CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-11

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web-catalog CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-11

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Page ccCAM011 (Revised 10/26/2007)

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.
CAM-11: CAM-11 was awarded to Skyline Transportation Company (Clifford Ball's Airline). Skyline was founded in 1926 by enterprising enthusiast, Clifford Ball. CAM-11 air service was inaugurated with both east and west flights on April 21, 1927 between Cleveland Ohio and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with an interim stop in Youngstown. Pittsburgh and McKeesport shared the same airport. Postal mail covers carried on the inaugural flight between each point of landing and take-off are collectible and are known as CAM-11 covers. Skyline Transporation used a Waco 9 bi-plane named "Miss Pittsburgh" for this initial April 21, 1927 air service.
Pilots flying different legs of this April 27th CAM-11 inaugural air service included, Kenneth "Curley" F. Lovejoy, Merle A. Moltrup and Dewey L. Noyes.

11S1	270421	Cleveland OH	STC	Lovejoy & Noyes	$7.50
11S2	270421	Youngstown OH	STC	Moltrup & Noyes	$18.00
11N3	270421	McKeesport PA	STC	Moltrup & Noyes	$9.00
11N4	270421	Pittsburgh PA	STC	Moltrup & Noyes	$7.50
11N2	270421	Youngstown OH	STC	Noyes	$15.00

R11N6	310608	to Akron OH by southbound plane	STC		$6.00
11S5	310608	Akron OH	STC	LV Scriggins	$4.50
R11S6	310608	to Akron OH by northbound plane	STC		$6.00
11N5	310608	Akron OH	STC	RL Baker	$7.50

11E7	310608	Pittsburgh PA	STC	LV Scroggins	$18.75
11E7F	310608	Pittsburgh PA	STC	LV Scroggins	$37.50
11E8	310608	McKeesport PA	STC	Ed Couples	$26.25
11W9	310608	Washington DC	STC	RL Baker	$5.25

CAM-11: On February 9, 1934 the Post Office Department canceled all contracts of operators flying mail on routes within the US to become effective on February 19, 1934. The reason given by the Post Office was that there was suspicion that the mail carrying contracts had been awarded through collusion during the previous Administration.
Cancellation of the air mail contracts held by established pioneer airline companies was accompanied by an executive order from President Franklin D Roosevelt stating that the Army Air Corps should now carry the mail. Three territorial zones were established for the Air Corps mail operations, Newark NJ, Chicago IL and Salt Lake City UT. The eastern, central and western zones each had branch routes to other feeder cities. It was a difficult assignment for the Army Air Corps as they did not have enough planes and the ones they had, did not have the latest instruments, landing, navigation, or cockpit lights. One of the aircraft they used was the Keystone B-4 bi-plane.
New commercial air mail carrying contracts were made in May 1934 and the mail was again flown by private contractors over re-designated revised Post Office Department routes in late June 1934.

CAM-11: After the February 1934 cancellation and reinstatement of new commercial air mail carrying contracts over re-designed revised Post Office routes in late June 1934, Central Airlines began flying CAM-11 air mail. Central Airlines was founded in 1934. It quickly determined that operating an exclusive passenger service operation was economically impossible without the supplement of a mail contract to provide a basic source of revenue. Pennsylvania Airlines merged with Cental Airlines November 1, 1936 to become Pennsylvania-Central Airlines. PCA purchased a Boeing 247 in January 1937.
On April 21, 1948 PCA changed its name to Capital Airlines. Capital Airlines served the eastern US and was merged into United Airlines in 1961.

11E10 380407 Washington DC PCA JH Carmichael $7.50

11E10F 380407 Washington DC PCA JH Carmichael $15.00

11W11 380407 Norfolk VA PCA James Franklin $3.00

11N12 431115 Washington DC PCA James Shutt $16.50

11W13 431115 Baltimore MD PCA James Shutt $16.50

11E14 431115 Pittsburgh PA PCA W Clyde Paddock $19.50

11S13 431115 Baltimore MD PCA W Clyde Paddock $13.50

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 #

INDEX: First Flights by Experimental Route #

INDEX: First Flights by AM Route #

INDEX: First Flights by Air Taxi Services Route #

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