“Another achievement was the steady increase in the use of the air mail by the public. This is shown by the fact that while the mileage flown by private mail route operators was practically the same in June, 1926, as in June, 1927, the amount of mail carried by these private lines had increased from 29,673 pounds in June, 1926, to 55,026 pounds in June, 1927. Another measure of the increase in the use of the air mail service is found in the Government figures showing that while the number of miles flown in carrying mail during the first half of 1927 was practically the same as the mileage flown in the last half of the year, the compensation to the operators which is based on the poundage carried, had increased nearly 50 per cent. The Government figures show that while the average revenue per mile to operators during the first half of 1927 was 58.4 cents, it had jumped to 76.9 cents during the last half of the year.
© P. & A. Photos
ARRIVING IN BOSTON BY PLANE, JULY 9
LADY HEATH AND THE HISTORIC AVRO AVIAN WHICH A. E. BOUGHT FROM HER
“A third notable accomplishment of the Post Office Department in 1927 was the success of its night flying, which has led it to authorize a considerable additional mileage of night mail carrying by private operators. The overnight operations now in effect and to be put into effect as speedily as the additional air mail routes are lighted, aggregate approximately 2,800,000 miles per year. The night flying program includes the following services each night of the year:
| Miles | |
| Chicago, III., to Rock Springs, Wyo. | 1,100 |
| Boston, Mass., to New York | 192 |
| Chicago, Ill., to Dallas, Texas | 987 |
| Cleveland, Ohio, to Louisville, Ky. | 339 |
| New York to Atlanta | 773 |
| 3,991 |
“This night flying, formerly done by the Post Office Department, but now relinquished entirely to private mail transport companies, aggregates more than a million and three-quarter miles of flying in the year, and constitutes the greatest night air flying operation in the world.”
In the development of aviation—especially long distance flying, and pioneer over-water efforts—meteorological study is vital. In connection with the Friendship flight I have told somewhat of how its backers cooperated in supplementing the work of the Weather Bureau with separately collected data. These efforts brought home to us all, I am sure, a vivid realization of how much is to be done in that field—a need understood better by no one than the weather experts themselves.