Connections were scheduled in Reno so that the mail could be transported by train at night to keep it moving. Some of the planes flying the Sierra had actually seen service over Germany.Īt first the planes could not be flown at night, and they were grounded in the worst winter storms.
These planes were designed in England, being built during the latter part of World War I, and helped win the war in Europe.
The reliability of the open cockpit, wooden framed, cloth-sheathed, wire-bound biplanes was good, but the Sierra pushed them to their limits. On the 11th, Edison “Monte” Mouton flew over the Sierra with the first mail sacks sent from New York, completing the Red Line mail service across the country.įor the next seven years pilots working for the government flew 4,200-pound De Haviland model Four biplanes on regular flights over the Sierra. Little was so unprepared for the flight, he got lost for a time while crossing the mountains and had to search an hour for Reno. The next day Ray Little flew the first eastbound mail pouches over the mountains. 8, 1920 Stanhope Boggs flew out of Reno with the first westbound air mail over the Sierra. Post Office established the Air Mail division. Faster transcontinental service was demanded by the public, so the U.S. The mail was the leading form of business and personal communication in the United States.
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