web-catalog        CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-59

Aerodacious (Aviation + Audacious = Aerodacious) eMail: Aerodacious Page ccAM059 (Revised 11/16/2007)

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-59: AM-59 was awarded to Caribbean-Atlantic Airlines. Mr Powelson, a pilot for a local Puerto Rican rum distillery founded the Powelson Line in the early 1940's. The Powelson Line was quickly purchased by the Trigo brothers who renamed the small airline, Caribbean-Atlantic Airlines and it became a subsidiary of Florida based National Airlines. At its creation CAA had a small fleet of Stinson A Tri-Motor aircraft. CAA was awarded AM-59 and on November 12, 1942 began flight service between San Juan Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas/Saint Croix Virgin Islands. After WW-II CAA became known as Caribair.

59E1	421112	San Juan PR	CAA	Jose F Jiminez	$97.50
59E2	421112	Charlotte Amalie St Thomas VI	CAA	Jose F Jiminez	$135.00
59W3	421112	Christiansted St Croix VI	CAA	Jose F Jiminez	$135.00
59W2	421112	Charlotte Amalie St Thomas VI	CAA	Jose F Jiminez	$135.00

59W4	450606	San Juan PR	CAA	William E Bruen	$22.50
59W5	450606	Ponce PR	CAA	William E Bruen	$37.50
59E6	450606	Mayaguez PR	CAA	William E Bruen	$26.25
59E5	450606	Ponce PR	CAA	William E Bruen	$33.75

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

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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