Romancing the sky

[SameOldStory]

I'm reading Night Over Water by Ken Follett again.

It's a story told from many differing viewpoints and covers just about all the emotions one would want to read about. The story starts with the individuals who are soon to be aboard a fantastic flying boat heading to America just as WWII is starting. But don't fear, this is no "war story".

Although though the descriptions in the story are very good, even exciting, I wanted to gain a better appreciation for the "flying boat" it's self, the Boeing 314 "Clipper", operated by the now defunct Pan American Airways.

Unfortunately, there are no intact Clippers left, there is, however, at least one full size mock up, and plenty of information. In fact if you have the interest in experiencing the flying boat yourself, you can actually "fly" the Clipper from within the Microsoft Flight Simulator. The version that I downloaded is free, as are many others re-created by aircraft enthusiasts. There are also "paid" versions, and I may buy one in the future. But the free one does "fly" and handle like the original plane.

So for those that may want to actually see what the Clipper is all about they can follow these links. The first link is to one of my albums created just for this post, and will eventually be deleted.


To get it started I'll use this video. It's in the wrong ocean but it does give you an idea of the actual "flying boat".



My Boeing 314 Clipper album.

Touring a Pan American Airways Flying Clipper

Foynes Flying Boat Museum

I hope you'll enjoy both the story and the plane.

[pholy]

There is also a small museum commemorating the first first commercial trans-Atlantic flights in Botwood. They were, of course, the flying boats. I visited there in 2007, just before it officially opened. Many scale models, and a full size flight deck using a flight simulator. From Wikipedia:

From 1937 to 1945, both Pan Am and the British Overseas Airways Corporation used Botwood as a terminal for their Atlantic Crossings. On June 27, 1939 the Yankee Clipper left Botwood for the first Trans-Atlantic Passenger flight to Foynes, Ireland.

Also there is an extensive picture collection in a 'virtual museum'. The entire museum is at http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/index-eng.jsp

[FF2]

Great video clip - thanks for sharing. I have to presume it was built just miles from here at the Boeing Red Barn.

[SameOldStory]

A middle aged British manufacturer of propellers for boats and airplanes has just discovered that his wife is on her way to America with her new lover.

She'll be on the Boeing Clipper that's soon to be boarding passengers in Southampton. But there's no way that he can get down to Southampton before it takes off.

He's wealthy enough to have his own aeroplane, a Tiger Moth, and can fly it down to Ireland where the Clipper will make it's final fueling stop before the 29 hour flight across the Atlantic. His aeroplane may be small and have only 4 cylinders with 130 horsepower, but it'll reach the last stop in Ireland before the Clipper does. If there are no mishaps along the way.


Here's another free plane I was able to find - the De Havilland Tiger Moth.




Will he make it in time?
Will he shoot his wife’s lover? Both of them?
Will he find new romance from the beautiful passenger who is flying down there with him? Why is she with him at all?


This is a great book.

[SameOldStory]

I've just finished Night Over Water by Ken Follett.

Romance (X3) - sex - murder - gangsters from the past - good guys killed - bad guys killed - the very worst of British society - the very best of British society - plots within plots.

This book has just about everything, and all on an aeroplane which we'll never see again.

Ken Follett has a way of writing that's very easy, and enjoyable, to read. I hope that others of you will give this book a try.