CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-47

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web-catalog CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-47

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Page ccAM047 (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-47: AM-47 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-47 was awarded to EAL and on October 15, 1940 it began flight service between Saint Louis MO and Nashville TN.

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

47E1 401015 Saint Louis MO EAL WW Wipprecht $7.50

47E1f 401015 Saint Louis MO EAL WW Wipprecht $9.00

47E2 401015 Evansville IN EAL WW Wipprecht $12.00

47W3 401015 Nashville TN EAL George C Diggs $67.50

47W3f 401015 Nashville TN EAL George C Diggs $3.00

47W2 401015 Evansville IN EAL George C Diggs $9.00

47E4 410612 Evansville IN EAL CO Trestt $3.75

47W5 410612 Louisville KY EAL Paul Charles $3.75

47E5 440701 Louisville KY EAL DB Southard $16.50

47W6 440701 Washington DC EAL Howard N Harris $24.00

47W6f 440701 Washington DC EAL Howard N Harris $37.50

Douglas DC-4

47E7 461013 Lexington KY EAL Howard N Harris $4.50

47E8 461013 Frankfort KY EAL Howard N Harris $7.50

47W8 461013 Frankfort KY EAL BD Scott $4.50

47W7 461013 Lexington KY EAL BD Scott $4.50

47E9 471201 Charleston WV EAL Edward Boyajian $27.00

47W9 471201 Charleston WV EAL Norman Mosley $7.50

47E10 510301 Owensboro KY EAL RJ Connelly $2.25

47W10 510301 Owensboro KY EAL WG Custer $3.75

47W11f 551030 New York NY EAL GT Sedlmayr $22.50

47E12 551030 Louisville KY EAL BD Scott $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 #

INDEX: First Flights by AM Route #

INDEX: First Flights by Air Taxi Services Route #

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