San Francisco Golden Gate Expo 1939 and the China Clipper airplane

The Golden Gate Exposition was a World's Fair which ran from 1939 to 1940
at Treasure Island, a man-made island near San Francisco, California.

It was operated partly to celebrate the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937.

Both of my parents lived in the San Francisco area then and attended the fair at different times.



Souvenir Token - Golden Gate Exposition - China Clipper (Brass 31mm)
GOLDEN GATE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION / 1939 / SAN FRANCISCO BAY
PATENTED C110010
Golden Gate Bridge, sunset, fair building
CHINA CLIPPER
Compass letters 'W', 'N', 'E', 'S' / L-50-C
Airplane, Golden Gate Bridge

The China Clipper was a Pan American Airways airplane which flew from San Francisco to Manila.

It carried a famous archaeologist part way to Nepal in 1936.

This weekend the Golden Gate Bridge turns 75. Fireworks and other events are planned - sadly I'll be out of town.

Treasure Island Building One, built for the Fair, played the role of Berlin's airport in Last Crusade. I recently learned that during WW2 some Naval spotter blimps were based on T. I. including the mysterious Ghost Blimp

Wow, William, InexporableTash: great info, thanks. In the 1 minute reading this thread, I learned alot . I have always focused on the New York World's Fair, "Building The World of Tomorrow," so was unaware of the GG Exhibition. And while I obviously know about the PanAm Clippers since childhood (Revell model kits), I didn't know that Treasure Island Building One stood in for what is supposed to be Berlin Tempelhof Weltflughafen.
Perfect start into the week-end from you guys

Wow that's some cool history! Interesting how it can tie into Indy.

Who was the pilot of the China Clipper flying boat airplane in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"?

Now he has been identified.

Since "Raiders" is a movie the answer can be found in a movie and the 1936 film "China Clipper" has the answer.

The film is a fictionalized story of the development of the Pan American Airways airplane and of it's first flight from California to China.

The film used footage of the real China Clipper in it.



And here is the pilot of the China Clipper: