Episode 6: Hijackings and the Dawn of Global Terrorism

09/24/21 • 86 min

In this episode we explore the coordinated terrorist hijackings of four passenger airliners all bound for New York on the same day on September 6, 1970. The events were a watershed moment and aviation would never be the same again.
The four planes involved were: a TWA Boeing 707, a SwissAir DC-8, a El Al Boeing 707, and a Pan Am Boeing 747 named Clipper Fortune. A fifth plane, a BOAC Vickers VC 10, was hijacked three days afterward.

Later in the program we are joined by Pan Am Captain Paul Lachapelle. A 30-year Pan Am veteran who joined the airline in 1955 flying the 707 and later 747SP. He retired from United Airlines in 1993.

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A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!

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Later in the program we are joined by Pan Am Captain Paul Lachapelle. A 30-year Pan Am veteran who joined the airline in 1955 flying the 707 and later 747SP. He retired from United Airlines in 1993.

Support the show

Visit Us for more Pan Am History!
Support the Podcast!
Donate to the Museum!
Visit The Hangar online store for Pan Am gear!
Become a Member!

Previous Episode

Episode 5: Missiles, Hotels, and Rebranding an Icon

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In this episode we explore two of the subsidiaries of Pan Am: the InterContinental Hotels Corporation and the Pan Am Guided Missiles Range Division.

Yep, you read that right, the airline company had its own hotel chain for about 30 years, and Pan Am did aerospace work for the U.S. government including the space program for almost 40 years. Why? Because the American government asked them to do both.
Later we are joined by Jennifer Coutts Clay, a leader in the aviation business in the field of aircraft interiors, corporate identity, and branding.
A pioneer for women in the airline industry, Jennifer joined Pan Am in 1986 as General Manager for Product Design and Development. In this capacity, she completed a three-year, $25-million fleet upgrade program, redesigning all major aspects of the Pan Am passenger service product.
She is the author of “Jetliner Cabins,” a visually stunning book that offers a complete history of recent cabin design going back to the 1970s. It is the first and only comprehensive account of the aircraft cabin environment. The book contains black and white and color photographs of airline interiors from around the world, covering everything from the first-class luxury to economy class passenger experience.

The robust e-book, with thousands and thousands of photos, available for purchase at: jetlinercabins.com.

Support the show

Visit Us for more Pan Am History!
Support the Podcast!
Donate to the Museum!
Visit The Hangar online store for Pan Am gear!
Become a Member!

Next Episode

Episode 7: Supersonic Transports, An Angry JFK, and Flying the Line

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In this episode we will be exploring the 1960s race for the first supersonic passenger aircraft between the United States, the Soviet Union, and a British-French partnership.

Then we are joined by Becky Sprecher, a Pan Am flight attendant and co-author with Paula Helfrich of “Flying: A Novel,” a historical fiction book about Pan Am crews flying over the Pacific in the 1970s.
To purchase the book, “Flying: A Novel,” please visit the Museum’s online store: https://shop.thepanammuseum.org/products/flying-a-novel

To watch the late 1960s Boeing promotional film “You, Me, and the SST” mentioned in this episode, visit: https://youtu.be/730hKzBgu6c
Julia Cooke wrote a moving article about the incredible life of the late Paula Zoe Helfrich in Atavist Magazine: https://magazine.atavist.com/the-improbable-life-of-paula-zoe-helfrich/?fbclid=IwAR0P3krMF-nH_W1NiJOgCCewU2Z-wvrQ1tl9q-7UiL9Bx4K7K3DShmjLu-4
The mission of the Pan Am Museum Foundation is “to educate, celebrate,and inspire present and future generations by preserving historical and diverse personal stories of Pan American World Airways.”
Pan Am was a pioneer in air travel and still stands as one of the most iconic and innovative airlines in aviation history.

That legacy lives on at the Pan Am Museum in Garden City, New York, where you can explore the rich history of the aircrafts and individuals at the heart of the company known as The World’s Most Experienced Airline.

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