China Clipper: The Age of the Great Flying Boats

by Robert Gandt

A history of the boats, their builders and operators, with an emphasis on the most famous Pan American's Pacific flyers. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction, History

214 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1991

Reviews

[carl theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the classic travel posters of the Pan Am China Clipper Flying boat cruising over an Hawaiian lagoon with the flowered women watching from the beach evoke thoughts of an exciting bygone time of adventure, then this is a tale for you.

Author Robert Gandt, a veteran US Navy carrier pilot and also former Pan Am skipper uses his experience to weave a compelling story. It is not only about the iconic Clipper, he covers the evolution of the flying boat. Indeed why were the cumbersome creatures developed at all ? Along with the various US companies, Curtiss, Sikorsky, Martin, Boeing, there are also chapters from all the major player countries, the Dorniers from Germany, French and later British models.

The development of the flying boat was highly dependent on the business side more so than even the builders and the pilots. Business deals - landing rights - had to be made with various governments, and companies just to make the economics of building the complex machines feasible. Sometimes companies were created without even having a boat yet for transport such was the chicken-egg problem.

As each of the chapters could be a whole book in itself, Gandt does a great job of balancing stories about the various, sometimes nefarious, business dealings with the technical development and the daring do of the pilots. The boats and the pilots themselves became celebrities in the heyday which was the 1930s. There is an all-star aviation cast of characters - Lindbergh, Sikorsky, Curtiss, Martin, Hughes, Trippe, to name a few.

Written descriptions are good but photos are essential and a good collection is presented here along with an appendix with line drawings of many of the boats as well as Performance charts.

Published by the Naval Institute Press, there is also a Notes section worth a look as well as a list of sources.

I hope you can find out there in documentary land — ‘Across the Pacific’, which got me interested in reading more about the era.

There may no longer be anyone alive that has ever seen one of these great boats in the air but this book will have you looking at the sky and maybe just seeing a glimpse.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about the age of the flying boats. Gandt does an excellent job of intertwining facts in with his narrative to produce an exceptional recount of aviation history. My favorite chapter discussed the the beginning of WWII and the various experiences that the airplanes' crews endured the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. A must read if you are interested in aviation history, or even wanting to know more about the beginnings of commercial travel.

[Bob Goedjen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing detail on every flying boat that was ever designed or built for commercial use...Told in an interesting fashion... I have been drawn to flying boats since I was a kid. I missed the era of these but can still recall articles ion papers and actually was briefly at the controls of a Navy flying amphib.
You patience at time to get through the detail.

[Derek Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read before Sky Gods.. Wonderful background on the rise & fall of long distance air travel and how the work of Pan Am helped the efforts in WWII.

[Gilles Demaneuf]

Very interesting book. Read it with pleasure.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good synopsis of a historic time in aviation

[Frank Blaas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful little gem of a book. Engaging text to read supplemented by a map, pictures, line drawings and ample footnotes.