Across the Pacific (2020)

S1E2 Latin Laboratory

As they advance southward, Trippe, Sikorsky, Lindbergh, and Leuteritz develop larger flying boats and utilize radio technology to navigate vast distances. With support from the U.S. government, they manage to outsmart competing airlines, establishing a stronghold in Latin America and initiating the global air tourism market. However, this is just a stepping stone toward their true ambition: transatlantic flights. Trippe invests six years meticulously planning an Atlantic voyage, only to be thwarted when Britain denies Pan Am’s planes landing rights due to their own aircraft's limitations. With $2 million worth of new planes on order, Trippe finds himself unable to cross the ocean.