CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-13

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web-catalog CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-13

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Page ccCAM013 (Revised 10/28/2007)

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-13: CAM-13 was awarded to Philadelphia Rapid Transit Air Service. In 1926 Philadelphia celebrated the sesqui-centennal (150th) anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As part of the celebrations, PRT (aka the Mitten Line) was launched by a prominent Philadelphia business man, Thomas E Mitten. PRT operated up to three times a day round trip between the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Hoover Field in Washington DC. It's primary interest was to carry passengers but in order to earn needed revenue, it began to carry mail on a fill-up load basis under CAM-13. PRT flew a Fokker F.VIIa-3M aircraft imported from the Netherlands for this flight service. The aircraft was named "Wilbur" and carried the crest on its fuselage, "Under Mitten Management." Dutchman, Andre Priester (formally employed by KLM) provided the necessary maintenance and technical competence to sustain safe accident free operations.
PRT soon ran into financial losses and discontinued services on November 30, 1926. It had demonstrated that aeroplane passenger/mail service could be both dependable and safe.

13S1	260706	Philadelphia PA	PRT	Alton N Parker	$21.00
13N2	260706	Washington DC	PRT	Alton N Parker	$22.50

13N3	260904	Philadelphia PA (Morning)	PRT	James D Hill	$45.00
13S4	260904	New York NY	PRT	James D Hill	$22.50
13N5	260904	Philadelphia PA (Evening)	PRT	James D Hill	$45.00
13S6	260904	New York NY	PRT	James D Hill	$41.25

INDEX: First Flights by CAM Route #

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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