Frequently Asked Questions –
WWI/PA Museum Integration

We welcome you to the information page on the proposed integration of World Wings International and the Pan Am Museum Foundation. We know you have questions and the need to better understand the reasons behind the decision to integrate the two organizations.

The purpose of the new entity is to continue the work begun over 50 years ago and build on that work through the established framework of the Museum. The new entity’s mission will be to educate, celebrate , and inspire present and future generations by preserving historical and diverse personal stories of Pan American World Airways.

Next steps represent new beginnings, resetting of goals and objectives, a fresh start to ensure the legacy of Pan Am and its people is passed onto future generations. This is an exciting time to once again unite the Pan Am family. We have much to celebrate in the coming years; let’s do it together!

Please see the following list of Q & As as a guide to questions asked about the suggested integration of World Wings International and the Pan Am Museum Foundation.

Thank you,
David Hinson and Linda Freire
Co-Chairs, Integration Committee

Let us provide you with some background and history of the Pan Am Museum Foundation.

We have many Pan Am artifacts representing different aspects of Pan Am history from a 1/400 scale model of the JFK Worldport to an original souvenir program from the 1935 inaugural flight of the China Clipper/Transpacific to a sextant used for celestial navigation on the flying boats to a large scale cutout model of the B-314 showing the different cabins on this amazing flying boat. The B-314 cutout model was first on display at the 1939 World’s Fair. We also have many pieces of the china used on the different aircraft starting with the B-314’s, to the Stratocruiser to the 707 and the 747. A common refrain from visitors is “Wait, you actually cooked food onboard the airplane and served it on this beautiful china???!!! People are amazed to learn of the extraordinary service provided by the onboard flight service stewards/stewardesses/flight attendants.

The Pan Am Museum is located on the 3rd floor of an existing aviation museum called the Cradle Of Aviation. No other airline museum shares the space. We have approximately 4000 sq. ft. of exhibit space on this floor. An additional large scale exhibit (about 2000 square feet was built by the Cradle in 2017 in honor of the partnership with the Pan Am Museum that includes a real flying boat in Pan Am livery, along with murals depicting Pan Am’s operation in Port Washington and at the Marine Air Terminal. Several monitors show film of the inaugural transatlantic flight on Pan Am.

The Cradle of Aviation is a wonderful Long Island Museum opened in 1980 by many Pan Am mechanics from JFK. Still today, a few Pan Am mechanics work in the restoration area of the Cradle. Other Pan Amers work as docents giving tours in the museum.

The location of the Cradle of Aviation is central to Pan Am history as it is where the story starts. In May 1927, on the site of the Museum, Charles Lindbergh departed on the Spirit of St. Louis bound for Le Borget in Paris. There to witness Lindbergh’s historic flight was a young Juan Trippe. Upon meeting Lindbergh, Trippe knew he had to hire the aviator to work for his soon to launch new airline, Pan American Airways. Upon Lindbergh’s return and following the Manhattan ticker tape parade, Juan Trippe met with Charles Lindbergh and hired him as a consultant to Pan American Airways.

Fast forward to 1939 for another historic connection of Pan Am and the museum’s location. In 1930, Pan Am operated the first transatlantic flight from Long Island, Port Washington, New York to Marseilles, France on the B-314 flying boat named the Yankee Clipper. Pan Am had a terminal and hangar on Long Island/Port Washington for the new transatlantic flight. A couple years later, Pan Am moved their operations to LaGuardia, the Marine Air Terminal, to be closer to Manhattan.

Beyond the historic reasons for locating the Museum in its current location are also a few financial and practical reasons. In 2015, when the Museum was founded, the Museum’s Board did their due diligence and investigated strategic Pan Am sites to house the museum including the Marine Air Terminal, Miami and San Francisco. For a variety of reasons, none of those locations turned out to be viable. It is important to understand, prior to the establishment of the Pan Am Museum Foundation, the Pan Am Historical Foundation had gone through the same study to identify a location for a Pan Am Museum and came to the same conclusion that those sites were not viable. Some of the reasons include:

The Marine Air Terminal is a functioning LaGuardia Terminal owned and operated by the Port Authority. The Port was unwilling to provide sufficient space to have a Pan Am Museum presence inside the historic terminal. In Miami at Dinner Key, the Mayor’s offices are located there and they are unwilling to provide any space (other than the basement which floods frequently). In San Francisco, there was little interest at that time housing a museum dedicated to preserving the history of Pan Am outside of that already represented in the San Francisco Museum.

The Cradle of Aviation opened in 1980 with many Pan Am mechanics lending their expertise to building the exhibits and with the restoration facility. Pan Amers are also represented in the docents providing tours at the Museum. The Cradle already had a good amount of Pan Am artifacts on display (items donated by mechanics and flight attendants).

As a new venture and with a focus on testing the waters to see if there was interest in a Pan Am Museum, we knew we needed to start small, establish a presence then build from there should the audience materialize. In the 8 years of museum operation, we have increased visitor awareness and attendance, we have launched an award winning Pan Am podcast program with 46 episodes published to date and downloaded over 200,000 times in 161 countries, we have a large following on social media with over 100,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. In the past couple of years we have greatly expanded outreach to the local Long Island community providing the museum with sponsorships including a sponsorship from the former Pan Am Credit Union now called the People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union (PAFCU). This is only the tip of the iceberg as far as the current outreach of the Pan Am Museum. We have collaborated on numerous documentaries on Pan Am from media outlets around the world.

Our first full year of operation was 2016. The Museum launched its first fundraising campaign and raised almost $400,000 in 9 months to begin building exhibits with the first exhibit opened in December 2016. In June 2017 we opened the Clippers Go To War Exhibit telling the story of Pan Am’s pivotal involvement in WWII. Next in November 2017, we opened the Stratocruiser: A Luxury Story depicting Pan Am’s emergence as a luxury international airline , partnering with Maxims of Paris to introduce the Presidential Service for the routes of JFK to London, Paris and Rome. Additional information is provided explaining the introduction of female stewards that Pan Am first hired in 1944. On display is a propeller from a Stratocruiser (also the first aircraft with a pressurized cabin) along with china, silverware and serving pieces from the Presidential Service.

In September 2018, we opened the 707: A Fast Story depicting the launch of the jet age and the golden age of Pan Am. On display are the Don Loper uniforms worn in the early 1960s along with the new Presidential China designed for the 707 and many of the accessory items used during the service. The 707 exhibit contains several different displays showcasing Pan Am of the 1960’s from the onboard service to the jet age aircraft to the expanding Pan Am corporation including displays on the Intercontinental Hotel Chain, the Aerospace Division ( showcasing Pan Am division Johnson Space Control) the Cargo Division (Pan Am as the largest cargo carrier in the 1960’s with the then state of the art cargo facility JFK Hangar 67) to displays showcasing Pan Am’s role bringing the Beatles to New York to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

In 2019, we started designing the 747 exhibit. Due to pandemic and the extended closure of the Museum, only phase one of this exhibit was opened. We are currently working on the design and build phase to complete the 747 exhibit which will include a diorama of the Pan Am 747 first class cabin. In 2021 we opened a 22 foot long timeline of Pan Am’s 64 year history. The timeline was our pandemic project as we could work on it at home from our computers. We also have a Pan Am Pioneers wall to introduce those Pan Amers essential to building the foundation of what became the “World’s Most Experience Airline.” Featured on this wall are Juan Trippe, Charles Lindbergh, Capt. Ed Musick, Cornelius “Sonny” Vanderbilt Whitney, Igor Sikorskly, Andre Priester, and Hugo Lueterich. Without the involvement of these men in the formation and building of the company in the late 1920’s and 1930, Pan Am would not have accomplished such iconic status. Please know this is a very brief summary of what is on display in the Museum. It by no means represents the totality of items on display.

We also want to address the question/comment that keeps circulating that the Museum needs WWI membership dues to stay afloat. That is simply not true. Below is a brief recap of the Museum’s financials for 2022. The year 2022 is the last available year for financial reporting as the 2023 financials have not yet been finalized and reported on a 990 to the IRS.

Over the past eight years of operation, the Pan Am Museum Foundation has not received any money from World Wings International. All Museum operations have been financed through revenue generated solely by the Museum Foundation. There is a diverse system of revenue to support the Pan Am Museum Foundation including fundraisers, auctions, events (the annual fundraiser gala and other events throughout the year), sponsorships, grants and retail sales form the Museum online store and the onsite store (in 2023, revenue from the retail outlets generated almost $100,000 in sales).

The Museum does not need the membership dues from WWI. Of course additional membership revenue will help but the Museum Foundation continues to generate revenue with or without the addition of the WWI membership. We continue looking for additional means to generate revenue, to increase the number of sponsorships and to obtain more grant funding.

Pan Am Museum Foundation 2022 Financials

Total Revenue: $252,521
Contributions: $223, 868
Gov’t grants: $10,000
Program services: $0
Investments: $7
Special events: $0
Sales: $18,646
Other: $0

Total Expenses: $192,401
Program services: $51,500
Administration: $57,181
Fundraising: $83,720

Should anyone question the veracity of the financial information provided, please know the information can be verified/authenticated by referencing the independent Guidestar website. Guidestar is an organization that collects, organizes and presents information about registered non profits and rates them by awarding them silver, gold or platinum seals of financial transparency. The Pan Am Museum Foundation was recently elevated to a Platinum Seal. Many organizations use Guidestar when considering awarding of grant money or for organizations considering large donations or sponsorships. To check on the financials for any registered non profit, simply put the name of the organization, Pan Am Museum Foundation, on the search line at guidestar.com. Financial information for all non-profits is also publicly available on the IRS website.

Bottom line, the Pan Am Museum Foundation is on solid financial ground.

Finally it is important to know that all the Pan Am organizations, World Wings, Pan Am Historical Foundation, Clipper Pioneers and the Pan Am Museum Foundation are all in talks to consolidate and work as one organization with one unified Pan Am voice to preserve its 64-year history and legacy.

We hope this information will help with some of the questions or concerns you may have. Please remember you can always reach out to any of our Integration Team Members.

Thanks again,
David and Linda