Now flying the colors of Trans World Airline, these Skyliners first "came to roost" on November 26, 1927, as the Aero Corporation of California, Inc, under the supervision of Jack Frye, Paul E. Richter, and Walter A. Hamilton. Their debut was made in the form of one Fokker Universal cabin airplane with a Wright Whirlwind 200 horse power engine. The cabin accommodated six passengers and there was side jump-seat in the cockpit, which very often was pressed into service to carry an additional passenger.
The first schedule was flown by Jack Frye, who holds Arizona State Pilot's license number 1, issued by the Arizona Corporation Commission. The airplane with which this service started was purchased by T.W.A. for $13,000. This was the only investment involved in the whole airline. There were no communication stations ticket offices and other facilities.
Later in 1928, Standard Air Lines, Inc., was formed as a subsidiary of the Aero Corporation of California. This operated first with three Fokker Super-Universals, which had Wasp engines. In 1929, this equipment was changed to Fokker tri-motors.
Meanwhile, other airlines were entering the infant industry. John Maddux, a Los Angeles automobile dealer formed Maddux Airlines. Western Air Express was expanding rapidly through the West and Southwest. And in 1929, Transcontinental Air Transport was formed.
A series of trades soon followed. TAT merged with Maddux, Standard was sold to WAE with Frye moving over to Western as vice-president of operations. On October 1, 1930 came the final welding of the route systems into what is today known as TWA. TAT-Maddux acquired the Kansas City-Los Angeles route from Western, and the merger resulted in the formation of Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. Frye became vice-president of operations with H.M. "Pop" Hanshue as the line's first president.
Thus was begun one of Arizona's great industries, which can be likened to the State's irrigation canals. Its water supply is several hundreds of miles away but canals bring flowing life necessary to produce some of the finest desert vegetables and citrus in the world. So does Trans World Airline and other transportation mediums funnel dollars and industries to Arizona.
Airlines with other transportation mediums are indispensable in maintaining this resort industry and increasing it. The world and the world's people move at a faster tempo. While the desert area has an increasing appeal to Easterners, the problem of distributing products is solved principally by speed and airlines are the only answer to the demands for speed.
This simplification of resort travel distribution is not tomorrow; it is here, now, today. Many moneyed persons, who must spend some time in cities several thousand miles from Arizona, but who because of health or climatic desires wish to have year-around Arizona homes, many now do so and commute reliably by TWA between points.
In the future, TWA will inaugurate 6 1/2-hour service between Chicago and Phoenix; 8 1/2-hour New York and Phoenix; 1 1/2-hour Los Angeles and Phoenix; 2 1/2-hour San Francisco and Phoenix, in four motored aircraft.
Only San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Chicago and New York City will be served by TWA Constellations, in addition to Phoenix. The airline is doing this because of the travel potential existing in Phoenix and other resort cities of Arizona.
Trans World Airline has spent $2,000,000 in the last three years on advertising and promotional literature which featured and included Arizona and the Valley of the Sun as an outstanding vacation paradise.
As TWA's Fleet flies over it, the conquests of centuries pass in majestic array beneath the stream-lined fuselages. No other mode of transportation can give such an understanding of Arizona's magnitude to the traveler.
From the air, the colorful Painted Desert appears as a giant palette. This beautiful region has ever-changing colors as the sun's rays vary their attack on the desert floor. First purple, then gold, rose, silver, crimson and then purple again.
Meteor Crater, near Winslow, is another outstanding landmark on the TWA route. It is a mile in diameter and 600 feet deep and can be seen for several miles before the plane flies across the rim. Scientists assert it was caused thousands of years ago by a huge sizzling mass and today activity can be seen far below in the crater's pit.
As planes leave the giant saucer behind, the airway leads over the Grand Canyon. No hint of its waiting wonders comes to the air traveler until he approaches the mile high rim and then miles distant, but appearing close at hand, is the farther rim as straight and level as the horizon, while in between in jagged array stretch craggy peaks, flat-topped mesas, steep valleys, terraced rocks, all glowing with the deepest and richest of colors.
The TWA Skyliner secure in its element, then crosses the canyon from Bright Angel Point to the north rim opposite in three minutes, but on mule-back, this same journey requires two full days. Few are the experiences more thrilling than to fly over Grand Canyon by airplane to understand its utter limitlessness and then return to explore it by foot.
Today, Trans World Airline operates six flights daily into Winslow and twenty-one to Phoenix. Flights will be increased in number as the demand to enjoy the wonders of Arizona increases. And as this happens, the names of those responsible for bringing air transportation to Arizona will become more firmly established in the State's great history with such citizens as Columbus Giragi, former northern Arizona newspaper publisher, who aided them in their efforts to make Arizona an "air" state.
Transcontinental and Western Air
Historical Webpage
Sedona Legend Helen Frye!