Coast to Coast in 48 Hours
Documentary (1929)
Starring:
General W.Watterbury (President, Pennsylvania Railroad)
Colonel Charles A.Lindbergh (Chaiman Technical Committee, T.A.T. Maddux Airlines)
Clement M.Keys (Chairman of the Board, Transcontinental Air Transport Inc.)
Daniel M.Sheaffer (Chairman, Transcontinental Air Transport Inc, Executive Committee)
Jack Maddux (President,T.A.T. Maddux Airlines)
Charles Lindbergh introduces this account of a trip from New York to California, by both train and plane, that took 48 hours.
Coast to Coast route
Combination of train and plane between New-York and Los Angeles in 2 days.
The service was inaugurated on July 7, 1929 and lasted few months under TAT-Transcontinental Air Transport brand until the merge with Maddux Air Lines in November 1929. In 1930 TAT-Maddux merged with its former competitor Western Air Express to form T&WA-Transcontinental & Western Air, which later became TWA.
New York - Columbus
This route was done by train of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The passengers had to board a night train called The Airway Limited to take them to the airport in Columbus, Ohio (today is John Glenn International Airport), 850 miles away.
Ford Trimotor
Port Columbus Airport terminal.
Ford 5-AT Trimotor
Boarding of passengers at Port Columbus Airport.
Port Columbus Airport terminal in the background. See discussion tab (1)
Columbus - Indianapolis
Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor
Taking-off from Port Columbus Airport.
Registration NC9607, c/n 5-AT-5 NC9607. Delivered new to TAT-Transcontinental Air Transport in November 1928, named The Kansas City. Transferred to T&WA-Transcontinental & Western Air after merge in October 1930. Destroyed in Quay, New Mexico in August 1933.
Landing at Indianapolis-Mars Hill Airport/Stout Army Air Field.
Indianapolis - Saint Louis
Ford 5-AT-C Trimotor
At Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field (St. Louis Lambert International Airport) nowadays. [See discussion tab]
NC9648, c/n 5-AT-57. Delivered new to TAT-Transcontinental Air Transport in November 1928, named City of Wichita. Transferred to T&WA-Transcontinental & Western Air after merge in October 1930. Sold to Republic Oil Co. Crashed at Anchorage in August 1937 used by Wien Airways of Alaska.
Saint Louis - Kansas City
Ford 5-AT Trimotor
Kansas City - Wichita
Ford 5-AT-C Trimotor
NC9648 seen again.
Curtiss O-1 Special Falcon
A visitor from the sky comes to accompany the Ford Trimotor for a few minutes: Charles Lindbergh himself for the greatest pleasure of passengers. See above.
Lindbergh chose the Falcon to survey the route to be flown by TAT-Transcontinental Air Transport. The plane could cruise as fast as the Ford Trimotor and Lindbergh could figure the time schedules required to fly the routes proposed.
Except the white colour of the tail fin, which may have been changed at some point, it must be:
Registration NC7455, c/n 3. Civil VIP version, delivered to C.Lindbergh. Sold to Pan American Grace Airways in the 1930s, then to Curtiss Wright Export Corp /NY. Cancelled in December 1938.
Wichita - Waynoka
Ford 5-AT-C Trimotor
NC9648 on flight to Waynoka.
Waynoka TAT Airport: Last destination of the first aerial section carried out during the day. 'Aerocar' shuttle used for transfert of passengers between the airport and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway station in the city.
Waynoka - Clovis
This route was done by night train from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.
Ford 5-AT Trimotor
Boarding of passengers in the morning at Clovis Portair Field (Cannon Air Force Base nowadays).
Clovis - Albuquerque
Ford 5-AT Trimotor
Taking off from Clovis Portair Field.
Arrival at Albuquerque Oxnard Field (Kirtland Air Force Base nowadays).See discussion tab (2)
Albuquerque - Winslow
Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor
Soon departure from Albuquerque Oxnard Field.
Registration NC9646, c/n 5-AT-9. Delivered new to TAT-Transcontinental Air Transport in January 1929, named City of Los Angeles. Transferred to T&WA-Transcontinental & Western Air after merge in October 1930. Sold to Gulf Oil Co. then Mene Grande Oil Co. Exported to Venezuela in October 1937 , registered YV-MGO.
Refuelling at Winslow Municipal Airport (Winslow–Lindbergh Regional Airport nowadays).
There are 2 in this picture of Winslow Municipal Airport.
Winslow - Kingman
Ford 5-AT Trimotor
Postcard held by a passenger sat in the cabin of the plane.
Stopover at Kingman Airport.
Kingman - Los Angeles
Ford 5-AT Trimotor
Flight over Mt Wilson Observatory, CA.
Final approach at Los Angeles Grand Central Airport, Glendale, California.
Grand Central Airport TAT's facilities behind one of Ford Trimotors from TAT.
Grand Central Air Terminal in the background.See discussion tab (3)
Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor
Registration NC9651, c/n 5-AT-34. Delivered new to TAT-Transcontinental Air Transport in January 1929, named City of Philadelphia. Transferred to T&WA-Transcontinental & Western Air after merge in October 1930. Sold to RCA Manufacturing Co, then Aircraft Exporting Corp, Star Air Lines and K Weeks. Changed registration to NX9651. Accident in LaLande, NM in May 30, Ground looped Fairbanks August 1943. Stored and restored in June 1964.
Note the 3x Unidentified Aircraft in the far background on the right.
Final stop in front of Grand Central Air Terminal.
End of 48 hour journey (safe and sound).See discussion tab (4)
Welcoming passengers in the presence of Amelia Earhart.See discussion tab (5)
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