Last updated June 4 2020

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The Mid-Continent Airway

For this page I have scanned the pages of a United Air Lines' booklet named "It's time to fly with United Air Lines".
The booklet is printed during 1935 (my belief). Two references within the booklet refers to 1935, 1) 1935 version of Boeing 247 2) Reference to the Sales Management Magazine of March 1, 1935.

I have added a number of United Air Lines' postcards from my collection to complement the text from the booklet.

The Mid-Continent Airway, i.e. the route from east to west (or vice versa) could be flown already 1931 with National Air Transport planes.
[United Air Lines = Boeing Air Transport, National Air Transport, Pacific Air Transport, Varney Air Lines]

During the early 1930s the route was flown with Ford Tri-motors or Boeing 80As.
Boeing 247 was introduced 1933.
Douglas DC-3 was introduced 1937.
[Source: Airline Timetable Images - read June 4, 2020]

Enjoy!

Leif Gustafsson

***

PLEASE READ THIS!

If you want to use a postcard or other image in any way, I do want that you contact me.
If you for some reason "forget" to do so I expect that you on social medias, own web sites or in any kind of publication, clearly states where you found the picture, for example www.famgus.se.
Thank You!

Vill du använda ett vykort eller bild på något sätt så vill jag att du kontaktar mig.
Om du av någon anledning "glömmer" detta så förväntar jag mig att du på sociala medier, egna websidor eller i publikationer av olika slag, tydligt anger varifrån du tagit bilden, exempelvis www.famgus.se.
Tack!

***

The Mid-Continent Airway
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Front page
UNITED'S MAIN LINE AIRWAY
VC
Airline issued postcard
Post marked January 5 1939

From the back of the postcard:
United's Mid-Continent route
cuts straight across the heart of America and includes some of the world's most famous scenic highlights. The Main Line Airway serves most of the nation's leading summer and winter playgrounds.
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 2
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 3
Mailed from the Dome of the Travel and Transport Building
A Century of Progress, Chicago
VC
Airline issued postcard
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 4
Mailed from the Dome of the Travel and Transport Building
A Century of Progress, Chicago
VC
Airline issued postcard
In Flight With United Air Lines
VC
Airline issued postcard
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 5

xxx
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 6
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 7
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 8
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 9

United Air Lines
employs 70 young women as stewardesses on its coast-to coast and other routes.

She is the third member of the crew on the new Boeng all-metal "Three-Mile-A-Minute" monoplanes.
AT YOUR SERVICE ALOFT
VC
Airline issued postcard
COMFORT ALOFT
VC
Airline issued postcard

The modern day passenger plane, such as the new Boeing high speed monoplanes of United Air Lines, incorporates many new features which adds to the comfort and interest of air travel.
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 10

xxx
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 11
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 12
SCIENCE MAKE NIGHT FLYING ROUTINE
VC
Airline issued postcard
Post marked December 4 1934

From the back side of the postcard:
United will fly 6,000,000 miles t night over lighted airways this year. Two million candle-power beacons at 10 mile intervals ... lighted auxiliary fields 30 to 50 miles apart ... 2 pilots in each multi-motor plane ... plane-ground radio telephone ... directive radio ... latest instruments ... frequent weather reports.
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 13
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 14-15
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 16

xxx
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 17
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 18
NEW YORK CITY
VC
Airline issued postcard
Unused

From the back side of the postcard:
NEW YORK CITY,
America's first city, is the eastern terminus of United Air Lines' "Main Line" Mid-Continent route to Pacific Coast via Chicago.
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 19
All four postcards below (together with the New York one above) belongs to the same series issued during the 1930s (all unnumbered).
They all have in common the following backside design:
LOS ANGELES
VC
Airline issued postcard
SAN FRANCISCO
VC
Airline issued postcard
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
VC
Airline issued postcard
YELLOWSTONE PARK
VC
Airline issued postcard
Three more destination postcards below, this time numbered. They also belong to a series issued during the 1930s.
On the backside is printed "IN FLIGHT WITH UNITED AIR LINES".
It is no longer printed in the stamp box that the stewardess will stamp and mail it for you ...
CLEVELAND
VC
Airline issued postcard
DALLAS
VC
Airline issued postcard
SALT LAKE CITY
VC
Airline issued postcard
One more San Francisco postcard below.
On the backside is printed "IN FLIGHT WITH UNITED AIR LINES".
SAN FRANCISCO
VC
Airline issued postcard
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 20
MT. SHASTA
VC
Airline issued postcard
Unused

From the back side of the postcard:
Mt. Shasta, whose summit is 14,380 feet, was once a glacier mountain. This view was taken from a United Air Lines passenger plane on the Seattle-San Diego route
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 21
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 22

xxx
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 23
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 24
THE WORLDS' FIRST EXTRA FARE PLANE
VC
Airline issued postcard
Post marked August 2 1938

From the back side of the postcard:
United Air Lines' Skylounge, built by Douglas. Special features: 14 deep-cushioned swivel chairs in a 21-passenger cabin, 28 ft long, 6½ ft high, 8 ft wide ... unusual visibility ... luxurious appointments ... individual tables ... complimentary hot meals ... exceptionally quiet ... air-conditioned ... intra-plane telephone.

***

The DC-3 was introduced 1937 on the
Mid-Continent Airway.

***

The aircraft on the postcard is a DC-3, Mainliner Reno, with registration NC16070, delivered to United Air Lines in November 1936.
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 25
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 26
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Page 27
It's time to fly with United Air Lines
VC
Back page
This small booklet is issued around 1936.
Across the skyways with United Air Lines
VC
Front page
 When time permit I will scan and present all pages of this booklet as well.
Western Air Express

Western Air Lines flew between
LOS ANGELES and SALT LAKE CITY.

I think you could fly the between the same
cities with United but then via
San Francisco.
FLY WITH WESTERN AIR EXPRESS
& United Air Lines
VC
Part of back side
from the two postcards below

In 1925 the US Postal Service began to award contracts to companies that could carry air mail across the US.

Western Air Express started its service 1926 between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. The same year they also started to carry passengers. In 1930 they merged with Transcontinental Air Transport to form Transcontinental and Western Airlines or TWA.

By 1934 Western Air Express became an independent (but different) company. In 1941 they changed the name to
Western Airlines.
The postcards below shows two of the scenic highlights you could see flying with
WESTERN AIR EXPRESS
between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
 
BOULDER DAM
VC
Airline issued postcard
ZION NATIONAL PARK
VC
Airline issued postcard