Article

2008-09-09 Science & Technology

Army celebrates century of military aviation

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Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2008-09-09 06:38|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 Nobody stops the Army Air Corps!

Posted by Mike 2008-09-09 08:58|| 2008-09-09 08:58|| Front Page Top

#2 Which eventually lead to usually unknown results -
"Attempts to start airmail service had begun as early as 1912, when it seemed that the airplane might develop into a practicable means of transportation. Recommendations were made to Congress that year to appropriate $50,000 to start an experimental service. Many government permits were issued to make short exhibition flights with mail, but it was not until 1916 that sufficient funds were made available to begin scheduled operations. Advertisements for bids were issued but not one was received. However, the war in Europe caused improvements in aircraft to be made rapidly, and in the fiscal year ending

June 30, 1918, Congress appropriated $100,000 for development of an experimental route between Washington and New York. Bids were to be delivered within 10 days.Much to the surprise of the Post Office Department, Colonel E.A. Deeds, head of the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps (later the Army Air Service), offered to operate the postal route with military planes and pilots. The offer had developed because of a request from Europe that pilots be given more cross-country experience before being sent overseas. Flying the mail over a fixed route system would give pilots valuable experience."

Thus beginning the long journey to the standard distribution of non-bulk mail. Young'ens don't recall a time when you paid a premium price for 'airmail' as most mail was moved by rail.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-09-09 09:13|| 2008-09-09 09:13|| Front Page Top

#3 A read of the entire airmail experiment is enlightening; development of navigational aids ( first ones were bonfires at night, roads during the day; good instrumentation ( flying in a cloudbank only to encounter a cumulo-granite formation would ruin your day) and the letting of contracts to companies for flying the mail after the army pilots experienced horrific fatalities. this eventually led to breaking up many early avaition companies that considered building and flying their own equipment as natural.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2008-09-09 14:33|| 2008-09-09 14:33|| Front Page Top

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