Project
The Pan Am Documentary Project is a media initiative designed to examine the importance of Pan Am, its visionary founder Juan Trippe, and the fascinating people associated with the company and early commercial aviation to American history. Its primary component is a two hour feature documentary film, On the Wings of Giants. The project also includes two companion educational outreach components: a DVD-ROM and the Pan Am Documentary Web site. The DVD-ROM will include the full version of the film documentary as well as additional film interviews, photos, maps, illustrations, virtual reality tours, and historical text expanding on the Pan Am story and its context within the history of the 20th Century. The Pan Am Documentary Web site will supplement the information on the DVD-ROM. Long after the DVD's release, the Web site will enhance the content of the Project with ongoing updates by the Producers and input from visitors. Web links on the DVD-ROM will also access areas on the Web site that will be updated in an ongoing fashion.

Producers
In association with the Pan Am Historical Foundation (see letter of support), film producers Jeffrey Mills (Io Communications) and David Hoffman (Varied Directions International) have partnered to produce the Pan Am Documentary Project. Between them they have over 50 years of film production experience and dozens of prestigious awards for broadcast television including several Emmys and a Peabody Award. Two of their most noted recent series were PBS's "Making Sense of the Sixties" and the Turner Television history of the space program, "Moon Shot."

Rationale
Why is the story of Pan Am important? It goes beyond preserving the history of a great American corporation. Pan Am broke down the barriers of distance, and for the first time made all Americans citizens of the world. Pan Am's story is also an examination of innovation. Electricity, the automobile, the airplane, and the computer are the four innovations during the last century that have most profoundly influenced our society.
Of these four, the dramatic and motivational story of commercial aviation is yet to be completely told, and Pan Am is the key to telling it well.

Proposal continues