With Joe Buckley on a pre IGBAA conference tour visiting the Boeing 314 Clipper Flying boat which First flew to Foynes Ireland in August 1939.
8 Operators including Airfrance Transatlantique, Imperial Airways and American International Airways used to operate this route. Saving precious time for well heeled passengers between the Americas and Europe.
Todays Private Jets, not to mention commercial jets, could take some notes on the volume of space. As well as a delux apartment the guests had a 14 seat dinning room, Men and women were provided with separate dressing rooms, and white-coated stewards served five and seven-course meals with gleaming silver service from two waiters, 300 pounds of shrimp, asparagus steak, fresh strawberries and mashed potato would be served during the trip as well as champagne and other drinks.
Crew were 4 pilots, 2 engineers, 2 Radio operators, 1 Navigator and two flight attendants.
Of interest the sea/airport at Foynes gave birth to the Famous Irish Coffee a beverages designed to warm up the passengers from the challenging weather.
A round trip from New York to Ireland cost around $675 (equivalent to $14,000 in 2022).
Maximum speed: 210 mph (340 km/h, 180 kn) at 6,200 ft (1,890 m)
Cruise speed: 188 mph (303 km/h, 163 kn) at 66.5% power at 11,000 ft (3,353 m)
Range: 3,685 mi (5,930 km, 3,202 nmi) normal
Flying boats are not over, China 🇨🇳 has invested heavily in an AG600 from AVIC called the « Water Dragon » which can take 50 passengers or be a firefighting rescue boat. Further in Florida a team are trying to bring back the famous Catalina flying boats
Is it time to bring back the Luxury of the Flying Boats?
#luxury #flying #aircraft #jetset #jetsetter #jetlife #irishcoffee #USA ##Ireland #Boeing #privatejet #privatetravel #IGBAA
Beautiful aircraft!