CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-24

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web-catalog CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-24

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Page ccCAM024 (Revised 11/04/2007)

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-24: CAM-24 was awarded to Embry-Riddle Company. On December 17, 1925 barnstormer, John Paul Riddle and entrepreneur, T. Higbee Embry founded the Embry-Riddle Company at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati OH. The following spring ERC opened the Embry-Riddle School of Aviation which developed into the world's leader in aviation/aerospace higher education. Beginning on December 17, 1927 ERC began to fly CAM-24 mail round trip between Cincinnati OH and Chicago IL via Indianapolis IN every day. Postal mail covers carried on the inaugural flight between each point of landing and take-off are collectible and are known as CAM-24 covers. They employed 50 people including 6 pilots. Initially ERC pressed 3 Waco J5 Whirlwinds and a Waco 9 open cockpit aircraft into this mail service and passenger carrying endeavor. ERC encouraged the use of air mail and used the slogan, "Mail Airly and Often."
ERC needed qualified pilots and to this end began educating new pilots in its Embry-Riddle Flying School. In 1929 ERC began to experience financial problems with its expansion of flight operations. On April 1929 it formed the Embry-Riddle Aviation Corporation and one of the largest aviation holding companies, Aviation Corporation (AVCO) began to purchase ERC stock eventually taking it over. In 1930 AVCO created a new subsidiary, American Airways. The Embry-Riddle Division of AVCO moved from Cincinnati OH to St Louis MO and merged with the Universal Division of American Airways and ERC was no more.

24S1	271217	Chicago IL	ERC	HJ Rader & John Skoning	$7.50
24S1F	271217	Chicago IL	ERC	HJ Rader & John Skoning	$30.00
24S2	271217	Indianapolis IN	ERC	HJ Rader & John Skoning	$22.50
24N3	271217	Cincinnati OH	ERC	SC Huffman	$11.25
24N2	271217	Indianapolis IN	ERC	SC Huffman & John Paul Riddle	$22.50

CAM-24: 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-24.
American had developed from a conglomeration of 82 small airlines companies through a series of corporate acquisitions and reorganizations. On January 25, 1930 American Airways was incorporated as a single company. American operated its routes with all-metal Fokker Tri-motors and Ford Tri-motors. In 1934 American began flying Curtiss Condor biplanes which carried air mail and accommodated 15-18 passengers in the ultimate of airline comfort. In 1934, American Airways Company slipped into financial straits and was acquired by corporate raider, Errett Lobban Cord, who renamed the company "American Airlines."

24E3	340610	Cincinnati OH	AA	L Stephan	$18.75
24E4	340610	Charleston WV	AA	L Stephan	$18.75
24W5	340610	Washington DC	AA	WH Moore	$7.50
24W4	340610	Charleston WV	AA	WH Moore	$6.00

R24W7	341202	Huntington WV by eastbound plane	AA		$6.00
24E6	341202	Huntington WV	AA	HW Susott	$4.50
R24E7	341202	Huntington WV by westbound plane	AA		$6.00
24W6	341202	Huntington WV	AA	WG Hughen	$6.00

R24W9	350304	Elkins WV by eastbound plane	AA		$4.50
24E8	350304	Elkins WV	AA	CD Young	$3.00
R24E9	350304	Elkins WV by westbound plane	AA		$4.50
24W8	350304	Elkins WV	AA	EL Sloniger	$4.50

R24W11	351101	Dunbar WV by eastbound plane	AA		$4.50
24E10	351101	Dunbar WV	AA	HW Susott	$4.50
R24E11	351101	Dunbar WV by westbound plane	AA		$4.50
24W10	351101	Dunbar WV	AA	WG Hughen	$6.00

American Airlines began flying the DC-3 in July 1936.

24W12	370401	Washington DC	AA	HW Susott	$30.00
24W12F	370401	Washington DC	AA	HW Susott	$30.00
24E12	370401	Chicago IL	AA	WH Proctor	$30.00
24E12F	370401	Chicago IL	AA	WH Proctor	$30.00

R24W14	401021	Clarksburg WV by eastbound plane	AA		$22.50
24E13	401021	Clarksburg WV	AA	BB Bruce	$11.25
R24E14	401021	Clarksburg WV by westbound plane	AA		$30.00
24W13	401021	Clarksburg WV	AA	WA Miller	$37.50

24W15	460908	Elkins WV	AA	Clarence O Day Jr	$22.50
24W16	460908	Parkersburg WV	AA	Clarence O Day Jr	$3.75
24E17	460908	Cincinnati OH	AA	Louis Sokol	$3.75
24E16	460908	Parkersburg WV	AA	Louis Sokol	$13.50

American Airlines began flying the DC-4 after the end of WW-II.

24E18	470701	Washington DC	AA	Oliver G Aronson	$37.50
24E18F	470701	Washington DC	AA	Oliver G Aronson	$37.50
24W19	470701	Chicago IL	AA	LH Mantooth	$27.00
24W19F	470701	Chicago IL	AA	LH Mantooth	$27.00

24W20	471129	Wilmington DE	AA	David T Harris	$3.75
24E20	471129	Wilmington DE	AA	Ralph F Conway	$6.00

24W21	480415	Baltimore MD	AA	John Daniel Henry	$7.50
24E21	480415	Baltimore MD	AA	George W Kopf	$10.50

24W22	481101	Philadelphia PA	AA		$4.50
24W22F	481101	Philadelphia PA	AA		$4.50
24E22	481101	Philadelphia PA	AA		$6.00
24E22F	481101	Philadelphia PA	AA		$6.00

Douglas DC-7

24W23F	560115	Chicago IL	AA		$41.25
24W24	560115	Oakland CA	AA		$41.25
24E25	560115	San Francisco CA	AA		$37.50
24E25F	560115	San Francisco CA	AA		$30.00
24E24	560115	Oakland CA	AA		$33.75

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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