Interview conducted on November 25, 1997. 83 pages The interview describes Captain Kenneth V. (Ken) Beer’s career with Pan American World Airways between 1929 and 1963. He was the captain of Honolulu Clipper’s first trans-Pacific flight on March 16, 1939. He discusses his training as a cadet with the Army Air Division at Brooks Field and Kelly Field in San Antonio, his work as a pilot with Western Air Express in 1928, the process by which he was hired by Pan American, and his training there. He discusses the work he performed as a First Officer / Copilot, Captain / Pilot, and Assistant Chief Pilot for training. He describes the flight manuals he wrote, one for instrument flight in 1931 or 1932 and a second one for seaplanes in the early 1940s. He discusses the airplanes he flew, including the Fokker F 10; the Ford Tri-Motor model (unspecified); the Sikorsky S 38 and S 42; the Consolidated Commodore; the Martin M 130 and PBM Mariner; the Boeing 314 and 377 Stratocruiser; and the Douglas DC 4 and DC 7. He discusses the routes he flew, including the Latin American Division: Brownsville to Mexico City and Panama; and Miami to Havana, Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Merida, and Buenos Aires; and the Pacific Division: San Francisco to Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam, Manila, Hong Kong, and Brisbane. He describes the early days of commercial flight, with a description of instrument flight; he also describes a few inflight mechanical incidents. He describes Alameda’s seaplane port, Treasure Island, Mills Field, and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). He relates his encounters with Ed Musick, Andre Priester, Igor Sikorsky, and Charles Lindbergh.