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Air Mail |
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Air Mail. First from Miami, 1926 |
The first air mail flights came to Miami in 1926. Air mail contracts were highly sought after by airlines since they provided a steady source of income. This photograph shows pilot Ben Eilson about to depart on the first air mail flight leaving Miami. |
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The first air mail flights were operated by Florida Airlines, which began service to Miami on September 15, 1926. Contract Air Mail Flight Number 10 departed from Candler Field in Atlanta and delivered mail in Macon, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Fort Myers before reaching its final destination in Miami. |
Air Mail. First from Miami, 1926 |
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Air Mail. First from Miami, 1926 |
Air mail was picked up at Municipal Airport by U.S. Mail trucks and taken to the Main Post Office in downtown Miami for sorting and delivery. Florida Airways continued to operate Contract Air Mail Route Number 10 until December 31, 1926. Flights were discontinued due to the low usage of air mail service. The cost of air mail service was 10 cents per ounce, considerably more than regular service. |
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Florida Airways ceased operations in 1927 after two of its planes were destroyed in a hurricane and another struck high tension wires. Pitcairn Aviation was the successor to Florida Airways and took over the inactive air mail route on December 1, 1928. Pitcairn later became Eastern Airlines. Col. Eddie Rickenbacker, a World War I ace, was involved in all three of these airlines. He became the owner of Eastern in 1937. The Rickenbacker Causeway connecting Miami with Key Biscayne is named in his honor. |
Air Mail First from Miami, 1926 |
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Air Mail. First from Miami, 1926 |
After Pitcairn took over the flights, connections were made in Atlanta to New York. The flights reduced the time it took a letter to reach Miami from New York from 48 hours by train to 16 hours by air. Both Florida Airways and Pitcairn offered passenger service to compete with the train. Pictured here is a Florida Airways Ford-Stout monoplane which was one of the aircraft used in the initial service to Miami. | |||||||||
