THE HISTORY OF
Have you ever wondered how letters and packages from all across the country make it into your mailbox? Chances are you have airmail to thank!
The extraordinary US Aerial Mail Service began in 1918. People wanted to make mail delivery between distant cities faster and easier, and many dreamed that airplanes could be used to deliver the mail.
To make this dream a reality, Congress allowed the Post Office Department to form its own airmail service.
At the time, airplanes were a fairly new invention, and there weren't many commercial airplanes. At first, the Post Office used Army pilots, planes, and navigation to deliver the mail. Before long, it began to hire its own pilots, purchase airplanes, and create new flight routes. These new Post Office pilots would fly from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia to New York and eventually, all around the US.
To guide its planes from the ground, the Post Office used navigational beacons. The beacons had tal towers that shined bright lights into the sky and could be seen from 40 miles away. Next to the flowers, huge yellow arrows on the ground indicated to pilots that they were headed in the right direction.
These beacons were placed along mail routes and allowed the mail to be flown at night, making airmail even faster!
The surge in flights caused by airmail paved the way for our current aviation industry. To encourage commercial aviation, the government made contracts with companies to fly their mail across the nation. This deal gave growing airlines the money they need to stay in business and opened up opportunitites for airports and planes to be build. Some of these airlines made 95 percent of their income just by flying mail for the Post Office!
Today, we have airmail to thank for making airplanes a normal part of the modern world. Next time you step on a plane or get mail from across the country, remember the incredible journey that got us here.