First Arilines

[Docent75]

What were the first airlines, those offering scheduled domestic passenger service for a reasonable period?

Europe?
U.S.
South America
Asia
Pacific

I have an idea of the first two, and the fifth, but need to check.

[jetstar]

Not exactly sure about the rest of Europe, but I suspect it was a French operation from Paris to London. As far as the UK goes, just before the 1920s, aircraft manufacturers flew airline style services, mostly from London to Paris, Amsterdam and nearly countries, in the summer. So really they weren't all year round things, so not really airlines.... in my opinion anyway! I could talk all day on it though!

The most significant was AVRO - using the A V Roe and Co biplane.

The first real attempt at an airline came in 1916 when AT&T (Air Transport and Travel) was set up using DH4A's.

By 1924, a committee in the UK government called the Hambling committee saw that European state carriers were dominating air routes into the UK, so recommended that a state airline was set up here.
It would receive a one million pound subsidy over ten years to fly nationally required routes. Surely a huge investment in those days!
Four private airlines were forced to merge to form Imperial Airways: Handley Page Transport, Instone Air Line, The Daimler Airway and British Marine Air Navigation Company.

Imperial became the Worlds first national flag carrier airline. It's role was to concentrate British Empire routes in its first 10 years, thereby forging the sirline industries and laws across the Empire.
European routes had prompted the creation, yet were neglected again, a role which British European Airways (BEA) eventually covered. Later, Imperial became British Overseas Airways Corporation, then BOAC and BEA became British Airways.

[traveler]

The Contract Air Mail Act, passed on 2 February, 1925, was the first major legislative step towards the creation of an airline industry in the United States. (named The Kelly Act). The bill provided for the transfer of air mail service from the Post Office to private operators, under a scheme of competitive bidding, for a period of four years. On 3 June, an amendment to the Kelly Act made it more practical. The method of paying by a percentage of the postage was replaced by a system of paying by weight.
In 1924 there was a ferry to Catalina Island, and the Puget Sound and Mississippi Delta foreign mail contract companies were going.
The first five contracts were not awarded until 7 October 1925, with the result that no airline company was carrying official mail until 1926.
However, in 1925, two companies went ahead without the sponsorship of the Postmaster General.

On the West Coast, at San Diego, T. Claude Ryan was one of the many air-minded engineers who had started a small aircraft factory. He converted six Standard biplanes from two-seat open trainers to five-seat cabin transports and fitting them with 150 hp Hispano Suiza engines. Ryan Airlines opened a scheduled service between San Diego and Los Angeles on 1 March, 1925. ($17.50 one-way, $26.50 round-trip.) This was the first regular passenger airline service to be operated wholly over the mainland of the United States. (Although Pacific Marine Airways had been operating from Wilmington to Catalina Island since 1922, there is considerable doubt whether this service ran except on demand for some periods during the year.)

The second man to get under way with an airline venture without waiting for the Kelly Act was Henry Ford. William B. Stout, an engineer and designer, was trying to find a backer and found Henry Ford. They started a private daily express service between Detroit and Chicago (260 miles) on 3 April 1925. The Stout Metal Airplane Company was invited to a site at Dearborn, where $ 2,000,000 was invested in a new airport with two concrete runways, hangars, airship mooring mast, aircraft factory and the first airport hotel in the United States. On 31 July, the Ford Motor Company opened a second route from Detroit to Cleveland, and on the same day purchased all stock and assets of the Stout Company.
The company was among the successful bidders for the two of the earliest contract mail routes for which bids were invited under the Kelly Act; and because it was already in operation, it was first off the mark, beginning official mail services on 15 February, 1926. (Having postponed the inaugural flight because of a $ 500,000 fire at the Dearborn plant.)


U.S. =

1. 1 Mar. 1925 - Ryan Airlines – San Diego / Los Angeles – 6 Ryan-Standard then Douglas Clouster – Last service: 1927.
2. 3 Apr. 1925 – Ford Motor Company – Detroit / Chicago – Ford 2-AT – Last service: 1931.
3. 1 Apr. 1926 – Florida Airways Company – Atlanta / Jacksonville / Miami – Ford 2-AT – Last service: 1926.
4. 6 Apr. 1926 – Varney Air Lines – Pasco / Boise / Elko – 6 Swallow biplane – to United: 30 June, 1930.
5. 15 Apr. 1926 – Robertson Aircraft Corp. – St. Louis / Chicago – 4 DH-4M – to Universal: 31 Dec. 1928.
6. 17 Apr. 1926 – Western Air Express – Los Angeles / Salt Lake City – 6 Douglas M-2 + 3 DH-4m – (later American).
7. 12 May 1926 – National Air Transport – Chicago / Dallas – 10 Curtiss Carrier Pigeon – to United: 7 May, 1930.
8. 31 May 1926 – Colorado Airways – Cheyenne / Denver / Pueblo – Standard biplane – to WAE: 10 Dec. 1927.
14. 1 Oct. 1926 - Northwest Airways
31. 1 Aug. 1928 – Continental Airlines </font color>


:plane:

[traveler]

However ..... ( :grin: :grin: :grin: )

On 17 December, 1913, exactly 10 years after Orville and Wilbur’s first power driven, heavier than air, controlled flight, the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, signed a contract with Thomas Benoist for the operation of an airline to Tampa.
Regular flights started promptly at 10 a.m. on New Years Day, 1914, watched by most of the citizens of St. Petersburg.
Benoist’s Aircraft was a Type XIV flying-boat, 26 ft long, 1400 lb, and with a wing span of 36 feet. It was powered by a 75 hp Roberts six–cylinder engine driving a pusher propeller, flew at 70 mph and cost $ 4,150.- The pilot was Tony Jannus. It was 18 miles and took 20 minutes.
First passenger was ex-mayor A.C. Pheil, who paid $4oo for the privilege. Subsequently pax paid $ 5. for a single trip and the same amount for 100 lb of freight (with 5 cents per pound over). </font color>

Name : The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line

[Docent75]

Impressive responses! Travelers 2nd post is the earliest in the U.S. that I know of. Didn’t Zeppelin fly domestically in Germany before 1910? I'll get the books out when I get home tonight.

[traveler]

In 1909 Count Zeppelin achieved a long-held ambition of flying from Lake Constance to Berlin. On board as passengers on the voyage, which started on 27 August, were the Crown Prince of Germany and the King of Wurtemberg. After a trip of two days broken by overnight stops, LZ-6 (confusingly also named "Zeppelin III") arrived in Berlin to be greeted by the Empress. The continuing support of the German Government allowed the Count to develop more and more advanced models.

LZ-7, named the "Deutschland", was built as a passenger Zeppelin and started a line of similar civilian airships. Before the First World War Zeppelins were running scheduled air services between German cities, and, despite their subsequent reputation, carried around 20,000 people without a single accident. These were the first passenger air services anywhere in the world. ( !!! )
</font color>

http://members.lycos.co.uk/Vigilant/zeppelins/zeppelin03.jpg

The Deutschland was wrecked on 28 June 1910 and was replaced by the Ersatz Deutschland in 1911. On 16 May 1911 it collided with its hanger roof and broke its back, with the passengers being rescued by fireman's ladder. Despite the difficulties of Zeppelin operation and their unproven military usefulness, the German Government persevered in funding their development, partly because it would hurt national pride to back down, and partly for the excellent reason that large airships still seemed like the most probable future means of mass air transportation. </font color>
:plane:

[traveler]

Alberto Santos-Dumont was the son of a wealthy Brazilian coffee planter.He had come to Paris in 1897 especially to pursue his interest in flying machines.
He began experimenting with small airships of his own design, and achieved considerable success flying them over Paris during the early 1900s. Thanks to his endearing habit of tethering his dirigibles to lamp-posts while he visited friends or went to the Opera, he became a much-loved character in the Parisian scene. Then in 1904 he visited the St.Louis Exposition in America, where he met Octave Chanute. Chanute was effectively the Wrights' 'mentor' and from him Santos-Dumont learnt something of the brothers' successful flights of 1903 and 1904. When he returned to Europe he built his first heavier-than-air machine - an unsuccessful helicopter design. Then in 1906 he built his first aeroplane.

This he named the '14-bis', due to its being first tested slung beneath his No.14 airship. ('Bis' roughly translates as 'mark 2'.) It was essentially two large boxkite wings and a covered fuselage, with a smaller boxkite cell at one end to act as a combined rudder and elevator. No expense was spared: the framework was of bamboo poles and aluminium tube, which was covered with Japanese silk. For his powerplant he chose the first purpose-designed aeroengine, the 24hp Antoinette V8, driving an all metal propellor. The result was a machine of 'conventional' layout, but which, unbelievably to modern eyes, flew 'backwards!' (In fact it was what is now called a canard design.)

http://members.lycos.co.uk/Vigilant/ASD/sd_23oct.gif

Santos-Dumont took his machine to the Bagatelle park on the outskirts of Paris for flight tests, and on 13 September 1906 he got airborne in a short hop of seven metres. However he damaged the undercarriage on landing, and the 14-bis had to undergo repairs. While these were being made, he swapped the 24hp engine for the more powerful 50hp version of the Antoinette. On 23 October he returned to Bagatelle and, in front of a large crowd including officials of the Aéro-Club de France, made a much improved hop-flight of 60 metres. This effort won him a cup worth 3,000 francs, offered by the chairman of the Aéro-Club, Ernest Archdeacon, for the first flight of over 25 metres.

Before his next flight Santos-Dumont modified the 14-bis by the addition of large hexagonal ailerons, to give some control in roll. Since he already had his hands full with the rudder and elevator controls (and could not use peddles since he was standing up), he operated these via a harness attached to his chest. If he wanted to roll right he would lean to his right, and vice versa. One witness likened Santos-Dumont's contortions while flying the 14-bis to dancing the samba! With the modified aircraft, he returned to Bagatelle on 12 November. This time the Brazilian made six increasingly successful flights. On the last the 14-bis flew for 220 metres (in 21 seconds) at a height of about 5 metres (15 feet). Towards the end of the run the machine began to turn, and Santos-Dumont successfully worked his ailerons to straighten up before bringing the 14-bis to a gentle touch-down. It was a magnificent personal effort. This time he won the Aéro-Club prize of 1,500 francs cash for the first 100 metre flight.

Incredibly modest though these flights had been compared with those the Wrights had been achieving in semi-private, they caused a sensation across Europe. (The world at large was not to have proof of the Wrights' achievements for another two years.) "Une ère nouvelle commence!"* exclaimed fellow pioneer Ferdinand Ferber; and the little Brazilian was widely credited with having invented the aeroplane. However by comparison to the Wright Flyer, the 14-bis was poorly controlled indeed. It made only one more outing, on 4 April 1907, before being abandoned by Santos-Dumont in favour of better types in 1908 and 1909. However, Santos-Dumont had already left a unique mark on aviation.

[Wizguy]

I thought KLM was the first airlines to establish their operations! We know that KLM was the oldest airlines in the world!

[Docent75]

Is KLM's web site a good place to start on their history?

[traveler]

http://about.klm.com/CorporateInformation/History/default.asp

Here you can find a bit of info.

KLM is not the first, but it is the oldest still operating under its original name.

:plane:

[yoshi]

Still the question we get everyday is "What does KLM stand for?" Trav, I know it's something in Dutch.

[traveler]

K.L.M. = Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij

Which is pretty much: Kingly Airtravel Company - or - Royal Airline Company
More popular translation: Royal Dutch Airlines.

A bunch of companies in Holland are allowed to use the title Royal (Koninklijke) if our Royal family approved the use.

KLM History (http://about.klm.com/CorporateInformation/History/default.asp)

KLM celebrated its 80th anniversary on October 7, 1999.
Our airline has operated continuously under the same name since 1919, the oldest scheduled airline in the world still operating under the same name.
The carrier’s first scheduled flight, on May 17, 1920, connected Amsterdam and London.


A Letter from the Private Secretary to Her Majesty Queen
Wilhelmina dated September 12th, 1919 bestowing royal patronage on the fledgling airline and creating the name it still proudly bears, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

So, there you go ! :pilot:

[EXASaab]

Love the F/A's with the Blond hair and the BLUE Uniforms

:grin: :grin:

They sure do draw attention down here-uh in Memphis! :grin:

[Docent75]

Traveler, thank you for clarifying. The Jan '03 Air &amp; Space calims Chalk, a small Florida airline is the oldest. They imply the citerion is continous opeation. I like KLM's claim.