Interview conducted on December 1, 1997 by Carol L. Osborne.
Final transcript
The interview describes Captain John Raabe’s career with Pan American Airways / Pan American World Airways) from 1942 to 1981; training with the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPT) 1940 to 1941, the aircraft he flew there (Piper J-3 Cub, Waco YMF), his work as a flight instructor for Pathfinder Flying Service; decision to work for Pan American in 1942; hiring and training process; extensive descriptions of the aircraft he flew: Consolidated PB2Y-3, Boeing 314, Martin PBM, Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-4, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Boeing 707, and Boeing 747; transfers between San Francisco and Miami bases; effects seniority had on career advancement and base assignments; first flight from Honolulu to Midway; other routes in the Pacific and in the Latin American Division; lengthy discussion of navigation and the changes over the years; work with the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) for ten years after retirement; memories of the Pan American hangar and operations building at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the Terminal Building in 1950; interactions with Pan American employees: Robert (Bob) Weeks, New York Division Manager; Jim Fleming, assistant chief pilot at SFO, Jack Tilton, B.J. King, Burgette Birkland, Miss [Valeda] Lee, Betty Barrett; mentions Charles Lindbergh, Juan Trippe, and Frank Egbert.
Transcript edited by John L. Raabe 3/20/2000.
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