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June 20th 05, 03:03 AM
Hi

My name is Sebastian Nelson and I have recently come into possession of
some old family photo albums which include some pictures related to my
great-grandfather Jerry Eldridge and his brother Bill Eldridge.
Grandpa Jerry was a PanAm mechanic in Alameda, California beginning in
1936, and Uncle Bill was, according to a December 1941 newspaper
article, "a pioneer with Pan American, going with them in '27 and
flying as pilot to all Carribean islands and South America and then was
one of the few who established all the bases in the Pacific and was
operations manager with headquarters in Honolulu at the time of the Jap
attack." Bill and Jerry had to be evacuated from Wake Island on 8
December 1941.

Anyway, I was hoping someone could look at these airplane pictures I
found and
tell me about them. I don't know anything about old airplanes. Can
anyone tell if the info on the reverse of two of the photos is
consistent with their
respective images? Can the numbers on the wings tell anything about
the
planes? I'd love to be able to pick someone's brain and add that info
to the
family photo album:

http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam1.jpg
reverse: http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam4.jpg


http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam2.jpg
reverse: http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam5.jpg


http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam3.jpg


Thanks!

-Sebastian Nelson


Darrel Toepfer
June 20th 05, 04:23 AM
wrote:

> I'd love to be able to pick someone's brain and add that info
> to the family photo album:
>
> http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam1.jpg
> reverse: http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam4.jpg

Looks to be a Ford Tri-Motor...
http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/fordtri.htm
Many examples still exist and you can buy a ticket to ride on one:
http://www.airventuremuseum.org/fordtrimotor

> http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam2.jpg
> reverse: http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam5.jpg

Boeing Clipper like the reverse states...

> http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam3.jpg

Standing on the slash deck of the Clipper...

Nice planes, had sleeping quarters for the passengers. I don't think any
still exist...

http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/m314.html

Scott Skylane
June 20th 05, 11:00 PM
Darrel Toepfer wrote:
> wrote:
>
>> I'd love to be able to pick someone's brain and add that info
>> to the family photo album:
>>
>> http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam1.jpg
>> reverse: http://home.pacbell.net/nelsnfam/panam4.jpg
>
>
> Looks to be a Ford Tri-Motor...
/snip/
However, that "Fokker" moniker on the rudder would indicate
otherwise...http://www.airminded.net/fok3m/fok3m.html

Happy Flying!
Scott Skylane

Darrel Toepfer
June 21st 05, 12:51 AM
Scott Skylane wrote:


> However, that "Fokker" moniker on the rudder would indicate
> otherwise... http://www.airminded.net/fok3m/fok3m.html

Thanks... Nice inair refueling shot:

http://www.airminded.net/fok3m/atlantic_c2a_qmark_douglas_c1.jpg

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