United Celebrates 100

     Our friends at United Airlines are celebrating 100 years of service during 2026.
     Air cargo, airline, and airports history have always been a sweet spot; our inspiration, figuring if you really want to know what lies ahead, why not learn all you can from the past?
     United Airlines began in large part as National Air Transport (NAT) during the dawning of modern aviation at a time when the U.S. Government was looking to create coast-to-coast air mail services to provide delivery faster than rail.
     The railroads rejected going into the air mail business, so the pioneering services were provided by military pilots that among other things delivered an early version of moving the mails and air express in rickety bi-planes and also surplus World War I aircraft.
     After a few years and several fatal crashes, this brand of service proved to be unsustainable.
     So the U.S. Postal Service offered bids in 1925 to entice private companies to handle mail and express via a 10-cents-an-ounce-per-mile handling fee and that morphed itself into the Kelly Air Mail Act that took off on November 16, 1926.
     NAT won their bid to provide air mail service between Chicago/Dallas.
     Shortly thereafter, NAT landed the contract for Chicago/New York, which instantly became the motherload of mail and express action in the United States.
     Through a series of amalgamations and take overs, United Airlines was formed in 1931 as a subsidiary of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, to manage airlines that were originally acquired by William Boeing, including Boeing Air Transport, Pacific Air Transport, Varney Air Lines, and the aforementioned National Air Transport, which all held U.S. Air Mail contracts.
Interestingly in 1937, Robert Six acquired a controlling interest in Varney, originally dubbed "Varney Speed Lines” and renamed the carrier Continental Airlines.
     In what now, looking back, feels like “what goes around comes around,” manifested in 2012, when United Airlines merged and achieved vertical integration with Continental.
     Today every United airplane proudly displays CO’s signature stylized tail branding, reminiscent of the exquisite “Unisphere” of The1964 World’s Fair.
GDA

Eighty Years Ago United Cargo Tried Sorting Mail Aloft

     The late Dick Malkin,  our Editor and the man who invented air cargo journalism in 1948 in Berlin, tells the story of inventive United Airlines Cargo that always put an effort toward advancing speeding things up.
     “The USAAF leased a single C-82A to United Airlines Inc. from September 27, 1946 to October 8th, 1946. It was to test the concept behind the 5 cent airmail stamp where mail could be sorted, processed and bagged while in flight for immediate delivery after landing, hence speeding delivery times and reducing costs.
     Fairchild performed the interior modifications to the aircraft which was brand new off the production line in Hagerstown where it was christened as the Flying Mail Car with civil registration NC8855.
     The cargo hold was fitted with everything required for processing large quantities of mail. Up to six tons of mail could be carried on a 500 mile route or up to four tons on a 1,200 mile route.
     Talk about more spirit to it
     The inaugural flight on October 1, 1946 carried up to 13 personnel and took off from LaGuardia Field, New York westbound to California along U.S. Air Mail Route No. 1.
     With onboard staff sorting the six tons of mail piece for piece mail along the way, the trip was completed in 12 hours. Although the concept seemed like a great idea, it held little practical value and was discontinued after making only a few trips.
     The aircraft was returned to the USAAF in mid-October 1946 for continued military service.
     Its fate in 2026 is unknown.”