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web-catalog        CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-32

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Page ccCAM032 (Revised 10/06/2008)

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-32: CAM-32 was awarded to Varney Air Lines. Varney had been founded in 1926 by Walter T. Varney. CAM-5 air service was inaugurated with both north and south flights on April 6, 1926 between Elko Nevada and Pasco Washington with an interim stop in Boise Idaho. On September 15, 1929 CAM-32 was also awarded to Varney. It extended air mail routes from Pasco WA to Spokane and Seattle WA. Postal mail covers carried on the inaugural flight between each point of landing and take-off are collectible and are known as CAM-32 covers.
VAL

        Boeing Air Transport had purchased Pacific Air Transport in 1927. BAT then merged with National Air Transport in May 1930. A month later in June 1930 it purchased Varney Air Lines. In 1931 the result of these four merged/purchased airlines became United Air Lines.

32W1 290915 Pasco WA VAL JW Taff $4.50
32W2 290915 Portland OR VAL Kenneth Wayne Neese $7.50
32W4 290915 Tacoma WA VAL Kenneth Wayne Neese $18.75
32E5 290915 Seattle WA VAL Kenneth Wayne Neese $4.50
32E4 290915 Tacoma WA VAL Kenneth Wayne Neese $4.50
32E3 290915 Vancouver WA VAL George H Buck & JW Taff $15.00
32E2 AM 290915 Portland OR VAL George H Buck $4.50
32E2 PM 290915 Portland OR VAL George H Buck & JW Taff $4.50
32E6 290915 Pasco WA VAL Russell Owen $6.00
32S7 290915 Spokane WA VAL Russell Owen & Leon D Cuddeback $4.50

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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