American International Airways, "Bermuda Sky Queen" B-314, 1947

The "Bermuda Sky Queen" was a Boeing 314 flying boat, NC18612, involved in one of the greatest United States Coast Guard ocean rescue operations in aviation history.

Pan American Airways Clipper NC18612 was a Boeing 314 manufactured in 1941 for service with Pan American Airways. It was the last B-314 of the 12 built. The first six were B-314s; the last six were upgraded to a B-314A. Pan American Airways purchased all 12 but only operated nine. In 1941 due to WWII and reduced operational requirements, PAA sold three B-314As to British Overseas Aircraft Company (BOAC). PAA later upgraded all B-314s in their fleet to the “A” model. In July 1941 NC18612 entered operations with Pan American in the Pacific. The B-314A was 106ft (32m) in length; height was 20ft 4.5in (6.210m) with a wingspan of 152ft (46m). It was powered by four Wright Cyclone engines with 1,600 HP each and a fuel capacity of 5,408 gallons in wing and sponson tanks. Gross weight was 84,000 lbs. In a Pan American configuration it could carry up to 68 day passengers for flights up to 1,500 miles, or 36 passengers on transatlantic flights with sleeping berths provided for all passengers. Cruising speed was 188 mph with a maximum speed of 210 mph depending on load/weather.

Although the United States was a neutral country at that time, on July 15, 1941, PAA entered into contracts with the U.S. Government and PAA formed a new company Pan American Airways-Africa Ltd. On August 12, 1941, the U.S. Government War Department and the U.S. Navy purchased all Boeing B-314 flying boats from Pan American, including NC18612 from the Pacific Division. The aircraft were specifically purchased for use on the African route in support of British forces fighting there. The aircraft were leased back to Pan American and operated by Pan American flight crews. NC18612 was christened "Capetown Clipper" in anticipation of later receiving authority for flights to South Africa. In December 1941 Pan American received approval for a route to Leopoldville (renamed Kinshasa in 1966) in the Belgian Congo.

The following is reprinted from www.genealogy.com, William Meyer Masland. "Secret Flight" By Captain R. Emery Wanless.

“On December 6, 1941, I was the navigator 2nd officer on a Pan American Boeing-314, NC18612, flying boat commanded by M. W. Masland. He carried secret orders that were not privy to the crew members. It turned out to be a secret flight to Leopoldville on the Congo River in West Africa to pick up uranium that was needed for the atomic bombs, which were later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, resulting in the end of WWII.

With stops at Bermuda and San Juan, Puerto Rico, we taxied into the dock at Port of Spain, Trinidad, on December 7, 1941. As we deplaned Pan American personnel were saying, “have you heard the news, Pearl Harbor has been bombed and we are at war with Japan”. The following day we flew on to Natal in Brazil, to Horta in the Azores, to Lagos, West Africa and arrived in Leopoldville on December 12. The landing was on the Congo River. Due to the strong river current, one pilot and one Flight Engineer were left aboard in case the anchor gave way and the aircraft went over the falls some distance down river. We crew members were not aware of the cargo loaded aboard, which was uranium.

On the return trip we arrived at Fisherman’s Lake, Liberia, for refueling. The Pan American station manager had not been advised of course of our arrival. I devised a small parachute with a note that I dropped from the bottom hatch as we flew over the village hoping that someone would contact the station manager. As we circled for a landing we observed a motorboat heading for the landing area. We refueled and took off for Natal, Brazil, on the December 15. With refueling stops at Port of Spain, and Miami, we arrived back at Port Washington, New York, on the December 17.

I found out that our cargo was uranium in 2002,” Captain R. Emery Wanless. From the "New York Times". William M. Masland, Pilot on historic Flight. Published: February 25, 1987.

This December 6, 1941, PAA flight was the inauguration of Foreign Air Mail Route 22 (FAM22).

Sadly Captain W. M. Masland passed away . . .