Mission Accomplished! Route of the Atlas Sky Merchant

Celebrating the ‘First Round-the-World Flying Showroom in the History of Aviation.’

This vibrant post-war world map commemorates an innovative feat of American corporate “soft diplomacy” at a time when Cold War tensions were beginning to reshape the international order. Following World War II, several firms repurposed surplus military aircraft for commercial use. Atlas Supply Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil, converted a military C-54 transport into a civilian DC-4 that served as a flying showroom. In 1948, the aircraft embarked on a successful round-the-world tour, covering more than 50,000 miles and visiting over two dozen countries.

Along the way, the Atlas Sky Merchant carried company executives, showcased Atlas products, distributed souvenirs, and generated considerable public interest and goodwill. This map traces the aircraft’s journey from its departure in Miami to its arrival in New York roughly two months later. The bold red route is accompanied by small pictorial vignettes highlighting notable stops and events, including a meeting with Liberian President William V. S. Tubman and the presentation of a scale model to Manila Mayor León G. de la Fuente. Also shown, in blue, is the route of an earlier Sky Merchant tour through South America.

A decorative cartouche at the bottom of the map illustrates several Atlas products and identifies the expedition’s participants and crew. Among them is Advisory Pilot Ivan Smirnoff, the celebrated World War I flying ace and commercial aviation pioneer whose career spanned military service, pioneering airline routes, and international civil aviation.