Wings Assignment #3

5. Describe the role of the U.S. Postal Service in the development of aviation as a business

On February 15, 1926, the Ford Air Transport was the first civilian contractor to fly mail under the Air Mail Act. Western Air Express was one of the first generation air mail contractors that was able to make a profit. They began “carrying mail in April 1926, and a month later, became the first contractor under the Air Mail Act to offer regularly scheduled passenger service” (Crouch, 251). During the first year of operation pilots carried 125,000 pounds of mail along with 325 passengers. The U.S. Postal Service encouraged the connections between cities in the United States. According to the text, “as late as 1933, the Post Office still contributed almost 75 percent of corporate revenues through air mail contracts” (Crouch, 271). Walter Folger Brown was a postmaster who used these air mail contracts to organize a network of air routes that would connect the nation. He devised plan to strengthen the most efficient airlines and at a meeting in May 1930 he was able to allocate seven major routes among the contractors and he distributed five other routes to fill in the gaps in the system. One of the most important contributions the U.S Postal Service had in the development of aviation as a business was that it allowed the major cities in the United States a way to be connected through a network of air routes with five major airlines linking the nation by 1931.

6. What influence did Charles Lindbergh have on aviation during his career?

Charles Lindbergh was an aviator who was always looking for a new challenge. He has “learned to fly was a barnstormer and practiced that trade himself before joining the army to fly faster and more powerful machines” (Crouch, 254). Lindbergh spent a little over a year flying the mail and additionally he was the first American to parachute to safety four times. However, he is better known for being the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris and “when Lindbergh landed at Curtis Field… he became a favorite with reporters, a curse and blessing that dogged him for the rest of his life” (Crouch, 261). When he returned home from Paris Lindbergh began a national tour that to boost air mindedness as well as to encourage the construction of local airports. Additionally Lindbergh used his fame to help encourage commercial aviation by helping to create two airlines, Transcontinental Air Transport and Pan American World Airways. Lindbergh also worked as a consultant and a test pilot for the Ford Motor Company as well as the United Aircraft Corporation. Lindbergh was an important figure in the public after the war and he served on many committees such as those planning for the future of the Air Force. Charles Lindbergh had a great influence on aviation during his career in both the technological side as well as encouraging commercial airlines.

9. What opportunities existed for women and African Americans in aviation during this period?

 Amelia Earhart used her fame to organize the first Women’s Air Derby in1929 where “nineteen contestants would race from Los Angeles to Cleveland” (Crouch, 281). The book states that “women had taken to the air almost from the beginning. In the early days, however, male aviators doubted that it would be a good idea” (Crouch, 308). Women were always outnumbered by male aviators but during the 1930’s they only accounted for about one third of the licensed pilots. During the race at Bendix in 1936, women were underestimated at the highest level of aeronautical competitions, and several women were able to earn top places. Many of the women that participated in this competition earned a living in the air. They were working in aircraft sales, as wireline pilots, and working in the government. However, many flying jobs were still exclusive to men and denied women. However, as difficult as it was for women to prove themselves equal to men, African Americans had a much more difficult time. Their involvement in aviation during the 1920’s and 1930’s did not result in any societal change and many of their achievements went unknown to most of the population. In 1931 William J Powell organized the Bessie Coleman Aero Club and sponsored an all-black air meet that attracted around fifteen thousand spectators.                                                                                                                                 

Crouch, Tom D. Wings: A History of Aviation from Kites to the Space Age. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 2003. Print.