pan Am and National merged Jan 7, 1980. Articles say this was to get routes established quickly?
I would be interested if you find out more.
So prior to the Airline Deregulation Act, Pan Am did not have any US domestic routes so at the time they thought it a good idea to buy a carrier with established routes. That's was one of several factors that lead to their demise since rival carriers were playing bidding wars for National
I Was Lifelong Delta Airlines American Airlines And United Airlines Iconic Jet Age Pop Culture From The 50s 70s 80s And Early 90s
Seems like Pan Am was looking for a savior and when they realized how extensive the damage was they blamed delta for their demise.
Pan am ruined by not following procedure, program ruined by non stop ads 👎👎👎👎👎
So i am going to see 10 ads at this rate ..... 2 in 8:36........ not àmùsed
I WAS ABOARD A PAN AMERICAN JETLINER!!! THAT WAS HIJACKED TOO CUBA 🔫
Kinda sad seeing this. And I'm not even an American.
I used to have this video. A few others but gave away. No tape player. Not many Pan Amers left or people interested. I heard Miami Aware store closed. Not even interest. Who ever owns PAA logo/name must be rich to sit on. Starting a business just gets harder and harder. And now, with the political turmoil occuring in America. If airline would have to be charter.
Domestic would never work. O well Arrvivaderch.
16 Nov 1920
N369PA B727 PAA436/435 daily flight from KMIA TTPP. One regular flights Pan Am operated. As i worked as an ATCO at Piarco ACC TTZP & TTPP Twr & App starting Feb 1983.
PAA210/211 KJFK - TTPP - KJFK &
PAA202/201 KJFK - SBGL - KJFK always crossed each at 13N057W abeam the TBPB VOR .
Wrong aspect ratio.
Their chief historical rival TWA followed them into bankruptcy soon after.
May delta rot for what they did for Pan Am and Northwest
I think the next one to bite the dust may be Southwest Airlines(considering their recent chaos). Very sad. Though I live in south Georgia, I agree that Delta and Jimmy Carter did some awful things to Pan Am!
👍 yeah, I hate delta.
So this documentary although very good only tells us what happened not how it happened
Reklamları kaldir.
Im Sure Terrorist In Plane Are Terrible + Evil
Deregulation and restrictive government policies is the oxymoron that killed it.
No poor management killed it.
I Was On A PAN AMERICAN JETLINER That WAS HIJACKED TOO CUBA 🔫 And, Fidel Castro WAS AT The Airport !!! TOO Greet US !!!!!! FIDEL Hugged the HIJACKER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Airline that taught the world how to fly---really need to get a grip
Maybe the ‘woke’ garbage or DEI mentality of U.S. carriers today needs to get a grip.
If trippe was still alive... ur only choice today would be pan am 😂 cuz that man knew the art of the deal. He would have seen the deregulation coming and would have waited till national was bought by a competitior for a high price... then when they started struggling he would have bought them out. Pan am was killed by people who made poor decisions.
Still rather TWA over PANAM
No worries. We consider TWA our cousins. Like Coke and Pepsi. Have you checked out the TWA Museum in Kansas City?
I love both of them and I was a mechanic for Pan American. Juan Trippe and Howard Hughes real men and adventurers.
Pan American World airways had a hub in o hare
No they never had a hub at ORD.
There's far too much "talking head" time in this presentation.
pan am crashed a lot of planes
it’s an american thing, amerikkkan airlines have had many many plane crashes too
Is it true that Pan Am was the Walt Disney Company of airlines
WHEN I WAS A GRADUATE PHYSICS STUDENT STUDYING FOR MY PHD. MY CLASSMATES WERE FROM IRQ IRAN LIBYA AND PALESTINIANS ON TUNISIAN PASSPOSTRS, PAN AM AND TWA WERE BEING HIJACKED REGULARLY. MY LIFELONG FRIENDS TOLD ME WHEN I WAS GOING TO ENGLOAND AND FRANCE TO FLY SABENA THE BELGIAN AIRLINES, ABU NIDAL A COUSIN OF ONE OF MY FRIENDS WOULD TRAVEL ON SABENA, THEY TOLD ME TO BE SAFE AND STAY AWAY FRM U S CARRIERS GOING OVERSEAS,
Please fix your capslock key. Or are you typing on a 40-ýear-old computer?
@@MWGrossmann o don’t need to listen to your whims as if they are the only correct course of action. Are you a 6 year old stunted emotionally in with narcissistic disorder. Giving orders and acting like you are an authority when you are a stupid uneducated control freak.
What a scary thought. I could have easily been on that Lockerbie flight since I flew from London to the US all the time on Pan Am only - my father worked with PanAm for 30years and my flights were free as a student. I hope Gadafi and his accomplices are in hell. My father knew personally ever single crew member on that flight.
@@MWGrossmannwhy does it matter?
@@mosaicsanctuary3
It's courtesy to your fellow readers. Typing all caps the internet equivalent to SHOUTING and it's rude and boorish. Common knowledge you must have missed in 1995.
Jimmy Malaise Carter....