ATLANTIC CROSSING
By FRANK D. WATERMAN,JR
PRESIDENT, L. E. Waterman Company
FOR A SPEEDY, PLEASANT AND COMFORTABLE WAY OF CROSSING THE ATLANTIC,
LET ME RECOMMEND THE CLIPPERS.
The contrast with boat travel was brought home to me very strikingly
late last fall when the war-time demand for fountain pens made a hurried
visit to Europe necessary. My crossing to England — by boat —
required nine days bouncing on the sea, through the rain, fog and cold
of the North Atlantic. My return by Clipper, just a few weeks later,
occupied only a day and a half. When peace returns to the continent
of Europe the Clippers will permit a vacation as brief as two or three
weeks to be spent there, as well as offering a tremendous time-saving
to the business man.
Because of the war, the Clippers are based at Lisbon instead of Marseilles.
There was no air connection operating at the time of my trip, and indeed
had there been I could not have used it, as my U. S. passport restricted
my travel to neutral ships and planes. It took just two days from Paris
to Lisbon by train, a longer time than for the ocean crossing. Arriving
at Lisbon, I fou my Clipper not yet arrived, and our Sunday departure
set for Monday.
Early Monday morning we left our hotel for a short drive up the river
to Pan-American’s base, where the Atlantic Clipper was tied up
at the end of a long pier. The bigg Boeing appeared a graceful craft,
but from the distance seemed small to be crossing the ocean. We were
weighed in, passports inspected and after a short delay we follov~ the
crew into the ship. Safety belts were adjusted as we sat in the smoking
room compartment amidships, then a long run down the river and we were
off. The ancient city Lisbon swept past the windows, its many hills
flatter out as we gained altitude, and its old palaces and monuments
easily discernable. We obtained a quick glimpse of the shipping in the
harbor and passed almost over the U. S. S. Trenton stationed at Lisbon
ever since the outbreak of the war, much to the regret of the sailors
who prefer French food and girls. A few moments more and we saw the
mouth of the Tagus river — then sand-dunes and we were over the
rollers of the Atlantic.
My mom kissing Grandpa goodbye as he prepares to
take
the last flight to Europe before World War II
We learned that the take-off delay was occasioned by a
wait for last-minute weather information from the Azores, which cannot
be sent until daybreak at Horta. Pan-American takes absolutely no chances,
and the Clipper captains will not take off if there is any question
about the weather ahead. Because of the war, they have to rely on the
weather information their own stations can furnish, as ships at sea,
whether belligerent or neutral, will not convey their position as in
peace-times.
On the trans-ocean hops westbound, 18 passengers can be taken besides
55 pounds of baggage for each passenger and mail. On the Bermuda-New
York hop as many as 33 passengers are carried and eastbound, with tail
winds, the number can be increased.
The four-motored clippers carry a crew of eleven, consisting of a captain
and four other officers, one of who is is a navigator, two mechanics,
two radio men and two stewards. The navigator is in charge of navigation
all night, but during the day the four pilot officers take turns navigating,
as well as piloting. Two pilots are always at the controls, relieving
each other by the half-hour during their two hours on duty. The strain
of the trip over and back is considerable, so that each crew makes but
one round trip a month. The junior officers spend their off
time at home studying for advancement. The Pan-American System has
a well developed plan for the training of their pilots and gives them
experience in the Caribbean, South American, trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific
zones, gradually advancing them in rank.
The Clippers are very comfortably furnished and quite roomy. Besides
the smoking compartment, seating 14, which is the favored lounge for
both passengers and officers off duty, since it is the one place where
smoking is allowed during the flight, there are several other compartments,
a galley, men’s and ladies’ lavatories, a bridal suite in
the tail of the ship and the officers’ quarters forward. The bridge
is on an upper level, over the forward rooms, and mail and baggage is
stored just behind. Gasoline is kept in the stub wing tanks on either
side of the hull of the big flying boat and is pumped up to small tanks
in the wing from which it is fed to the four motors. The wing is hollow
so that the mechanics can service the motors from the rear at any time.
The passengers soon lost interest in looking at the ocean, for it becomes
monotonous from several thousand feet aloft. We had several very scenic
views of cloud banks which opened up to show blue water. Way below,
but, unlike flights over land, most of the time there is little to be
seen. The horizon is not distinct, as when seen from a ship, but blends
into the distant haze. As if to make up for the monotony of the water,
when any land is also visible, the view becomes especially interesting
and the contours of the coast line form a huge map beneath.
It was good to settle back into a comfortable upholstered chair and
read a New York paper only three days old! Before long luncheon was
announced in the smoking compartment. The food is cooked ashore and
brought on in vacuum cans. The galley is equipped to boil water, but
cooking is avoided. The meals were excellent, well served, and the company
congenial.
Before the meal commenced we began to run through clouds and shortly
the stewards announced that we had turned back to Lisbon. Being out
of sight of the sun, no one had noticed our turn, but it was true, and
we were headed for Europe again after getting half way to the Azores.
The reason for going back, we later learned, was because the waves at
Horta had increased in size, and if we landed we would not have been
able to take off again. There is no sheltered water there large enough
for the take-off run, so the Clippers are at the mercy of the swells
in the channel between two of the islands. When the waves are not over
two and one-half feet in height the big planes can get off; but otherwise
they must wait for the swell to subside, and this had delayed the Clippers
all through the winter months.
The captain chose to return to Lisbon because hotel accommodations
were better and he would save no time by continuing to Horta, since
the take-off from there must be made late in the afternoon so as to
arrive at Bermuda in daylight the next morning. Late in the afternoon
we saw again the mountains of Portugal and soon had landed on the Tagus.
We could not leave on Tuesday because of the conditions at the Azores,
but on Wednesday we again took off with 16 passengers and more mail.
This time we encountered strong head winds, requiring seven and one-half
hours for the 950 miles, but we reached the Azores at mid-afternoon
without event. We flew near two of the islands in the eastward group
and then later circled a 7,000-foot snow-capped extinct volcano, as
we glided to a stop off the breakwater at Horta. We taxied into sheltered
water and all passengers went ashore while the ship was refueled.
An hour and a half later we were out in the channel once more ready
for the take-off run, but eyeing the mounting waves apprehensively.
Our first run was not successful, and the captain cut the gun when the
spanking of the waves threatened to crash in our hull. After some consultation
on the bridge, we taxied around a point of land, and then, in slightly
calmer water, tried again. Once more the waves pounded us as we gathered
speed, but this time a lucky bounce threw us into the air and we were
away.
Then began the long night hop to Bermuda, a new 
port of call, since the war took the steamers off the New York-Bermuda
run. It was soon dark and remained so for nearly 16 hours while we chased
the sun westward 2,000 miles. We had afternoon tea, later a pleasant
dinner and finally retired to Pullman type beds which had been made
up in some of the com partments. They were larger than the standard
train size and more comfortable, but 16 hours is too much to sleep in
one stretch. Next morning coffee or fruit juice was served and finally
day broke to find us circling the island of Bermuda and waiting for
enough light to land. Because of war-time restrictions, we were not
allowed to view the island from the air and all shades were drawn. We
landed in well-sheltered water and disembarked for a splendid breakfast
on shore while the ship was refueled.
No one would have minded being stranded for a day in balmy Bermuda,
but the weather was perfect and we were soon roaring northward toward
New York. It is surprising how little noise there is inside the cabin,
in spite of the din made by the four Cyclone motors just above. We felt
we were nearly home after crossing three thousand miles of ocean, but
the most exciting experience still lay ahead.
As we approached the U. S. coast line the head winds increased in intensity
and became much stronger than anticipated. Down below we could plainly
make out huge rollers breaking into white foam. Usually the higher you
fly the stronger are the head winds against you, so the captain flew
at the minimum altitude - 1,000 feet. This gave us the maximum advantage
against the wind, but also made the flying very bumpy, for the higher
you fly the smoother it usually is over the ocean, as we found the few
times on the trip we reached 8,000 to 10,000 feet. Most of the 33 passengers
we were bringing from Bermuda were not enjoying the rough trip and the
cabin was kept at about 50 degrees to  avoid
air sickness.
At length word was passed around that because of the
strength of the gale blowing and rough water at Port Washington, we
were putting into Baltimore instead, and about an hour later we flew
over the tip of Cape May. In a few minutes more we glided to a perfect
landing at the New Baltimore airport, completing the first passenger
flight from Europe to Baltimore! Our total flying time was just under
31 hours with an elapsed time of thirty-four and three-quarters hours
for the trip. This is several hours slower than the average westward
crossing.
In order to avoid the difficulty of rough water at the Azores, The
Clippers are now trying a non-stop flight between Lisbon and Bermuda
by taking on a larger load of gas. This, if successful, will permit
the carrying out of the schedule of daily flights which is soon to commence.
Later this year the American Export Lines hope to open non-stop service
to Europe from New York with Sikorsky flying boats, and if the war is
not too long in its duration or too destructive in its results, the
English, French and Dutch will all be operating trans-Atlantic services.
The day will soon be here when taking the evening plane for London will
he a commonplace as catching the Broadway Limited.
Note: Although Mr. Waterman makes no
mention of it in his article, I think that it would be of interest to
our readers to know that the L. E. Waterman Company, of which he is
president, has developed a special pen for use in aircraft. Due to the
increased atmospheric pressure encountered in flying, ordinary pens
have a tendency to gush ink out, since pressure inside the pen is greater
than outside pressure. The Waterman "Aero Pen" has been designed
to overcome this difficulty and has been tested up to 15,000 feet with
satisfactory results. The "Aero Pen" has a retractable pen
point and the cap seals the pen barrel like a stopper.
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