Spokane Pilots Begin Transcontinental Air Mail reenactment

Historic birds make stops in September

SPOKANE, WA — The nation will get a glimpse of history, as two historic Spokane airplanes and another from Reno make a coast-to-coast trip reenacting the first transcontinental Air Mail trip beginning in New York on September 10th.

Recently, Spokane Postmaster Karen Fairlee had an opportunity to see one of the trio in person at Spokane’s Felt’s Field airport.  Owner/operator Larry Tobin offered a test flight to the Postmaster in his 1927 Stearman biplane that was used to haul the mail in the 1940’s.

The privately funded, epic flight commemorates the 90th anniversary year of Air Mail. The service is recognized as the godfather of modern commercial aviation.

True to history, each of the pilots will be carrying real U.S. Mail. There are 15 original air mail stops, starting in New York Republic Field and ending at San Francisco’s Hayward Executive Field. The journey will take six calendar days and encompass approximately 29 flying hours.

The Smithsonian Institute is hosting a website so interested fans can track the progress of the flight, (www.airspacemag.com)

The airplanes making the journey are a 1928 Boeing 40C, a 1927 Stearman C3B and a 1930 Stearman 4E.All of the airplanes are restored versions of the originals which flew Air Mail.

Pilot Addison Pemberton, will be flying the 1928 Boeing 40C and is the trip flight coordinator. He can be reached during the coast to coast flight at (509) 995-6240.

Air Mail Facts

• The first scheduled air mail service was in 1918 between Washington, DC and New York.
• Transcontinental Service started in 1921.  By 1925, to meet the needs of the Post Office for faster delivery, the transcontinental route was lit coast to coast which enabled night flying.
• Until 1926 air mail was flown entirely by Post Office pilots, including such famous ones as Jack Knight, Bill Hopson and Dean Smith.  After 1926, the Post Office Dept. began contracting mail to be flown rather than having their own planes and pilots. 
• In the early days of air mail, pilots could fly only by constant contact with the ground.  There were no aeronautical maps and instrument flying had yet to be invented.