The Long Way Round

On December 1, 1941 a Pan American Boeing 314, the California Clipper, took off from its base on San Francisco Bay for its regular trans-Pacific route.  Commanded by Captain Bob Ford, the flight would go to Los Angeles, Pearl Harbor, Canton Island, Fiji, New Caledonia before reaching its final destination, Auckland, New Zealand, late on December 7.  The Clipper would then retrace the route to return to the U.S.

As the plane neared Auckland, its radioman picked up a local transmission announcing the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor.  Upon hearing the news and receiving further confirmation from Pan Am's local transmission from Auckland, Captain Ford opened a sealed envelope he, and other Pan Am captains, had been issued several weeks ago.  The contents read:

To: Captain, PAA Flight 6039 — SFO-LAX-HNL-CIS-SUV-NOU-AUK and return flight 6040.
From: Division Manager, Pacific Division

Subject: Special instructions to avoid hostile military activity.

Pan American Airways, in cooperation with the Chief of Staff, United States Army, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet Operations, the Secretary of War and the Secretary of State, has agreed to place its fleet of flying boats at the disposal of the military for whatever logistical or tactical purpose they may deem necessary at such time as hostilities break out between the United States forces and the military forces of the Imperial Japanese government.

In the event that you are required to open and read these instructions, you may assume that hostilities have already occurred and that the aircraft under your command represents a strategic military resource which must be protected and secured from falling into enemy hands

For a week, Ford and his crew were in Auckland, not sure of what to do next.  On the 14th he received further instructions from Pan Am:

Security: Top Secret

To: Captain Robert Ford
From: Chief, Flight Operations Pan American Airways System Chrysler Building New York City, NY

Subject: Diversion plans for NC18602

Normal return route cancelled. Proceed as follows:

Strip all company markings, registration numbers, and indentifiable insignia from exterior surfaces. Proceed westbound soonest your discretion to avoid hostilities and deliver NC18602 to Marine Terminal LaGuardia Field New York.

Good Luck

They were being directed to fly around the world.  The crew had to figure out a route to avoid conflict with the enemy, though it had no charts or information on winds for anything to the west of New Zealand.  They had to find their way across South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America to get back to LaGuardia Field.  And the crossing of the Atlantic from Africa to South America required a longer non-stop flight than any portion of their Pacific crossing.

A few minutes before 6 am on January 6, 1942, the night shift air controller at LaGuardia's control tower received a startling message and this interchange: 

LAGUARDIA TOWER LAGUARDIA TOWER. THIS IS PAN AMERICAN CLIPPER NC18602 INBOUND FROM AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND. DUE TO ARRIVE PAN AMERICAN MARINE TERMINAL LAGUARDIA IN SEVEN MINUTES. OVER.

SORRY PAN AMERICAN CLIPPER 18602 BUT SAY AGAIN, CONFIRM YOUR DEPARTURE POINT. OVER.

I SAY AGAIN, INBOUND FROM AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND. BY WAY OF THE LONG WAY ROUND. OVER.


To find out how they did it read this fascinating account.