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web-catalog        CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-20

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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-20: CAM-20 was awarded to Colonial Western Airways. In May 1927 Colonial Western Airways was formed to fly airmail over the 450 mile route between Albany NY and Cleveland OH.
CWA
        Since Colonial planned to haul passengers as soon as the route had been proven by flying mail schedules, it purchased three new Fairchild FC-2 Cabin Mono planes with accommodations for four passengers. It then purchased a fourth aircraft, a Pitcairn PA-5 Super-Mailwing.

20E1 271217 Cleveland OH CWA Raymond Henries $9.00
20E1F 271217 Cleveland OH CWA Raymond Henries $18.00
20W2 271217 Buffalo NY CWA FP Little $30.00

20E2 280601 Buffalo NY CWA Willis H Proctor $7.50
20E3 280601 Rochester NY CWA Willis H Proctor $7.50
20E4 280601 Syracuse NY CWA Willis H Proctor $9.00
20E5 280601 Utica NY CWA Willis H Proctor $12.00
20E6 280601 Schenectady NY CWA Willis H Proctor $15.00
20W7 280601 Albany NY CWA FP Little & Merle A Moltrup $7.50
20W6 280601 Schenectady NY CWA FP Little & Merle A Moltrup $6.75
20W5 280601 Utica NY CWA FP Little & Merle A Moltrup $7.50
20W4 280601 Syracuse NY CWA Merle A Moltrup $7.50
20W3 280601 Rochester NY CWA FP Little & Merle A Moltrup $6.75

R20W9 290107 to Rome NY CWA $9.00
20E8 290107 Rome NY CWA William B Wheatley $6.00
R20E9 290107 to Rome NY CWA $12.00
20W8 290107 Rome NY CWA FP Little $4.50

        CWA along with Colonial Air Lines (CAM-1)and Canadian Colonial Airways (FAM-1) were owned by Colonial Airways Corporation (AVCO). In late 1929 they became American Airways Company.
AAC
Pitcairn PA-6 Super-Mailwing
20W10 310615 Nashville TN AAC William M McConnell & RL Mitchell $6.75
20W11 310615 Memphis TN AAC William M McConnell $4.50
20W12 310615 Little Rock AR AAC William M McConnell $4.50
20W13 310615 Texarkana TX AAC William M McConnell $6.00
20W14 310615 Dallas TX AAC William M McConnell $9.00
20E15 310615 Fort Worth TX AAC Stanley C Huffman & JJ Johannpeter $4.50
20E14 310615 Dallas TX AAC Stanley C Huffman & JJ Johannpeter $4.50
20E13 310615 Texarkana TX AAC Stanley C Huffman & JJ Johannpeter $4.50
20E12 310615 Little Rock AR AAC Stanley C Huffman & JJ Johannpeter $4.50
20E11 310615 Memphis TN AAC Stanley C Huffman & JJ Johannpeter $4.50

AAC
American Airplane & Engine Corp Pilgrim 100-A
20E16 310801 Albany NY AAC CW Maris $15.00
20E16f 310801 Albany NY AAC CW Maris $18.75
20W17 310801 New York NY AAC WH Moore $4.50
20W17f 310801 New York NY AAC WH Moore $7.50

20W20 330212 Boston MA AAC George W Whittier $4.50
20W19 330212 Springfield MA AAC George W Whittier $4.50
20E18 330212 Albany NY AAC Laurens Claude $6.00
20E18f 330212 Albany NY AAC Laurens Claude $12.00
20E19 330212 Springfield MA AAC Laurens Claude $6.00

20E21 330910 Buffalo NY AAC Ralph Dodson $11.25
20E21f 330910 Buffalo NY AAC Ralph Dodson $18.75
20W22 330910 New York NY AAC Ray D Wonsey $15.00
20W22f 330910 Newark NJ (NY) AAC Ray D Wonsey $26.25

CAM-20: 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.
Army Air Corps

        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-20: 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, American Airlines began flying CAM-20 air mail.
        AA developed from a conglomeration of 82 small airlines companies through a series of corporate acquisitions and reorganizations. In 1934 American Airways Company slipped into financial straits and was acquired by corporate raider, Errett Lobban Cord, who renamed the company "American Airlines."
AA
Lockheed Orion 9-D

R20W24 331001 to Scranton PA AA $5.25
20E23 331001 Scranton PA AA Richard C Maguire $4.50
R20E24 331001 to Scranton PA AA $5.25
20W23 331001 Scranton PA AA Byron S Warner $7.50
R20W26 331001 to Elmira NY AA $6.75
20E25 331001 Elmira NY AA Richard C Maguire $5.25
R20E26 331001 to Elmira NY AA $5.25
20W25 331001 Elmira NY AA Byron S Warner $9.00

20E27 340701 Nashville TN AA JH Burns, BA Carpenter $15.00
20E27f 340701 Nashville TN AA JH Burns, BA Carpenter $52.50
20W28 340701 Knoxville TN AA William M McConnell $6.00
20W29 340701 Washington DC AA William M Mcconnell $6.00
20W29f 340701 Washington DC AA William M Mcconnell $18.75

20E30 340718 Roanoke VA AA AR Perkins $4.50
R20E31 340718 to Roanoke VA AA $5.25
20W30 340718 Roanoke VA AA AR Perkins $4.50
R20W32 340719 to Roanoke VA AA $75.00
20E32 340719 Roanoke VA AA William M McConnell $75.00
R20W33 340720 to Knoxville TN AA $225.00
20E33 340720 Knoxville TN AA BA Carpenter $225.00

Eastward Dispatches
R20W35T 341022 to Bristol TN AA $4.50
20E34T 341022 Bristol TN AA BA Carpenter $4.50
20W34T 341022 Bristol TN AA BA Carpenter $4.50
R20W35V 341022 to Bristol VA AA $4.50
20E34V 341022 Bristol VA AA BA Carpenter $4.50
20W34V 341022 Bristol VA AA BA Carpenter $4.50
R20W37 341022 to Lynchburg VA AA $4.50
20E36 341022 Lynchburg VA AA BA Carpenter $4.50
20W36 341022 Lynchburg VA AA BA Carpenter $4.50
Westward Dispatches
R20E39T 341023 to Bristol TN AA $18.00
20W38T 341023 Bristol TN AA BA Carpenter $15.00
R20E39V 341023 to Bristol TN AA $18.00
20W38V 341023 Bristol TN AA BA Carpenter $18.00
R20E41 341023 to Lynchburg VA AA $30.00
20W40 341023 Lynchburg VA AA BA Carpenter $30.00

AA
Curtiss AT-32-B Condor
20E42 360601 Rochester NY AA AS Kelm Jr $60.00
20W43 360601 Elmira NY AA AS Kelm Jr $60.00

R20W45 370701 to Wilkes-Barre PA AA $3.75
20E44 370701 Wilkes-Barre PA AA Phil Reynolds $3.75
R20E45 370701 to Wilkes-Barre PA AA $3.75
20W44 370701 Wilkes-Barre PA AA Phil Reynolds $3.00

20E46 370801 Syracuse NY AA AS Kelm Jr $60.00

20W47 370901 Wilkes-Barre PA AA Daniel L Boone $30.00
20E48 370901 Syracuse NY AA AS Kelm Jr $36.00

R20W50 380615 to Erie PA AA $3.75
20E49 380615 Erie PA AA SR Ross $3.75
R20E50 380615 to Erie PA AA $3.75
20W49 380615 Erie PA AA AS Kelm Jr $3.00

AA
Douglas DC-2
R20W52 391202 to North Beach (LaGuardia) NY AA $6.00
20E51f 391203 North Beach (Laguardia) NY AA LH Bidwell $16.50
R20E52 391202 to North Beach (LaGuardia) NY AA $6.00
20W51f 391202 North Beach (Laguardia) NY AA TJ Hill $3.00

20N53f 391202 Newark Airfield - North Beach (LaGuardia) NY AA WT Arthur $7.50
20S54f 391202 North Beach (LaGuardia) NY AA WP McFail $9.00

R20N56 400620 to Philadelphia PA AA $15.00
20S55f 400620 Philadelphia PA AA $21.00
R20S56 400620 to Philadelphia PA AA $15.00
20N55f 400620 Philadelphia PA AA $21.00

AA
Douglas DC-3
20W57 450422 Nashville TN AA WG Fuson $4.50
20W57f 450422 Nashville TN AA WG Fuson $5.25
20W58 450422 Tulsa OK AA WG Fuson $3.75
20E59 450422 Oklahoma City OK AA RE Brainard $3.00
20E58 450422 Tulsa OK AA Re Brainard $3.00

AA
Douglas DC-4
R20E61 460204 to Newark NJ AA $12.00
20E60 460204 Newark NJ AA $12.00
20E60f 460204 Newark NJ AA $12.00

20E62 480118 Richmond VA AA DA Jacobson $3.00
20W62 480118 Richmond VA AA RR McInnis $4.50

20W63 480223 Cleveland OH AA James H Burns $6.00
20W63f 480223 Cleveland OH AA James H Burns $16.50
20E64 480223 Saint Louis MO AA James H Burns $7.50
20E64f 480223 Saint Louis MO AA James H Burns $4.50

20W65 480415 Wilmington DE AA William S McCormick $6.00
20E65 480701 Wilmington DE AA Robert C Robson $22.50

AA
Convair 240
20W66 491101 White Plains NY AA CR Johnson $2.25
20E66 491101 White Plains NY AA CR Johnson $3.75

AA
Douglas DC-6
20W67 560122 Nashville TN AA AA Maisch $22.50
20W67f 560122 Nashville TN AA AA Maisch $10.50
20E68 560122 Houston TX AA WA Gillette $22.50
20E68f 560122 Houston TX AA WA Gillette $22.50

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 #

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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