Interview conducted by Carol L. Osbourne and Tudy Strickland on November 21, 1997.
The interview describes Captain Strickland’s experiences as a pilot with Pan American World Airways from 1940 to 1972; early interest in flying; experiences in aircraft during the barnstormer era; military training and service with the Army Air Corps; training in Pan American’s ground school at Treasure Island; destruction of his airplane by the Japanese military after Pearl Harbor; journey through China to Calcutta and then back to New York with Captain Harold Gray; experiences flying out of the Coast Guard Station at San Francisco Airport; routes he flew: Pacific Division routes from San Francisco to Honolulu, Midway, Wake Island, Guam, Manila, Hong Kong, and Macao, Latin American Division routes from New York to Natal (Brazil), Lagos, and Bermuda, Miami to Nassau, Havana, San Juan, Port of Spain, Natal, and Rio, Houston to Panama, around-the-world route; aircraft he flew: Martin PBM, Consolidated PB2Y-3, Martin M-130 (China Clipper), Sikorsky S-42, Boeing 314, 377 Stratocruiser, and 707, Douglas DC-3, DC-4, and DC-6; navigation issues with celestial and ADM; bad weather and mechanical failures; interactions with Harold Gray, Charles Lindbergh, Joe Barrows (Chief Pilot in San Francisco), and Valeda Lee (Chief Pilot Secretary in San Francisco).
Comments and Suggestions click to expand