U.S.A. FLYING POSTMEN.

Taihape Daily Times, 27 September 1918, Page 3

U.S.A. FLYING POSTMEN.

MORE THAN FIVE TONS OF LETTER MAILS IN A MONTH. Washington. A postal service report which will go down into history is issued by the United States Post Office Department in the following simple words': In the first month’s" operations of the aerial mail service between New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, a total of five and two-fifths tons of letter mail was transported. The ’planes carrying - mail covered 11,109 miles apd had a total of 157 hours, 59 minutes in the air. The average speed through storm and fair weather for the month was slightly in excess of 70 miles per hour. Twenty-one out of twenty-six flights were completed at Belmont before 4 o’clock n the afternoon, 12 of them being between 2.30 and 3 p.m. Lieut. Edgerton (one of the flying postmen) has to his credit 20 perfect flights of 130 miles, never having to make a stop by the way, and without damaging a ’plane. Lieut. Culver, flying “between New York and Philadelphia, has 13 perfect flights to his credit, never having to stop enroute, and having ho damage to his ’plane. Lieut. Webb has 11 perfect figfils to his credit. Lieut. Kilgore made nine non-stop flights and two interrupted, flights. Lieut. Bonsai made 15 non-stop flights, and had one damaged ’plane. (Lieut. Miller made 11 non-stop flights, four interrupted flights, and had two ’planes damaged. In view of the success obtained In the first month’s operation of the service, and the fact that the capacity of the machines is not being fully utilised, the department has under consideration a reduction of the postage rate on aeroplane mail.