Interview conducted by Carol L. Osbourne on December 4, 1997.
This interview describes Captain Ashley J. Wilson’s career as a pilot with Pan American World Airways from 1939 to 1973 as flight engineer, co-pilot, and pilot; military training as a pilot with the United States Navy; training with Pan American in engineering, navigation, and ground school; aircraft he flew: Martin M-130, Boeing 314, 377, 707, and 747, Douglas C-54, DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, Lockheed C-37,Consolidated C-87 and B-24; World War II flights for the Air Transport Command (ATC) from Miami to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Chabua (India); routes he flew: Pacific Division routes from San Francisco to Honolulu, Midway, Wake Island, Guam, Manila, Macao, Hong Kong, Noumea, Fiji, Auckland, Guatemala, Saigon, and Da Nang, Seattle to Alaska, and Latin American Division routes from Miami to Bermuda, the Azores, and Casablanca; seniority and technological advances in aircraft technology; experiences as co-pilot on inaugural flight of the Boeing 314 from Honolulu to Fiji; flying the Philippine Clipper from San Francisco to the San Joachin Delta following bombing at Pearl Harbor; experiences at Treasure Island in 1939; encounters with Marlene Dietrich, Paulette Goddard, Norman Cousins, Billy Graham; relationships with colleagues Dick Campbell and Ken Beer.
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