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web-catalog        CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-39

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Page ccAM039 (Revised 11/08/2007)

Background: The Air Mail Act of 1925 (Kelly Act) authorized the postmaster general to contract for domestic airmail service with commercial air carriers. It also set airmail rates and the level of cash subsidies to be paid to companies that carried the mail. By transferring airmail operations to private companies, the government effectively would help create the commercial aviation industry. Various routes were designated and contracts for carrying the mail over these routes were then awarded to many different private air service companies. The Contract Air Mail routes became known as CAM's.

AM-39: AM-39 was awarded to National Airlines. National Airlines Systems was founded in St Petersburg FL inaugurating flight service on October 15, 1934 between St. Petersburg and Daytona Beach via Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando. Its initial fleet consisted of Ryan Brougham aircraft. On July 8, 1937 NAS became National Airlines (NA). NA extended its routes to Jacksonville and Miami flying Stinson Model T Tri-motor aircraft.
TWA

         AM-39 was awarded to NA and on November 1, 1938 it began flight service between Jacksonville and New Orleans LA. "The Buccaneer Route" became National's by-line.
TWA

39W1 381101 Jacksonville FL NA EJ Kershaw $3.75
39W1f 381101 Jacksonville FL NA EJ Kershaw $7.50
39W2 381101 Tallahassee FL NA EJ Kershaw $4.50
39W3 381101 Pensacola FL NA EJ Kershaw $4.50
39W4 381101 Mobile AL NA EJ Kershaw $6.00
39E5 381101 New Orleans LA NA EJ Kershaw $2.25
39E5f 381101 New Orleans LA NA EJ Kershaw $3.75
39E4 381101 Mobile AL NA EJ Kershaw $6.00
39E3 381101 Pensacola FL NA EJ Kershaw $6.00
39E2 381101 Tallahassee FL NA EJ Kershaw $6.00

         NA relocated it's general offices and principal base of operations from St Petersburg to Jacksonville in 1939. During WW-II NA allocated a portion of its fleet to the Air Transport Command and operated Air Corps contract schools for pilots, mechanics, radio operators and navigators.

NA
Douglas DC-4

39S6 460428 Pensacola FL NA JA Guthrie $37.50
39S7 460428 Tampa FL NA JA Guthrie $37.50
39N8 460428 Miami FL NA HB McDonald $37.50
39N7 460428 Tampa FL NA HB McDonald $37.50

39SE9 460505 New Orleans LA NA W Smith $112.50
39SE9f 460505 New Orleans LA NA W Smith $60.00
39NW10 460505 Tampa FL NA SE Stoia $45.00

R39W12 460701 to Marianna FL NA $0
39E11 460701 Marianna FL NA SL Speer $0
R39E12 460701 to Marianna FL NA $0
39W11 460701 Marianna FL NA ET Horton $0

R39W14 460901 to Valdosta GA NA $0
39E13 460901 Valdosta GA NA FR Shurley $0
R39E14 460901 to Valdosta GA NA $0
39W13 460901 Valdosta GA NA Stanley R Beach $0

39W15 470402 Gulfport MS NA James L Hanson $0
39E15 470402 Gulfport MS NA George Peteler $0

39W16 480901 Panama City FL NA MG Francisco $0
39E16 480901 Panama City FL NA TG Alderson $0

NA
Douglas DC-6

39E17 561120 Houston TX NA HH Clark $0
39E17f 561120 Houston TX NA HH Clark $0
39W18 561120 New Orleans LA NA GO White $0
39W18f 561120 New Orleans LA NA GO White $0

NA
Douglas DC-8

39W19 590426 Melbourne FL NA Thomas G Alderson $0
39E19 590426 Melbourne FL NA LG Lowe $0

Los Angeles Extension
39W20 610611 Houston TX NA HB Wilson $0
39W20f 610611 Houston TX NA HB Wilson $0
39W21 610611 San Diego CA NA HB Wilson $0
39E22 610611 Los Angeles CA NA WM Barron $0
39E22f 610611 Los Angeles CA NA WM Barron $0
39E21 610611 San Diego CA NA HB McDonald $0
San Francisco Extension
39NW23 610611 Houston TX NA J Kepner $0
39NW23f 610611 Houston TX NA J Kepner $0
39SE25 610611 San Francisco CA NA JD Roper $0
39SE25f 610611 San Francisco CA NA JD Roper $0
39SE24 610611 Las Vegas NV NA JD Roper $0

NA
Douglas DC-8

39E26 691001 San Francisco CA NA Odis D Moss $0
39E26f 691001 San Francisco CA NA Odis D Moss $0
39W27 691001 Atlanta GA NA RE Jones $0
39W27f 691001 Atlanta GA NA RE Jones $0

INDEX: First Flights by CAM Route #

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

INDEX: First Flights by AM Route #

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

INDEX: First Flights by Experimental Route #

1001 1002

INDEX: First Flights by AM Route #

49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
66 67 68 69 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 84
86 87 88 90 91 93 94 96 97 98 99 100 101 103 105
106 107 111 119 120 121 139 140 141 143 144 148 172

INDEX: First Flights by Air Taxi Services Route #

288 289 290 291 292 293 295 296 297 298
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