'Pan American's new high-altitude fleet. Ready for 'top flight' to Rio and San Cristobal [Cristóbal, Panama]: the Comet [NC19910], the Rainbow [NC19902] and the Flying Cloud [centre] at Miami.' This was Pan Am's entire 'Strato-Clipper' fleet. Location assumed to be Municipal Airport (later Amelia Earhart Field) which the 307s had to use until the runways at Pan Am's 36th Street Airport (now MIA) were lengthened. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

Personal aircraft of dictator "Papa Doc" Duvalier. CoHata was an airline operated by the Haitian armed services. 2003 was sold in the US and became N9307R in 1959. Now preserved at the National Air and Space Museum. Photo from: Civil Aviation Historical Society, Melbourne, Australia

At the Pima County Air Museum

'Clipper Flying Cloud' has been beautifully restored by Boeing in 2001 so this very interesting piece of aviation history is now on display at the NASM Udvar-Hazy Center.

I had the opportunity to tour the museum one day prior to its official opening.

Restored by Boeing Aircraft and currently on display in Pan American colors at the Smithsonian's Udvar Hazy Center at Dulles Airport.

1939-built Boeing Stratoliner stored at the Pima museum before it opened to the public.

NC19903 poses for the camera over Mount Rainier, Washington, before delivery to Pan Am in 1940. This early pressurised airliner, of which only 10 were built, was then deployed on the airline's South American routes. TWA used theirs for transcontinental services. After spending more than two decades at the Pima Air Museum, this aircraft is now preserved in the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center at IAD. Obtained from PAA 60 years ago.