Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-12-30 | Page 44 | Western Air to Add Big Planes in near Future

AIR AID 1 TO ADD DIG PlANS IN NEAR NAR 32 Passenger Liner to B BUsed Be Us Used d in Coast to toCo Coast st Se Service Placing the tue huge tri motored 1 cabin twelve passenger Fokker Fokke planes into regular biweekly service service service ser ser- vice In addition to tho the r regular gular ma mall planes on on the airline between Salt Sal Lake and Los Angeles has m made de dethe th the Western Air Ail Express one of th the outstanding air transport concerns concern I In America according to H. H J. J Merchant Merchant Mer ler chant local representative for th the company It is the plan of the company t to have several of these large planes plane In daIl daily operation between the tw two cities while details are are arenow now being worked out to place a D. huge air airliner liner line in operation between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts The company now has eight seasoned seasoned seasoned sea sea- pilots flying the ships over ove its lines Jines The records of these men met who have received intensive trainIng trainIng train train- Ing log In either th the army or orthe the nv navy are unequaled by bv any other group grout of fliers filers in the country OUTLINES HISTORY The history and accomplishments of the Western Vestern Air Express since it began operation is outlined b by Mr fr Merchant as follows The Western Air All Express Inc was sas organized In the early part of 01 1926 and began operations April 17 11 the he same year carrying mall mail passengers passengers pas pas- engers and express between Salt Lake ake City and Los Angeles on a dally schedule The men who placed their money in n this this' enterprise did so because they hey wanted to give southern California California Cali Cali- fornia omnia the same advantages of an airmail service that was at that time line being enjoyed by San FranIsco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco Isco business men In other words It t was civic pride that prompted the h organization of this company It t was thought by y many people In IncludIng Including In- In luding government officials ls that this his particular project would not be bea beL a a. L success and for that reason the postoffice department was very slow low in letting th the contract BECOMES SUCCESS Since the organization of the Western Vestern Air All Express those who predicted predicted pre pre- failure have seen this line de develop into the finest and most niost successful successful suc sue airmail airman line In the world It has tas carried in Its ships ships' 40 per cent of Lf all the airmail transported in the whole United States It began with this his one line and is now flow operating three bree others and is carefully de devel developing eloping el- el ping plans for further expansion During the two years and nd nine months of operations the ships of the tho ho Western Vestern Air Express have flown over ver miles and up until May lay 1 of this year three of the original pilots had bad flown the following follow follow- ing g mileage Fred Kelley had a record ecord of miles Jimmy James Jame's ames had lown Iowa miles and Maurice laurice Graham had flown tiles miles It is of Interest to note that during all all' of the operations of the company there has never ne been an accident that injured either pilot passenger or 1 mail and a a. record l for time on-time arrivals at destination has hasten been ten maintained of which no other transport line in the nation has equaled Up until August 1 of this year the lo Western Air All Express was able to accommodate only one passenger on its mail mall ships For some little time me after that date no passengers were carried because of the Increased in increased In- In creased eased volume of mail which was ma made ade e po possible by the reduction In rates ites There was a a. great demand for r passenger service between Los Angeles and Salt Lake Cit City so in inder order der to fo supply that demand a a. tri tri- motored twelve-passenger twelve Fokker monoplane was as placed into operation operation opera opera- tion on on a a. biweekly schedule This ship is the last word in commercial aircraft and is proving to be very popular pular with the traveling public It Itis Itis is the fastest commercial ship in I operation In the world it makes a cruising speed of 15 miles pe per hour and id a top speed of miles per perur hour nour ur which makes males it possible to maintain a hour five-hour schedule be between between be- be tween reen Salt Lake and the coast BOUGHT ON CO CONTRACT TRACT 5 The Tho first of these luxurious air air- I tor Vest th liners Unel's was p purchased l for vest the ern era Air Air- Express under an equipment equip equip- mont ment trust contract by y the Guggenheim helm heim fund for the Uto promotion of of aeronautics aeronautic for the operation of ot a amodel model airline between Los Angeles and San Francisco This line was begun un as an experiment on May Muy 26 25 1928 and after anCi a little over ovel five ivo months of operation the company has hali been a able lo to show a little profit which proves proe that carefully operated operas operas- ed eel a air h pass passenger en gel lines will be successful successful suc sUe in the United States Because of the success of the Los San Angeles-San Francisco o line Uno the Western Air All J Express has pur purchased h sed ten more of these F FOkker klier air lIn liners rs three of which will go into operation opel oper on the Salt Lake Lako mail niall line One of them has already been re- re re received delved and is now in operation The test rest of t the e ships will be used in ina a D. transcontinental service which will vilI begin not later ater than next spring This line will wiIl probably take tale taken with ith I a n southern route and nd connect I Ithe the tho lo rs l I Lines Lines' es at sonie The point point on on the Missouri Air Ail Express Vest Western rn Transport ort cool com Boeing Air All All' with the Bo for a Lake City pany at Salt em ern transcontinental service corporation 1 Aircraft The Fokker WE for tor the building of America is now the one of or uie Western Vestern Air Express inthe in inthe constructed largest planes ever the he the United States Stales for use on J It will be a transcontinental line ship with sleeping accommodations Passenger 32 for twenty six it Swill will be e powered with four holse hoise motors and will make a top tOil power powe miles sp speed ed of app an hour making a a. hour 36 schedule ule p possible from rom coastO coast lo o coast