Today, after more than 30 years, a Pan American Airways Boeing 757-200, “Yankee Clipper 11” will land at Shannon Airport having retraced the Flying Boat routes of the 1930/40’s.
The routes operated between New York, Bermuda, Marseilles, Lisbon, London and finally reaching Shannon Airport for a very historic visit to Foynes, Co Limerick.
Pan American World Airways founded in 1927, boasts a legacy that is littered with “firsts”, recording many unique flights, routes and aircraft, all under its visionary founder Juan Trippe. Pan American completed over 2,097 flights across the North Atlantic to Foynes during the 1937-1945 period in their Boeing B314 Flying Boats.
Passengers included Royalty, Movie Stars, Statesmen and Refugees. People like King George of Greece, Ernest Hemingway, Humphrey Bogart, Yehudi Menuhin, John F Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt all arrived in Foynes on their journeys. Gracie Fields also transited Foynes and gave a short concert on the pier for the locals.
Foynes at that time was the centre of the aviation world. Anyone travelling from the US to Europe on the North Atlantic route had to transit Foynes.
In October 1945 the last Pan Am flight Flying Boat departed Foynes and airport operations moved across the estuary to Shannon Airport for the beginning of land plane operations.
This special flight “Tracing the Transatlantic” is hosted by Craig Carter, CEO Pan American World Airways and operated by Bartelings in collaboration with Criterion Travel. 50 lucky passengers will be on board having paid $60,000 per person for this exclusive trip. While visiting Ireland the passengers will enjoy the welcome and hospitality of Adare Manor Hotel.
Their visit to Foynes Flying Boat Museum on Thursday 26th June will be the highlight of their trip. The group will be welcomed by Minister Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport and by the Chairman of the Museum board, Eamonn Brennan.
The Museum features the world’s only full-size replica of a Boeing 314 Flying Boat, better known as the PAN AM YANKEE CLIPPER. They will step on board and relive the ambience and style of those famous flying boats that transited the North Atlantic from 1937 – 1945 from New York to Foynes. Memories and stories will be the order of the evening with some former Pan Am staff in the group.
Their visit to the Museum will conclude with a Gala Dinner featuring the best of Irish produce, entertainment and of course Irish Coffee – first invented at Foynes in 1943 by Chef Joe Sheridan.