1 of 5000

|

wood prints transportation wood prints washington d.c. wood prints airplane wood prints science wood prints aviation wood prints aeronautics wood prints history wood prints historic wood prints historical wood prints famous wood prints important wood prints notable wood prints well-known wood prints event wood prints technology wood prints

photographs transportation photos washington d.c. photos airplane photos science photos aviation photos aeronautics photos history photos historic photos historical photos famous photos important photos notable photos well-known photos event photos technology photos

Add This Artwork to Your Favorites Collection

Comment

Add This Artwork to Your Favorites Collection

Comment

Entitled "Air mail. Inauguration of service, Polo Field." The first scheduled U.S. Air Mail service began on May 15, 1918, using six converted United States Army Air Service Curtiss JN-4HM "Jenny" biplanes flown by Army pilots under the command of Major Reuben H. Fleet and operating on a route between Washington, D.C. (Washington Polo Grounds) and New York City (Belmont Park) with an intermediate stop in Philadelphia (Bustleton Field). Among those who were on hand for the departure of the first flight from Washington, D.C., were President Wilson, Postmaster General Albert Burleson, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt. Army 2nd Lt. George L. Boyle was selected to pilot aircraft #38262 on the first northbound flight which, unfortunately, turned out to be a somewhat less than successful initial venture. After four months of the mail being flown by the Army, all flight operations were taken over by the USPOD's Aerial Mail Service on August 12, 1918, using a fleet of s...