Pan Am Captain Musick

The first pilot hired by pan american airways and the airline s chief pilot musick was involved in every aspect of pan am s flight operations.

Pan am captain musick.

The film s four main characters airline executive juan trippe pilot charles lindbergh airplane builder igor sikorsky and radio engineer hugo leuteritz struggle to find a place in post world war i aviation. One of america s most beloved early commercial pilots ed musick was born in st. They would be with captain musick on 12 jan 1938 when samoan clipper crashed killing all aboard. Obviously it was a mixed blessing.

Edwin charles musick august 13 1894 january 11 1938 in pago pago american samoa was chief pilot for pan american world airways and pioneered many of pan am s transoceanic routes including the famous route across the pacific ocean on the china clipper. Louis missouri in 1894 and moved to california with his family when he was 9 years old. Brooks and radio operator t d. Crew of pan am s ill fated samoan clipper captain edwin musick leads four of his six officers ashore in auckland 26 dec 1937.

Captain edwin charles musick chief pilot pan american airways. 1894 1938 there were no survivors of the explosion. A laconic meticulous but above all authoritative commander of transoceanic aircraft ed musick was the epitome of an airline pilot. From the exploratory survey expeditions that paved the way for the first scheduled flights to the midair explosion that took the lives of famed pilot captain musick and his crewmembers this chapter is replete with stories that truly capture the essence of pan am.

Musick was at the controls along with navigator fred noonan. The flaming aircraft plunged into the sea with the loss of all aboard. Noonan gained notoriety the next year when he served as amelia earhart s navigator. Sellers second officer p s.

The news stunned not just pan am which at the time was a relatively small company but the whole world. At far left is radio officer thomas findley and beside him flight engineer john stickrod. Across the pacific is a 2020 video series from pbs telling the story of pan am. In part 1 one can catch glimpses of captain edwin musick with his crew.

With the easy authority born of a lifetime of study and his outgoing nature john delivered a free flowing and engaging narrative of pan am s beginnings the role of ed musick the challenge of flying the pacific the significance of samoan clipper and the impact of its tragic end. Pan am captain edwin musick edwin musick won international fame as the captain of the china clipperon its first scheduled crossing of the pacific in november 1935. Maclean flight engineer j w. That flight put musick on the cover of time magazine helping to establish him as one of the world s most famous pilots.

Pan am s chief pilot captain edwin c.