Featured Map: 85th Birthday of U.S. Airline Service (6 April 2011)

The Air Mail Act of 1925, also known as the Kelly Act after its sponsor, Congressman Clyde Kelly (R-Pennsylvania), authorized the postmaster general to contract for domestic airmail service with commercial air carriers and set airmail rates, creating a market for airline service in the United States and thus the U.S. airline industry. The initial contracts, for feeder routes, were awarded to Colonial Air Transportation, National Air Transport, Robertson Aircraft Corporation, Western Air Express and Varney Air Lines.

85 years ago, on 6 April 1926, Varney chief pilot Leon D. Cuddeback took off from Pasco, Washington in a Swallow biplane on the first airmail flight, operationg Contract Air Mail route 5 (CAM-5) to Elko, Nevada via Boise, Idaho. In addition to being the first airline flight in the United States it was also the first flight of United Airlines, which was formed in when Varney Air Lines merged with Boeing Air Transport, National Air Transport, and Pacific Air Transport.

Walter T. Varney went on to found Varney Speed Lines, which operated its first service on 15 July 1934 on a route from Pueblo, Colorado to El Paso, Texas. Ironically, this became the first flight of Continental Airlines: Robert Six purchased Varney Speed Lines in 1937 and renamed it Continental Airlines.

Today's Featured Map shows the routes of these first airline flights of Varney Air Lines and Varney Speed Lines, airlines which were joined last year via the merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines.

Additional information:

• Fad to Fundamental: Airmail in America – National Postal Museum
• Air Transportation: Walter Varney Launches Plane – U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
• Airmail: The Air Mail Act of 1925 Through 1929 – U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission
• CAM Contract Air Mail First Flights CAM-5
• Dirt Runways: Elko Airport - The Early Years (1919-1926)
• Kelly, Melville Clyde – Biographical Information
• Company History 1934 to 1958 – Continental Airlines
• Company History 2001 to 2010 – Continental Airlines