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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0574.PDF
SEPTEMBER 18, 1924 THE UNITED STATES DAY AND NIGHT TRANS CONTINENTAL AIR MAIL SERVICE FROM the United States Post Office Department we have received the accompanying map showing the route taken by the United States Day and Night Transcontinental Air Mail Service, which, together with a few notes on this service, we think will be of special interest.to our readers. The original Transcontinental Air Mail Service between New York and San Francisco, it will be remembered, was operated during daylight only, the mails being carried over certain portions of the route during the night by train. While this arrange ment resulted in an important saving of time as compared with the ordinary land method of mail transport, it was obvious that if the mails could be transported by air over the whole route, by night as well as by day, the time taken for coast-to-coast delivery of mails would be considerably reduced. Thus, in August, 1923, the United States Air Mail Service carried out a series of tests for the purpose of demon strating the practicability of a 28-hour service between the zone. This latter constitutes the first regular lighted airway in the world, and it is provided with over 300 acetylene flashing lights (of 5,000 candle-power) placed every three miles, with 34 7,000,000 c.p. searchlight-type lamps revolving on the top of windmill towers at intervals of about 25 miles, and with large 500,000,000 c.p. revolving lights located on high towers at Chicago, Iowa City, Omaha, North Platte, and Cheyenne (approximately 250 miles apart). The General Superintendent of the United States Air Mail Service, in a report for the first 15 days of the service (starting on July 1) made to Second Assistant Postmaster-General, states that out of a total of 80,400 miles flown not even a single trip was defaulted. Of this total, 26,500 miles were flown at night. Of the 15 nights eight were very stormy, gales and electrical disturbances presenting a serious problem to the service—but the mails went through. Those that were delayed on the night-flying division were no later, and DAY AND NIGHT TRANSCONTIN ENTAL AIR MAIL SERVICE O I0O 2O0 300 *0O MILES Atlantic and Pacific coasts by relays of mail 'planes flying day and night. The results of these experiments—which were described in FLIGHT for October 11, 1923—were successful in every way, and it was demonstrated that the service could be carried out in practice with the same regularity and efficiency as that obtaining with the day service, which had been in operation since 1921. It was not, however, until July 1 this year that the day-and-night service actually came into operation, for, of course, a considerable amount of work had to be done in preparing and improving the " airway " between New York and San Francisco—especially on the night-flying section between Chicago and Cheyenne. As will be seen from the accompanying map, the route includes the following towns : New York, Bellefonte, Cleve land, Bryan, Chicago, Iowa City, Omaha, North Platte, Cheyenne, Rawlins, Rock Springs, Salt Lake City, Elko, Reno, and San Francisco—a distance of 2,680 miles. In addition to the numerous emergency landing fields which had to be prepared along thi= route, elaborate night-flying arrangements had to be made along the Chicago-Cheyenne a number of times not as late, as mails carried by surface transport systems handicapped by wash-outs. No mail was lost, but one 'plane was badly damaged and the pilot slightly bruised in a 60-mile gale. One hundred and twenty regular night landings were made, and ten additional landings at emergency fields. These additional landings were occasioned by descent of the pilot in advance of a storm, or resulted when pilots were signalled down by light keepers who had bad weather reports. As regards the accident referred to above, this, it is stated, occurred on July 8, when pilot Frank Yager, carrying the east bound mail, was forced down at Chappel, Neb., 60 miles from Cheyenne. The mail, however, was soon afterward picked up by another machine, which was flown over from Omaha by pilot Jack Knight, and was safely delivered in New York only two hours behind schedule—although very bad weather, with cyclonic conditions, was encountered en route. Use of the service to and from points 500 miles north and south of the route is, according to a report from the Traffic Manager, increasing. Patronage has been found profitable to all those accounting time to be an important factor in their SUMMER SCHEDULE OF DAY AND NIGHT TRANSCONTINENTAL AIR MAIL SERVICE Depart New York .. 10.00 Bellefoate ..12 40 Cleveland .. 3.10 Bryan .. 4.15 Chicago .. 6.30 Iowa City .. 9.20 Omaha ..12.20 North Platte 2.35 Cheyenne .. 5.25 Rawlins .. 7.30 Rock Springs 9.15 SaltL'keCityl0.20 Elko .. 12.50 Reno .. 3.45 Total West-bound a.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. p.m. p.m. time (F.T (ET (ET (CT (CT (CT (CT !MT (MT (MT (MT (PT (FT (PT Bellefonte Cleveland Bryan Chicago Iowa City Omaha North Platte Chevenne ., Rawlins Arrive ..12.20 p.m. .. 2.55 p.m. .. 3.55 p.m. .. 6.15 p.m. .. 9.00 p.m. ..12.05 a.m. 3.15 a.m. 5.10 a.m. 7.10 a.m. Rock Springs 9.00 a.m. Salt L'ke City 11.05 a.m. Elko .. 12.35 p.m. Reno .. 3.30 p.m. San Francisco 5.45 p.m. 34 hours 45 minutes. (ET) (ET) (CT) (cn (CT) (CT) (CT) (MT) IMT) (MT) (MT) (PT) (FT) (PT) Depart. San Francisco 6.00 a.m. Reno .. 8.15 a.m. Elko ..11.00 a.m. Salt L'ke City 2.15 p.m. Rock Springs 4.15 p.m. Cheyenne ... 7.15 p.m. North Platte 11.05 p.m. Omaha .. 2.05 a.m. Iowa City .. 5.10 a.m. Chicago . . 7.35 a.m. Bryan .. 9.45 a.m. Cleveland .. 12.35 p.m. Bellefonte . . 2.55 p.m. East- (PT) (PT) (PT) (MT) (MT) (MT) (CT) (CT) (CT) (CT) (CT) (ET) (ET) bound Arrive. Reno Elko Salt L'ke Citv Rock Springs Cheyenne .. North Platte Omaha Iowa City .. Chicago Bryan Cleveland .. Bellefonte .. New York .. 8.00 a.m 10.45 a.m 1.00 p.m 4.00 p.m 7.00 p.m. 9.45 p.m. 1.50 a.m 4.50 a.m 7.20 a.m 9.25 a.m 12.20 p.m 2.35 p.m 5.05 p.m (PT) (PT) (PT) (MT) (MT) (MT) (CT) (CT) (CT) (CT) (ET) (ET) (ET) NOTE.—(ET) = Eastern Time (CT) = Central Time ; 574 Total time : 32 hours 5 minutes. (MT) = Mountain Time ; (PT) = Pacific Time.
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