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Pan American pioneered the multiple flight crew concept for long-range ocean transports. Requirements were based on six areas of need: expert direction of the flight; piloting; navigation; control and care of power plants; maintenance of communication; and passenger service. This called for a cross-trained crew of up to ten. Captains qualified as Master of Ocean Flying Boats. A First Officer was second-in-command, while the Second Officer, a senior pilot-in-training, assumed navigation duties. The Flight Radio Officer was responsible for the communications equipment and maintained constant contact with radio-control stations ashore and the station ships located at specific ocean quadrants. A Flight Engineer monitored and maintained the mechanical operation of the aircraft utilizing up to forty-one instruments and the throttles, carburetor settings, and fuel supply valves located at his station. A Third Officer, Fourth Officer, Assistant Flight Engineer, Assistant Radio Officer, and Assistant Flight Steward rounded out the crew. Learn more about China Clipper in our exhibition, on display, pre-security, in the Aviation Museum and Library. http://bit.ly/chinaclipper Image: Pan American Airways, Boeing 314, flight deck, c. 1939. Gift of the Pan Am Association. 2000.058.141. This image was posted on July 03, 2017.

This post mentions the following things involved with the SFO Museum collection:

Pan American Airways. It is related to Pan American World Airways (the company) .