Pan American Airways  Fokker F.VIIb-3m    NC3314                   (c/n  612)

                                    

                                        A truly deplorable image acquired from Pan American of one of their first airliners. Note curved
                                        propellor blades. The arrow on the fuselage side indicates it is from the "Latin American Division"
                                        which is odd, considering that ALL of Pan American's operations were in Latin America at that time. 
                                        Regular service on the Key West - Havana route commenced on 28 October 1927 by which time
                                        a rudimentary fleet of Fokker airliners had been acquired.    This was the beginning of a kind of
                                        imperialistic sphere of operations which Pan American was to attain in the region.  It always fancied
                                        itself as the US's "chosen instrument" for international airline operations, much in the way that Imperial
                                        Airways, KLM, Air France and Deutsche Luft Hansa did for their respective countries.  Clearly the
                                        airline received massive support from the U.S. government (politically, if not economically).  Juan
                                        Trippe meanwhile was made President and CEO and devoted just about all of his time to the new
                                        airline, even while still CEO of AVCO.