CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-48

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web-catalog CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-48

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Page ccAM048 (Revised 11/09/2007)

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-48: AM-48 was awarded to Mid-Continent Airlines. Hanford's Tri-State Airlines began in 1928 as a small flying school in Sioux City Iowa by aviation pioneer, Arthur Hanford Jr. Hanford began offering charter service and schedule flights from Omaha NE to Sioux City IA, Minneapolis-Saint Paul MN and Bismark ND. In July 1936 Thomas Fortune Ryan III acquired controlling interest in Hanford and after being named executive vice president moved Hanford's general offices to Kansas City MO. Ten-passenger Lockheed Electra's were purchased. In August 1938 Hanford Tri-State was changed to Mid-Continent Airlines. In 1940 Mid-Continent put into service Lockheed Lodestar aircraft for AM-48 routes from Minneapolis/St. Paul MN.

48S1 401101 Minneapolis MN MCA Robert P Harris $6.00

48S1f 401101 Minneapolis MN MCA Robert P Harris $10.50

48S2 401101 Saint Paul MN MCA Robert P Harris $7.50

48S3 401101 Rochester MN MCA Robert P Harris $6.00

48SE4 401101 Des Moines IA(Southeast) MCA Robert P Harris $22.50

48SW4 401101 Des Moines IA(Southwest) MCA Cornell N Shelton $4.50

48N5 401101 Kansas City MO MCA Cornell N Shelton $7.50

48N5f 401101 Kansas City MO MCA Cornell N Shelton $7.50

48N4 401101 Des Moines IA MCA Robert P Harris $13.50

48N3 401101 Rochester MN MCA Robert P Harris $7.50

48SE6 401101 Ottumwa IA MCA Robert P Harris $2.25

48N7 401101 Saint Louis MO MCA Robert P Harris $3.75

48N7f 401101 Saint Louis MO MCA Robert P Harris $4.50

48N6 401101 Ottumwa IA MCA Robert P Harris $3.00

Douglas DC-3's were added to the Mid-Continent fleet in 1945.

R48N9 460318 to Mason City IA MCA -- $6.00

48N8 460318 Mason City IA MCA Scott Spires $3.75

48S8 460318 Mason City IA MCA Donald G Pauly $2.25

48W10 470415 Des Moines IA MCA DS Zimmerly $2.25

48E11 470415 Sioux City IA MCA James F Hudson $2.25

48NW12 480122 Quincy IL MCA Donald G Pauly $3.75

48SE12 480122 Quincy IL MCA Donald G Pauly $2.25

48N13 480201 Waterloo IA MCA DS Zimmerly $3.00

48S13 480201 Waterloo IA MCA OK Swope $2.25

Mid-Continent was absorbed by Braniff International Airways in August 1952.
Douglas DC-3

48S14 530927 Waseca MN BIA JJ Halloran $3.00

48N14 530927 Waseca MN BIA JJ Halloran $6.00

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 #

INDEX: First Flights by Air Taxi Services Route #

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