Pan Am: The Golden Age of Aviation

I’ve been really enjoying the videos, what a great presentation on PanAm and its destinations.

Although this attractively packaged two DVD set is listed as a "documentary" it is not. Rather, it is a collection of old promotional short films produced by Pan American World Airways in the 1950s, highlighting popular Pan Am destinations of the time. There is only one very brief "documentary" on the history of the airline, it is very incomplete, and it is the last segment on Disc 2.I'm not sure where these extended commercials for the airline were shown, but for their time they highlighted exotic destinations with a kind of "Oh, look, aren't these natives quaint?" kind of feel. Having been to some of the places shown in these films, it was interesting to see how things have changed (London was still rebuilding from The Blitz) or not changed (the grand old buildings of Mexico City are still there, standing among more modern architecture).The color quality and the sound quality of all the films (except the documentary) are muddy, and even the stern-voiced narrator keeps apologizing: "Color film just isn't up to showing the grandeur of . . ." At least these old travelogues are preserved here, and that's something.There's also very little footage of Pan Am's planes themselves (the old turboprop Clippers, mostly) and nothing on the classic flying boats.All in all, this DVD set is a curiosity, and it's definitely worth a viewing. But it isn't what anyone would expect from looking at the slipcase (which is a history of the airline) and it's definitely something anybody could live without --- unless they're an airline historian or an armchair traveler with a taste for the really rare.Your money can be put to better use.

This is a fascinating look at the past. Most of the 2 CD's do not show airplanes the majority of the time but at the end of the European one there is a fantastic collection of visuals about Pan AM Planes. It was wonderful to see. As to the many other 'movies' commercials created by Pan AM in the day, it is fun to see and compare what the past and what today looks like. Seeing the planes interiors was fascinating as they showed one how to attach a footrest and how they closed a curtain for one to sleep. Wow!!If you find history fascinating, this is a DVD worth owning. My husband who has flown for about 63 years found it very interesting and agreed it was one of the better DVDs out there of the Pan Am world of old. I am so glad I purchased it for his birthday.

This is 2-DVD set of 293 min. Disc 1: Mexico, Hawaii, Mexico City, South America, Cuba. Disc 2: England, Ireland, Norway, France, Rome. Also on Disc 2, "a brief history of Pan Am, with a special section on Pan Am's significant contribution to America's WWII war effort." Mainly mid-1940s to early-1950s sights & sounds at each port of call (little aircraft footage). An interesting travel back in time.Pan Am called each of their aircraft a "Clipper." If you are interested in the CHINA CLIPPER, I recommend the DVD "China Clipper: Pan Am's Conquest of the Pacific," also available at this website.

I'm a romantic at heart and enjoy life a sit was in the 30's, 40's and 50's. It shows an era when life was simple, yet adventurous. Black & white , color it didn't matter how one looks at the video, it was captivating seeing things that were here before I was born. I have yet to finish watching it but it is a very enjoyable video of aviation before the era of commonality and the lifestyles of people around the world. One of these days I will watch it from start to finish.

It really had very little to do with PAN AM and it's aviation (it's aircraft) . It is mostly a travel log on some of the places PAN AM went. You travel with different couples on different stops. If your lookinmg for the old time travel logs this is a great DVD but if your looking for an indepth history of PAN AM and the aircraft that they flew.. you won't find it here.I did like the old travel logs though..it does come in a great metal case though.

Charming, fun travelogues done by Pan Am for various ports of call around the world. I was expecting more of this to center around Pan Am and aviation, but it's all really about the destinations. Still, it's very entertaining and I've had a lot of fun going back in time to see world travel from the pre-jet age.Bottom line: This isn't about Pan Am - if you're looking for a Pan Am- or aviation-centric documentary, this doesn't fit the bill. Still worth it, though! Great footage.

Not what I was expecting.... like it even more then I thought I would. Great vintage advertisement for each country that Pan Am was flying to.

A Big disappointment, its just a travel log, but set in very early 1950s. Very little history of PAN AM and their aircraft. It was interesting in parts, but because the footage is 1950s, its not really a good DVD at all. WASTE OF MONEY if you are looking for history of PAN AM's aircraft as I was.

Agree completely with previous review. Two minits of flyingboats over double disc feature. Fine if you want 50s/60s promo films. If not don't buy this one. Could we have a no star rating option please.

How very disappointing. I bought this in the hope that it would have features on the wonderful flying boats, the first of Pan Am's clippers, but no, it has very little on aircraft, and awful lot of third rate travelogues, crushing disappointment

Is a very nice and complete information about the first years of what was later a number one airline in the world, but I expeted to see more information about all the follows years, planes, routes, etc.

If you think, like I did, that this was 2 DVDs full of aviation from the golden age, you will be sadly disappointed as I was. 95% of these DVDs are colour travelogues of different places where Pan Am flew. If you like grainy 60 year old colour shots of Mexico or the Caribbean or Europe this is for you.