THE BOEING 707: A FAST STORY
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Pan Am was the first airline to operate the 707 and christened Jet Clipper America at National Airport on October 16, 1958. Attended by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and followed by a transatlantic flight to Paris. The aircraft's first commercial flight was from Idlewild Airport, New York, to Le Bourget, Paris, on October 26, 1958, with a fuel stop in Gander, Newfoundland. The 707 quickly became the most popular jetliner of its time. Its popularity led to rapid developments in airport terminals, runways, airline catering, baggage handling, reservations systems, and other air transport infrastructure. The advent of the 707 also led to the upgrading of air traffic control systems to prevent interference with military jet operations.
As the 1960s drew to a close, the exponential growth in air travel led to the 707 being a victim of its own success. The 707 was now too small to handle the increased numbers of passengers on the routes for which it was designed. Stretching the fuselage was not a viable option because the installation of larger, more powerful engines would need a larger undercarriage, which was not feasible given the design's limited ground clearance at takeoff. The 707's first-generation engine technology also rapidly became obsolete in the areas of noise and fuel economy, especially after the 1973 oil crisis. |
Boeing 707 model on loan from the Pan Am Historical Foundation.
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In order to accommodate its new jets it would purchase, Pan Am would construct a number of new facilities.
A new terminal at Idlewild International Airport. Opened in 1960 the terminal was originally known as the "Pan Am Terminal" or "Unit Terminal Building" (UTB). It was designed by Ives, Turano & Gardner Associated Architects and Walther Prokosch of Tippets-Abbett-McCarthy-Stratton as a showcase for international jet travel and is particularly famous for its 4-acre "flying saucer" roof suspended far from the outside columns of the terminal by 32 sets of pre-stressed steel posts and cables.
The terminal was designed to allow for aircraft to be parked under the partial overhang; marketing brochures promoted it as the jet-age terminal that brought the plane to the passenger. The overhang sheltered passengers as they boarded the aircraft by stairs or by uncovered bridges. The terminal featured the Panorama Room, a dining room with a view of the entire concourse, and the Clipper Hall museum of Pan Am history.
In 1971, the terminal was expanded to accommodate the large Boeing 747 and renamed the "Pan Am Worldport". The Worldport was the world's largest airline terminal and held the title for several years.
Operation of the Worldport changed hands when Pan Am declared bankruptcy in 1991. Delta Air Lines acquired many of Pan Am's assets, including the lease on the WorldPort, which became known simply as "Terminal 3". The building was demolished in 2013.
A new terminal at Idlewild International Airport. Opened in 1960 the terminal was originally known as the "Pan Am Terminal" or "Unit Terminal Building" (UTB). It was designed by Ives, Turano & Gardner Associated Architects and Walther Prokosch of Tippets-Abbett-McCarthy-Stratton as a showcase for international jet travel and is particularly famous for its 4-acre "flying saucer" roof suspended far from the outside columns of the terminal by 32 sets of pre-stressed steel posts and cables.
The terminal was designed to allow for aircraft to be parked under the partial overhang; marketing brochures promoted it as the jet-age terminal that brought the plane to the passenger. The overhang sheltered passengers as they boarded the aircraft by stairs or by uncovered bridges. The terminal featured the Panorama Room, a dining room with a view of the entire concourse, and the Clipper Hall museum of Pan Am history.
In 1971, the terminal was expanded to accommodate the large Boeing 747 and renamed the "Pan Am Worldport". The Worldport was the world's largest airline terminal and held the title for several years.
Operation of the Worldport changed hands when Pan Am declared bankruptcy in 1991. Delta Air Lines acquired many of Pan Am's assets, including the lease on the WorldPort, which became known simply as "Terminal 3". The building was demolished in 2013.
Pan Am Cargo was the largest air cargo carrier in the world. This was was aided by Pan Am's state-of-the-art cargo hangar at JFK Airport. At a cost of $8.5 million, Hangar 67 featured an IBM system for moving pallets on and off aircraft and around the building, reducing ground handling time by 80%. The facility opened in 1966, and it allowed the loading or unloading of a cargo jet within twenty minutes and could handle three jets simultaneously. This Pan Am cargo hangar remained in service until the company shut down in 1991. It can still be seen from the Van Wyck Expressway on approach to the JFK passenger terminals.
Pan Am would also construct a maintenance Hangar, known as Hangar 14.
