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First helicopter mail sack

Object Details

Description
Beginning August 20, 1949, Air Mail Route No. 96 was the Chicago area helicopter service. On the inaugural flight, Wes Moore of the Helicopter Air Sevice, Inc. carried this mail pouch of domestic U.S. airmail from the roof of the Chicago Post Office to the airmail service field at Midway Airport.
On June 2,1947, helicopters became an official part of the U.S. airmail fleet. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) certified the operation of airmail helicopters in Los Angeles, California. Airmail helicopter tests had been conducted in L.A., Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas City and New York City prior to these first official flights.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
August 20, 1949
Object number
1982.0157.518
Type
Mail Processing Equipment
Medium
cotton; leather; metal
Dimensions
0.5 x 25 x 32 in (1.3 x 63.5 x 81.3 cm)
Place
Illinois
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Topic
Benjamin B. Lipsner Airmail Collection
The Cold War (1945-1990)
Mail Processing
Record ID
npm_1982.0157.518
Usage
Not determined
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm814957af7-d4e2-4e2a-b57e-26dbaeb7b63a
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Plan a Visit

TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Open every day (except December 25)
10:00 am to 5:30 pm

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

street map of Postal museum

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