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web-catalog        CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights AM-81

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Page ccAM081 (Revised 11/20/2007)

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-81: AM-81 was awarded to Central Airlines. Central Airlines was founded by Keith Kahle in 1944 to operate charter and fixed base services in Oklahoma. Due to financing difficulties Central Airlines did not begin scheduled air service until September 15, 1949 establishing its headquarters at Meacham Field in Fort Worth TX. AM-81 was awarded to Central Airlines and on September 15th it began scheduled flights between Fort Worth TX and Oklahoma City OK flying its fleet of eleven Bonanza A35's.
CA

81N1 490915 Fort Worth TX CA Gordon Bourland $3.00
81N2 490915 Dallas TX CA Gordon Bourland $3.75
81N2f 490915 Dallas TX CA Gordon Bourland $3.00
81N3 490915 Gainesville TX CA Gordon Bourland $3.00
81N4 490915 Ardmore OK CA Gordon Bourland $3.00
81N5 490915 Ada OK CA Gordon Bourland $3.00
81N6 490915 Holdenville OK CA Gordon Bourland $2.25
81N7 490915 Shawnee OK CA Gordon Bourland $2.25
81S8 490915 Oklahoma City OK CA Gordon Bourland $3.00
81S7 490915 Shawnee OK CA Gordon Bourland $4.50
81S6 490915 Holdenville OK CA Gordon Bourland $4.50
81S5 490915 Ada OK CA Gordon Bourland $3.75
81S4 490915 Ardmore OK CA Gordon Bourland $4.50
81S3 490915 Gainesville TX CA Sam D Turner $4.50
81S2 490915 Dallas TX CA Sam D Turner $6.00
81S2f 490915 Dallas TX CA Sam D Turner $13.50

81S9 491010 Tulsa OK CA Floyd Kinyon $3.00
81S10 491010 Okmulgee OK CA Floyd Kinyon $2.25
81S11 491010 Holdenville OK CA Floyd Kinyon $2.25
81S12 491010 Durant OK CA Floyd Kinyon $2.25
81N13 491010 Dallas TX CA Walter A Whitlock $3.00
81N13f 491010 Dallas TX CA Walter A Whitlock $3.00
81N12 491010 Durant OK CA Walter A Whitlock $6.00
81N11 491010 Holdenville OK CA Walter A Whitlock $6.00
81N10 491010 Okmulgee OK CA Walter A Whitlock $4.50

81E13 491015 Dallas TX CA Ed Armstrong $3.00
81E13f 491015 Dallas TX CA Ed Armstrong $3.00
81E14 491015 Greenville TX CA Ed Armstrong $3.00
81E15 491015 Paris TX CA Ed Armstrong $3.00
81W16 491015 Texarkana TX CA Ed Armstrong $2.25
81W15 491015 Paris TX CA Ed Armstrong $6.00
81W14 491015 Greenville TX CA Ed Armstrong $3.75

81N17 491110 Oklahoma City OK CA Charles M Smith $2.25
81N18 491110 Enid OK CA Charles M Smith $2.25
81N19 491110 Ponca City OK CA Charles M Smith $3.00
81N20 491110 Arkansas City KS CA Charles M Smith $3.00
81N21 491110 Winfield KS CA Charles M Smith $3.00
81S22 491110 Wichita KS CA Charles M Smith $3.00
81S21 491110 Winfield KS CA Charles M Smith $3.00
81S20 491110 Arkansas City KS CA Charles M Smith $3.00
81S19 491110 Ponca City OK CA Charles M Smith $4.50
81S18 491110 Enid OK CA Charles M Smith $3.75

81E23 491115 Amarillo TX CA Sam D Turner $2.25
81E24 491115 Pampa TX CA Sam D Turner $3.00
81E25 491115 Woodward OK CA Sam D Turner $3.00
81E26 491115 Enid OK CA Sam D Turner $4.50
81E27 491115 Ponca City OK CA Sam D Turner $4.50
81E28 491115 Bartlesville OK CA Sam D Turner $4.50
81W29 491115 Tulsa OK CA Floyd Kinyon $3.00
81W28 491115 Bartlesville OK CA Floyd Kinyon $3.00
81W27 491115 Ponca City OK CA Floyd Kinyon $3.00
81W26 491115 Enid OK CA Floyd Kinyon $2.25
81W25 491115 Woodward OK CA Floyd Kinyon $4.50
81W24 491115 Pampa TX CA Floyd Kinyon $4.50

81N30 500116 Sherman TX CA Sam D Turner $2.25
81N31 500116 Denison TX CA Sam D Turner $3.00
81S31 500116 Denison TX CA James L Smith $4.50
81S30 500116 Sherman TX CA James L Smith $3.00

CA
Douglas DC-3

81E32 510515 Borger TX CA Lester Moss $3.00
81W32 510515 Borger TX CA Lester Harper $3.75

81S33 510926 Norman OK CA Walter A Whitlock $3.75
81N33 510926 Norman OK CA Walter A Whitlock $2.25

81N34 520919 McAlester OK CA William L Lasseter $3.00
81S34 520919 McAlester OK CA Lester Moss $3.75

81N35 530426 Muskogee OK CA NM Little $2.25
81S35 530426 Muskogee OK CA Lester Moss $3.00
81W36 530426 Stillwater OK CA Gordon Bourland $2.25
81E36 530426 Stillwater OK CA Gordon Bourland $4.50

81N37 531020 Dallas TX CA WB Brown $3.75
81N37f 531020 Dallas TX CA WB Brown $3.75
81N38 531020 Fort Worth TX CA WB Brown $3.75
81N39 531020 Lawton OK CA WB Brown $3.75
81N40 531020 Fort Sill OK CA WB Brown $3.75
81S41 531020 Oklahoma City OK CA WB Brown $3.00
81S40 531020 Fort Sill OK CA WB Brown $6.00
81S39 531020 Lawton OK CA WB Brown $6.00

81S42 531101 Chickasha OK CA GJ Ceshker $6.00
81N42 531101 Chickasha OK CA WB Brown $3.00

81N43 540215 Duncan OK CA Glenn S Cox $3.75
81S43 540215 Duncan OK CA Lester Moss $3.75

81E44 541207 Tulsa OK CA William L Lasseter $3.00
81E45 541207 Muskogee OK CA William L Lasseter $3.00
81E46 541207 Fayetteville AR CA William L Lasseter $3.00
81E47 541207 Fort Smith AR CA William L Lasseter $4.50
81E48 541207 Hot Springs AR CA William L Lasseter $3.00
81W49 541207 Little Rock AR CA William L Lasseter $3.00
81W48 541207 Hot Springs AR CA William L Lasseter $4.50
81W47 541207 Fort Smith AR CA William L Lasseter $4.50
81W46 541207 Fayetteville AR CA William L Lasseter $4.50
81W45 541207 Muskogee OK CA William L Lasseter $6.00

81N50 541207 Fort Worth TX CA Delbert E Booth $3.00
81N50f 541207 Fort Worth TX CA Delbert E Booth $2.25
81N51 541207 Dallas TX CA Delbert E Booth $3.00
81N51f 541207 Dallas TX CA Delbert E Booth $3.00
81N52 541207 Paris TX CA Delbert E Booth $2.25
81N53 541207 Fort Smith AR CA Willard J Lankton $3.00
81N54 541207 Fayetteville AR CA Willard J Lankton $6.00
81N55 541207 Muskogee OK CA Delbert E Booth $3.75
81N56 541207 Joplin MO CA Willard J Lankton $3.00
81S57 541207 Kansas City MO CA Willard J Lankton $3.00
81S57f 541207 Kansas City MO CA Willard J Lankton $2.25
81S56 541207 Joplin MO CA Willard J Lankton $4.50
81S55 541207 Muskogee OK CA Willard J Lankton $6.00
81S54 541207 Fayetteville AR CA John A Logue $3.00
81S53 541207 Fort Smith AR CA Willard J Lankton $4.50
81S52 541207 Paris TX CA Willard J Lankton $3.75
81S51 541207 Dallas TX CA Willard J Lankton $13.50
81S51f 541207 Dallas TX CA Willard J Lankton $33.75

81N58 560202 Fayetteville AR CA Martin M Little $19.50
81S59 560202 Saint Louis MO CA Lester Harper $2.25
81S59f 560202 Saint Louis MO CA Lester Harper $13.50

81W60 561203 Enid OK CA JW Wright $19.50
81W61 561203 Liberal KS CA JW Wright $3.00
81W62 561203 Colorado Springs CO CA JW Wright $6.00
81E63f 561203 Denver CO CA RS Brooks $4.50
81E62 561203 Colorado Springs CO CA RS Brooks $13.50
81E61 561203 Liberal KS CA RS Brooks $4.50
81N61 561203 Liberal KS CA William L Lasseter $2.25
81S61 561203 Liberal KS CA Lester Moss $3.75

81E64 570617 Guymon OK CA William Kopp $2.25
81NW64 570617 Guymon OK CA JW Wright $7.50
81S64 570617 Guymon OK CA Delbert E Booth $6.00

81S65 570629 Harrison AR CA E Spinks $2.25
81N65 570629 Harrison AR CA Charles M Smith $6.00

81W66 571028 Lamar CO CA WR Stokes $2.25
81E66 571028 Lamar CO CA KC Vradenburg $6.00

81N67 590201 Plainview TX CA KP Kingdom $41.25
81N68 590201 Lubbock TX CA JW Wright $52.50
81S67 590201 Plainview TX CA JW Wright $41.25

CA
Convair 240

81E69 610313 Manhattan KS CA Robert T Sampson $3.00
81E70 610313 Junction City KS CA Robert T Sampson $3.00
81E71 610313 Fort Riley KS CA Robert T Sampson $3.00
81E72 610313 Salina KS CA WJ Lankton $3.00
81E73 610313 Hutchinson KS CA WJ Lankton $10.50
81SE73 610313 Hutchinson KS CA Robert Brooks $3.00
81E74 610313 Great Bend KS CA Robert Brooks $2.25
81E75 610313 Dodge City KS CA Winford B Brown $6.00
81E76 610313 Garden City KS CA Winford B Brown $7.50
81E77 610313 Pueblo CO CA William Vance $2.25
81W77 610313 Pueblo CO CA William G Medcalf $10.50
81W76 610313 Garden City KS CA William G Medcalf $3.00
81W75 610313 Dodge City KS CA William G Medcalf $2.25
81W74 610313 Great Bend KS CA William G Medcalf $7.50
81W73 610313 Hutchinson KS CA William G Medcalf $6.00
81W72 610313 Salina KS CA James Liddle $6.00
81W71 610313 Fort Riley KS CA James Liddle $7.50
81W70 610313 Junction City KS CA James Liddle $7.50
81W69 610313 Manhattan KS CA James Liddle $6.00

81N78 610313 Independence KS CA Henry M Howe $2.25
81N79 610313 Coffeyville KS CA Henry M Howe $3.00
81N80 610313 Parsons KS CA Henry M Howe $3.00
81S80 610313 Parsons KS CA Robert L Connor $10.50
81S79 610313 Coffeyville KS CA Robert L Connor $22.50
81S78 610313 Independence KS CA Robert L Connor $6.00

81E81 610403 Goodland KS CA Kenneth S Griffith $6.00
81W81 610403 Goodland KS CA Robert T Sampson $2.25

81NE82 610414 Fort Leonard Wood MO CA Lester Moss $3.75
81SE82 610414 Fort Leonard Wood MO CA Lester Moss $4.50

81E83 610508 Hays KS CA Kenneth S Griffith $6.00
81W83 610508 Hays KS CA Walter S Gilliam $2.25

        Challenger Airlines of Salt Lake City UT together with Monarch Air Lines of Denver CO and Arizona Airways of Phoenix AZ merged on June 1, 1950 to form Frontier Airlines headquartered at Stapleton Field in Denver CO initially flying Douglas DC-3's and later Convair 340's and 580's. Frontier served some of the smaller underdeveloped areas of the great western plains and the Rocky Mountain States.
        On October 1, 1967 Central Airlines was merged into Frontier Airlines.

FA
Boeing 727

81E84 681027 Little Rock AR FA Max A Gardner $24.00
81W85 681027 Memphis TN FA William D Wayland $75.00
81W85f 681027 Memphis TN FA William D Wayland $7.50

        In November 1985 Frontier Airlines was purchased by deregulation-born, Newark-based, People-Express who were looking to expand their empire in the west. The resulting merger caused the bankruptcy of both airlines.

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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