Clipped Clippers

If taciturn Captain Edwin C. Musick of the China Clipper keeps a diary, he last week had good reason for grumping in it. The proud program of spanning the Pacific, which he began for Pan American Airways with much eclat last autumn (TIME, Dec. 2 et seq.), has ever since run more & more askew in a crescendo of frustration which last week attained a new climax. The diary:

Nov. 22: Capt. Musick took off from San Francisco in the China Clipper after much flag-waving, flew with perfect precision to Manila and back in a fortnight.

Dec. 9: The Philippine Clipper took off attempting the same feat, got to Manila on schedule, was delayed there four days by bad weather. Back in Honolulu, she made one false start for San Francisco, tried again, finally got there with one engine dead.

Dec. 22: Having posed in Santa Claus costume, Capt. Musick took off with the first load of Pacific air express. After 700 miles he met a storm. True to his traditional caution, he turned about, returned to San Francisco.

Dec. 24, 25, 26: Flight scheduled, canceled because of bad weather.

Jan. 5: The China Clipper again left the ramp at Alameda, taxied across the harbor. Almost away, she hit a floating log, rammed a hole in her bottom, went back to the landing for repairs. At the same time Pan American elected to change all eight motors in the two Clippers to improved models. Result: Four more days delay.

Jan. 9, 10, 11, 12, etc.: Flight scheduled, canceled first because of bad weather, then because of tests.

Last week: The China Clipper finally got away again. For 13 hours she butted head winds. Then, having gone 1,000 miles, Capt. Musick cocked an ear at a bad report from Hawaii, scooted back to Alameda.

Three-month score: two successful round-trips; three false starts.

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