FAM (Foreign Air Mail) First Flights - Index

Aerodacious (Aviation + Audacious = Aerodacious) eMail: Aerodacious Page FAM (Revised 05/29/2007)

Background: Carrying personal mail by state-of-the-art aircraft flown by audacious pilots first linked cities together, then linked countries. The aerodacious significance of air mail and the development of the postal service allowed man's foremost desire to get his written message delivered quickly to the outposts of the world. Progress in transportation was driven by the influence of the mails. Planes and pilots became airlines and air mail became the greatest contribution to commercial aeronautics.
Foreign Air Mail: FAM routes were assigned by the US Postal Service to US airlines to carry mail between the US and foreign countries. FAM route numbers were designated. The first flights flown between origin and destination were documented by cancellations and special markings on these first flown air mail covers. Below is an index of FAM first flights comprehensively compiled by the American Air Mail Society in their catalogues.

NORTH
Maine ------------------ Pan Am to Nova Scotia                       FAM-12
                         Boston & Maine to Canada                    FAM-21 
EAST
New York --------------- Canadian Colonial to Canada                 FAM-1
                         Pan Am/Imperial to Bermuda                  FAM-17
                         Pan Am to Europe                            FAM-18
SOUTH
Louisana --------------- Gulf Coast connect to Central/South America FAM-3
Florida ---------------- Pan Am to Cuba                              FAM-4
                         Pan Am to Central/South America             FAM-5
                         Pan Am to Puerto Rico/South America         FAM-6
                         Pan Am to Bahamas                           FAM-7
                         Pan Am/Grace to South America               FAM-9
                         Pan Am to South America/Africa              FAM-22
Texas ------------------ Pan Am to Mexico                            FAM-8
WEST
California ------------- Pan Am to Philippines                       FAM-14 
                         Pan Am to New Zealand                       FAM-19
Washington ------------- Hubbard to Canada                           FAM-2
                         Pacific Alaska to Alaska                    FAM-15 & 20	

US Airlines: (FAM-24 thru FAM-98)

American Airlines (AOA & AA)  Atlantic                 FAM-24
                              Caribbean & Pacific      FAM-26 
Flying Tiger Line (FT)        Pacific                  FAM-25
Trans World Airlines (TWA)    Atlantic & Pacific       FAM-27
Northwest Airlines (NW)       Pacific                  FAM-28
                              Pacific                  FAM-95
Eastern Airlines (EA)         Caribbean East           FAM-29
                              Caribbean West           FAM-35
United Airlines               Pacific                  FAM-30
Chicago & Southern Air Line   Caribbean                FAM-31
National Airlines             Atlantic                 FAM-32
Colonial Airlines             Caribbean                FAM-33
Braniff International Airways Caribbean & Atlantic     FAM-34
Western Airlines              Pacific                  FAM-36
Seaboard World Airlines       Atlantic                 FAM-38
South Pacific Air Lines       Pacific                  FAM-40
Trans Caribbean Airways       Caribbean                FAM-42
Mackey Airlines               Caribbean                FAM-45
Air Micronesia (Continental)  Pacific                  FAM-46
Northeast Airlines            Caribbean                FAM-48
Caribbean-Atlantic Airlines   Caribbean                FAM-59
Southern Airways              Caribbean                FAM-98  

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