Pease Welcomes Pan Am
On December 17, 1998, the Pease Development Authority in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, dedicated a new $5.6 million passenger terminal building and thus signaled the commitment of the community to industrial growth and economic strength. Before more than 300 interested onlookers, Pan American President Dave Fink announced plans to offer passenger service early in 1999. Thus, the Pan Am presence at Pease is to be substantially more than the headquarters and maintenance functions already in place. As if to announce the Pan Am involvement in the Pease development process, the first plane to use the new terminal was the Pan Am 727 named “Clipper Walt Helmer”. The next plane to be named will be the “Clipper Portsmouth”.
The Pease effort is widely regarded as a success story, for much industry, according to Governor Jeanne Shaheen, has been located there since the closing of the former Air Force base. While it was acknowledged by officials who spoke that the Manchester air terminal would remain the primary passenger facility in New Hampshire, Pease managers will aggressively seek passenger and business carriers to utilize their terminal.
Pan Am hosted an open house at the Pease Hangar after the terminal dedication. One plane was already in the maintenance area and the “Clipper Walt Helmer” was also brought in just to demonstrate the vast space within the hangar. Visitors had an opportunity to inspect the working facilities as well as the headquarters offices. Obvious to all was the cleanliness which is vital to the aircraft maintenance environment. The remarks offered by Tim Mellon and Dave Fink to those present leave no doubt as to the future of Pan Am. It’s here to stay.