FIRST FLIGHT TRANS-PACIFIC INAUGURAL PASSENGER SERVICE, HAWAII TO GUAM - October 22, 1936

This is a scarce first flight cover for the inauguration of Trans-Pacific passenger service for Pan American Airways between Hawaii and Guam.  This cover was  flown from Honolulu, Hawaii on October 22, 1936 and backstamped at Guam on October 26, 1936.

This cover is autographed by Captain Edwin Musick, Chief Pilot for Pan American World Airways and pioneer of many of Pan Am's transoceanic routes including the famous route across the Pacific Ocean on the China Clipper.  Because of his exploits with Pan American, Musick was one of the best known pilots of the 1930s, even making the cover of Time Magazine on December 2, 1935.  At one point during the 1930s, Musick held more flying records than any other pilot. At the time of his death, Captain Musick had reportedly flown about two million transocean miles in airline service.

SURVEY FLIGHT, PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS, SAN FRANCISCO TO HAWAII - April 17, 1935

This is a fine example of a trans-oceanic record flight cover for Pan American Airways' survey flight between San Francisco and Hawaii.  On April 17, 1935, Pan American Airways sent its big Sikorsky "Pan American Clipper" on a pathfinder flight to Hawaii to establish a regular air mail and passenger service across the Pacific to Manila. 

This is one of only a few covers that were carried on the round trip flight and bear both cachets and cancellations as follows.   Covers flown from California to Hawaii are cancelled April 16, 1935 and are backstamped at Honolulu, April 17, 1935.  Covers carried on the return flight, Hawaii to San Francisco, are cancelled Honolulu, April 22, 1935 and backstamped April 23, 1935.  

This cover is addressed to George Randolph Hearst Sr., President of the the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper, and eldest son of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst.