June 12, 1929, Harold F. Pitcairn elects to sell his Pitcairn Aviation to airline and aircraft manufacturing magnate Clement Melville Keys for $2.5 million. Pitcairn had previously established a 1,411-mile multistop mail route (Contract Air Mail or CAM Routes) from New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Miami and the largest line operated by any company east of the Mississippi River—indeed, the third largest in the U. S.
On July 10, Keys turns around and sells the carrier to his holding company, North American Aviation. The new purchase is merged with another acquisition, Florida Airways Corporation, to form the manufacturer’s Eastern Air Lines Division; NAA Vice President Thomas A. Doe is placed in charge. The fleet acquired in the transaction includes 13 Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwings, 25 PA-6 Super Mailwings, and 3 Ford 4-ATs.
Six months later, on January 17, 1930, the subsidiary’s name is changed to Eastern Air Transport.
On March 15, a fire destroys the old government hangar at Hadley Field, New Jersey; four EAT aircraft are destroyed and on April 29 Congress passes the McNary-Watres Act. During the May 15-June 9 “Spoils Conference” held in Washington between Postmaster General Walter F. Brown and the heads of the major air transport concerns (including Doe), the carrier seeks to obtain a mail route from Atlanta to New Orleans, planning to subcontract it to Delta Air Service. However, following Comptroller General John McCarl’s ruling that extensions longer than original routes cannot be granted, the route is awarded to American Airways’ subsidiary Southern Air Fast Express on September 16.
Meanwhile, after a year of mail services under two company names, EAT introduces passenger services on August 18 between what is now La Guardia Airport at North Beach, Long Island, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. The first route includes stops at Camden (serving Philadelphia), Baltimore, and Washington, D. C. Flights are operated daily (except Sundays) over the 310-mile route employing the company’s first and only Ford 5-AT Tri-Motor plus the 4-ATs. The service is so successful that the carrier now adds six Curtiss Model 18 Condor Is, purchased from company shareholder Curtiss-Wright Company, to the fleet and beginning on December 10 initiates service with them to Washington. The first 10 of 14 Curtiss Model 55 Kingbirds simultaneously arrive and are placed on the Washington to Atlanta run. The 4-ATs are now sold.
Passenger service reaches Florida on January 1, 1931, when Eastern’s 120-mph Curtiss Kingbirds begin flying to Miami and St. Petersburg.
Also in January, stewardesses are introduced on the Condor Is, making EAT the second U. S. carrier to employ female flight attendants.
En route to Washington from New York on March 15, a Pitcairn PA-6 piloted by Verne E. Treat encounters a snowstorm over Laurel, Maryland, which forces the aviator to bail out. Richmond to Jacksonville Kingbird flights commence on April 1 via Raleigh, Florence, Charleston, and Savannah; the same day, Condor Is fly from Washington down to Richmond.
The carrier is awarded the New York to Washington, D. C. CAM-25 route in July, even though The New York, Philadelphia & Washington Airways Corporation (The Ludington Line) has bid 640 less per mile to carry the mail.
The same month the former Pan American Airways (PAA) subsidiary New York Airways is acquired, giving EAT access to Atlantic City.
Two additional Condor Is are acquired in early October and allow EAT to stretch the Richmond terminus all the way down to Atlanta. Five new Pitcairn PA-8M Mailwings are placed on the postal services.
In July 1932, the fleet is increased by the addition of a sixth Curtiss Condor I. Passengers are able to fly Eastern from New York to Miami in a single day. A transport plane departs New York City at 8 a. m., arriving at Miami at 9:50 p. m. The carrier promotes the feat with a radio jingle: “From Frost to Flowers in 14 Hours.” By today’s standards, however, the trip is grueling.
After departing New York, the Ford 5-AT, a notoriously noisy aircraft, stops at Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond, where lunch is served. Passengers then get back aboard for stops at Raleigh, Florence, Charleston, Savannah, and Jacksonville, where they deplane for dinner. Then, after a final interim stop at Daytona Beach, the customers arrive at Miami. Total flying time is 13 hrs. 50 min. During the 1980s, the same trip takes just 2 hrs. 30 min. A Stinson Model U is acquired late in the year to supplement the 5-AT.
On January 7, 1933, the overnight Jacksonville stop is removed as EAT initiates through service from New York to Miami. The entire route can now be flown in 13 hours.
While testing a new right engine over Newark on January 15, a Condor I crashes (two dead).
Despite the economic depression of the early 1930s, the air transport industry continues to expand routes and purchases better equipment as it becomes available. Companies expand through mergers and on February 13, The New York, Philadelphia, and Washington Airway (The Ludington Line) is purchased outright and merged; although the new purchase stops flying immediately, seven of its Stinson SM-6000s and SM-6000Bs are kept in service.
During takeoff from Richmond on February 18, a Pitcairn PA-6 hits a truck, killing one of the men on it.
On February 28, Postmaster General Walter F. Brown requires the United group to divest itself of shares covertly acquired in EAT and its North American Aviation holding group. The shares are sold to General Motors, which now assumes control of EAT, along with Northwest Airways and Western Air Transport, through its new North American Aviation subsidiary led by Ernest R. Breech.
Edward V. “Eddie” Rickenbacker now becomes Doe’s vice-president.
Unable to exit his Pitcairn PA-6 when its engine fails over Upper Zion, Virginia, early on June 4, pilot W. L. Jamieson is killed when it crashes.
Five Curtiss T-32 Condor Ils are delivered late in the month and are placed into service 10-times-daily on the New York-Washington route plus the New York-Atlantic City frequency on July 1.
Four more are soon received; however, one is seriously damaged and its crew hurt when it crashes upon takeoff from Newark on September 21.
In a brief experiment, the interior of a single Condor is given two sleeping berths and on October 5-6, the first night passenger flight (7 hrs. 40 min.) is undertaken multistop between Atlanta and New York. Vice President Rickenbacker climbs from his berth at every stop to show himself, in pajamas, to waiting reporters and photographers. The concept is not followed up until it is taken over by American Airways.
The surviving Pitcairn PA-5s are now withdrawn and the company loses $175,000 on the year.
On February 9, 1934, as a result of the airmail scandal, the U. S. government cancels existing airmail contracts (effective on February 19) and calls upon the U. S. Army Air Corps to fly the mail. The next day, President Doe protests the move on behalf of the airline industry. Having learned of the government’s forthcoming airmail action, Transcontinental and Western Air (T&WA) President Jack Frye and EAT Vice President Rickenbacker, on February 18-19, fly the DC-1 from Los Angeles to Newark via Kansas City and Columbus in a cross-country record time of 13 hrs. 4 min.
On February 19, all company personnel are laid off and schedules are cut back. The loss of subsidy payment to Eastern is $250,000.
The Army experiment ends on March 30 and the Post Office advertises for new contracts, which may be let to any company not participating in the May-June 1930 “Spoils Conference.”
By the time the new mail routes are awarded in late April, Eastern, like American Airways, Transcontinental and Western Air (T&WA), and United Air Lines, has been slightly reformed and renamed, EAT becoming Eastern Air Lines on the last day of the month. Although Doe must be laid off because of his participation in the Spoils Conference, General Motors retains ownership.
EASTERN AIR TRANSPORT, LTD.: United Kingdom (19321934). Skegness pilot Michael Scott registers his EAT at London on February 27, 1932; initial capitalization is ?1,000. Flying a de Havilland DH 80A Puss Moth with the Lord Mayor of Nottingham as passenger, Scott begins daily summer-only Nottingham-Skegness roundtrip service on May 22. Operations cease in September.
Summer service is resumed over the inaugural route in June 1933; flights are conducted with a DH 83 Fox Moth until September. In 1934, the service is resumed on July 1, continuing until September 30 when, unable to continue financially, the company closes down.
EASTERN AIRWAYS, LTD.: Schiphol House, Schiphol Way, Humberside International Airport, Humberside, Lincolnshire, England, DN39 6YH, United Kingdom. Phone 44 (0) 1652 688886; Fax 44 (0) 1652 680606; Http://www. easternairways. com; Code T3; Year Founded 1973. Lease Air, Ltd., employing the trading name Eastern
Airways, Ltd., is established at Humberside Airport by the Leighford Holdings Group in 1973 to offer air taxi and executive charter flights and cargo services throughout Europe.
Late in the decade, Managing Director Bryan A. Huxford’s carrier elects to begin scheduled services. On July 2, 1979, the company joins the Royal Mail program known as “Spokes from Speke,” flying a DC-3 each night from Bristol to the sorting hub at Liverpool (Speke Airport) and back to Bristol for distribution.
Airline employment reaches 60 and the fleet in 1980-1981 comprises
3 Douglas DC-3s, 1 Shorts 330, 3 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftains,
4 Piper PA-23 Aztecs, and 1 Hawker Siddeley HS 125. Services link the company base with Norwich, Glasgow, and London (LHR). Traffic levels cannot be built up sufficiently in a time of recession and high fuel prices and the financially troubled carrier is sold to Genair, Ltd. late in 1982.
Following the demise of Genair in 1984, Eastern is resurrected. Managing Director Huxford is the principal owner and the new chairman, with minority owner Richard J. Lake becoming managing director. Flights continue over the next 15 years; scheduled frequencies are maintained to Aberdeen, Glasgow, Humberside, and Norwich with 1 each Fairchild Metro III and Metro 23.
Ad hoc passenger and cargo charters within Europe and the U. K. are operated in association with Air Kilroe, Ltd. Twice-daily Metro 23 return service is inaugurated in November 1997 from Humberside to Aberdeen, replacing the service previously operated by Air U. K., Ltd.
In 1998, the Humberside to Aberdeen roundtrips become thrice weekly and Sunday night return flights are introduced.
Early in 1999, the company, following its amalgamation with Air Kilroe, Ltd., creates a homepage on the Internet’s World Wide Web.
The first two of four former Air Botnia O/Y Jetstream 32EPs are received on lease from their manufacturer in July and enter service on the Humberside to Aberdeen route. When the latter two J-32EPs arrive, they are employed to initiate twice-daily roundtrips from a new base at Norwich to Glasgow via Humberside, yet another abandoned Air U. K., Ltd. route.
Four-times-a-day frequencies are also offered from Manchester to Aberdeen over a route previously flown by Suckling Airways, Ltd.
Daily roundtrips are inaugurated on November 1 between Norwich and Aberdeen; these are later increased to thrice daily.
Enplanements for the year total 45,000.
Airline employment in 2000 stands at 85. During the first quarter, twice-daily Jetstream 32EP roundtrips are inaugurated from Norwich to Glasgow via Humberside. These frequencies, which do not enjoy particularly high load factors, are cut in half on May 3 in order that the Jetstream 32EP may be employed to offer four-times-a-day return service over the Aberdeen to East Midlands route, now taken over from British Midland Airways, Ltd. Managing Director Lake is on hand at East Midlands to present a bottle of Glen Garioch to Robert Carr, the first passenger to board on the new route.
Including a VIP-configured Jetstream 31, the BAe fleet totals 7 by summer. When ScotAirways, Ltd. withdraws from the Norwich to Edinburgh market, it is replaced on June 11 by Eastern, which adds another Jetstream for the purpose. The new roundtrip route is operated twice on weekdays and once on Sundays. In early August, Chairman Bryan Hux-ford lauds the carrier’s July 96.5% on-time record.
On September 11, daily return frequencies from Norwich to both Edinburgh and Manchester are boosted from two to three.
New nonstop return service is introduced on November 20 between Teesside and Aberdeen. Flights are operated four times a day on Mondays and Tuesdays and thrice daily Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, together with a single Sunday evening roundtrip.
Thrice-weekday roundtrips are continued between Humberside and Aberdeen; however, beginning on November 26, the time of the weekly Sunday evening return flight from Aberdeen is changed.
World History
