The Pan Am Clipper, a Pan American seaplane
Pan American Airways (abbreviated as Pan Am) was an American airline operator. They operated the Pan Am Clipper, the first transoceanic passenger service, in the 1930s.
History[]
Indiana Jones frequently traveled on Pan Am flights, as recognized by one of their employees, as they were the fastest way to travel around the world.[1] Jones kept a ticket of his set of flights in 1936 between San Francisco and Kathmandu (via Honolulu, Wake Island, and Manila) in his journal, having paid $951.60 for the trip.[2]
Jones and Williams on the plane
In 1957, Jones and Mutt Williams traveled on a series of Pan American planes as they flew from New York City to Nazca, Peru, stopping in Havana, Mexico City and Cusco. They started on a DC-3, and their final plane was a small Antonov An-2 cargo biplane, just large enough to carry the pair and Mutt's motorcycle.[3]
During the flight, Williams took care of the motorcycle that was stowed away in a wooden frame on the airplane. In the meantime, Jones set on a crate and observed Williams for a while before he pulled his hat over his face and took a nap. Finally, the plane flew over the Nazca Lines and landed at Nazca airport, where the pair disembarked.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
James Rollins' novelization of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull does not mention the airlines used, but mentions two planes: DC-3 and Antonov An-2.[4] In the movie, the aircraft have the PAA logo on them.[3] The real Pan Am airline never used the Soviet-made An-2, although the plane in the film was an An-2.
During the flight sequence to Peru in Crystal Skull, the planes' progress is depicted with the traditonal red line on a map. The flight path starts in New York and ends in Cusco, whereas the journey continued on to Nazca.[3]
Appearances[]
- Indiana Jones and the White Witch
- Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: A Tale of High Adventure
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom comic
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (First appearance)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Sources[]
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: The Illustrated Screenplay (Pictured only)
- From Star Wars To Indiana Jones - The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives
- Indiana Jones Adventures
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
- The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones
- Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (Limited Edition Collector's Set)
