web-catalog        FAM Foreign Air Mail First Flights F17

Aerodacious (Aviation + Audacious = Aerodacious) eMail: Aerodacious Page FAM017 (Revised 05/23/2007)

Background: The Post Office Department designated any contract air mail route flown by an airline into/from a foreign country into/from the US as a "Foreign Air Mail" route. The Foreign Air Mail routes became known as FAM's.

FAM-17: FAM-17 was reciprocally awarded to Pan American Airways and Imperial Airways.
        In 1923 the British government recommended that the main existing aircraft companies should be merged into one organization. Its mission was to create an airline company which would be strong enough to develop Britain's external air services. As a result, Imperial Airways Limited was formed on March 31, 1924 inheriting 1,760 miles of cross-Channel routes and a collection of aircraft. Imperial Airways had the task of reopening British European air routes and developing air communications between Britain and its colonies. In its first year of operation Imperial flew 853,042 miles, carried 11,395 passengers and 212,380 letters.
        FAM-17 was awarded jointly to Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways and on June 15, 1937 flying a Short Empire S-23 flying boat piloted by William Neville-Cumming, Imperial inaugurated flight service from Hamilton Bermuda to Port Washington Long Island NY. On November 16, 1937 Baltimore MD replaced New York as the US terminal servicing flights to Bermuda.

F17-1

370616

Hamilton Bermuda-Port Washington NY

IA

William Neville-Cumming

$22.50

         On March 16, 1938. Pan American Airways inaugurated flight service when ROD Sullivan piloted a Sikorsky S-42 between Baltimore MD and Hamilton Bermuda.

Pan American Airways - Sikorsky S-42

F17-2

380316

Baltimore MD-Hamilton Bermuda

PA

ROD Sullivan

$2.25

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