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web-catalog        CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-40

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Page ccAM040 (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-40: AM-40 was awarded to Eastern Air Lines. On January 17, 1930 Pitcairn Aviation was re-named Eastern Air Transport. Supplementing its fleet of Mailwing’s, EAT acquired three Ford Trimotors. On January 1, 1931 EAT flying its Ford Trimotor, inaugurated its first combined passenger and air mail flight service between St Petersburg FL and Newark NJ. EAT later became Eastern Air Lines (EAL) on March 29, 1938. Former WW-I hero, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker took over at the "new" Eastern Air Lines. All Eastern's equipment bore the legend "The Great Silver Fleet." AM-40 was awarded to EAL and on October 10, 1938 it began flight service between Tampa FL and Atlanta GA.
EAL

40N1 381010 Tampa FL EAL WS Dawson $3.00
40N2 381010 Tallahassee FL EAL WS Dawson $3.00
40S3 381010 Atlanta GA EAL AL Laney $4.50
40S3f 381010 Atlanta GA EAL AL Laney $4.50
40S2 381010 Tallahassee FL EAL AL Laney $6.00

         DC-3's were delivered to "The Great Silver Fleet" in May of 1937.
EAL

40NW5 390215 Tallahassee FL EAL WE Coney $4.50
40N6 390215 Montgomery AL EAL WE Coney $3.75
40N7 390215 Birmingham AL EAL WE Coney $3.75
40N8 390215 Florence AL EAL WE Coney $3.75
40N9 390215 Sheffield AL EAL WE Coney $3.75
40N10 390215 Tuscumbia AL EAL WE Coney $3.75
40S11 390215 Memphis TN EAL WE Coney $3.00
40S10 390215 Tuscumbia AL EAL WE Coney $5.25
40S9 390215 Sheffield AL EAL WE Coney $4.50
40S8 390215 Florence AL EAL WE Coney $4.50
40S7 390215 Birmingham AL EAL WE Coney $6.00
40S6 390215 Montgomery AL EAL WE Coney $6.00

EAL
Douglas DC-3

R40S13 400801 to Dothan AL EAL -- $9.00
40N12 400801 Dothan AL EAL AL Laney $2.25
R40N13 400801 to Dothan AL EAL -- $6.00
40S12 400801 Dothan AL EAL WF Phillippi $6.00

40N14 401016 Florence AL EAL ME Thayer $18.75
40N15 401016 Sheffield AL EAL ME Thayer $18.75
40N16 401016 Tuscumbia AL EAL ME Thayer $18.75
40S17 401016 Nashville TN EAL by train $6.75
40S17f 401016 Nashville TN EAL by train $6.75

40S18 440601 Tampa FL EAL William C Haines $7.50
40N19 440601 Miami FL EAL Walter W Tullis $7.50

R40S21 450520 to Albany GA EAL $4.50
40N20 450520 Albany GA EAL Dewey P Kelly $6.00
R40N21 450520 to Albany GA EAL $4.50
40S20 450520 Albany GA EAL WMS Phillips $7.50

EAL
Douglas DC-4

R40S23 460101 to Huntsville AL EAL $18.75
40N22 460101 Huntsville AL EAL HJ Wilhelmi $10.50
R40N23 460101 to Huntsville AL EAL $6.00
40S22 460101 Huntsville AL EAL Francis Ashley $4.50

40N24 460203 Huntsville AL EAL Fred Archer $10.50
40S25 460120 Memphis TN EAL GE Griener $7.50

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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