This story of a PanAm Clipper airplane that flew from Auckland, New Zealand to NYC the long way around is fascinating stuff. And why did they take the long way home? Well, let me put it this way: their original flight back to the USA was scheduled for December, 1941. And the Japanese would have absolutely loved to get their hands on a Boeing 314 long-range flying boat. So the California Clipper (later renamed the Pacific Clipper) maneuvered its way across the globe in a way that absolutely screams for a movie treatment.
Seriously, Hollywood. This is watchable stuff. And it’s a WWII historical piece, which means that you could do a bunch of exotic locales and whatnot. What are you people waiting for?
Anyway, check it out. I’ve just bought the book that that series of articles in the above link references, too. I’ll let you know how it reads.
[OOPS: Via Stephen Green]