Occasionally here in the northeast you can see the Pan Am logo roll by dismally painted on the side of a railroad boxcar. I suppose that BMA outfit also owns a rail operation. Maybe a year or two ago I saw a Jetstream land in BWI with the logo on its tail as it taxied over to the FBO side of the field. Sickening.

Back in the day, the Pan Am logo/trademark was the second most widely recognized design in the world, trailing only Coca-Cola.

My Dad worked for Pan Am from 1951 until 1964 (he was not a pilot) and I have several fond memories of time in the jumpseat as a cockpit visitor. Most notably, once as the sole passenger as the B-707 was repositioned from Friendship Airport (now BWI) to Idelwild Airport (now JFK). These experiences inspired me to pursue a career in aviation that has included 21 years in the USAF, 10 years at ATA Airlines, and now at a regional since the demise of ATA. My career sems much like that of Pan Am.

I don't know how big they were, but they were the best in terms of techncal capabilities and as their motto exclaimed "The worlds most experienced airline". I still have some of the company's old lead pencils proclaiming that.

Skygods = an excellent read.

Regards,
Blue