Dear Reader, this email is long and might be a touch confusing. But, it contains a link to a story, though unrelated to Veterans Air, with a terrific explanation about the operation of glider aircraft carrying cargo. Since one of the earliest intentions of Veterans Air was glider cargo, I thought you’d find this article, “Winged Cargo,” interesting. It certainly enlightened my confusion. Al Stettner, with whom I’m exchanging emails here, at the time, was a docent at the National Air & Space Museum, Hazy Center near Washington Dulles Airport. He is also VAE’s Jack Stettner’s son.
The source of the “Winged Cargo” article is Historic Wings. This is their website — http://historicwings.com
My Best to you,
Gaye Lyn
On Saturday, August 10, 2019, 4:22:02 PM EDT, Gaye Lyn wrote:
Al, I’m just completing a 1,300+ word story for possible publication.
More on that later.
My dad is quoted as talking about all the organizations he dealt with in
getting VAE up and running. The list is as follows:
CAA, RFC, VA, FCC, CAB, and USES
I can find NO reference to USES on the internet. Any clues? Do you
know what it was?
Want to read a proof? I’ve promised to send it by end of day today. And
I’m hoping it’s going to be the first of three in series. #2 with be
the UN contract. And #3 possibly a list of all the people and things I
know about but cannot find.
Bye for now!
Gaye
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On 8/11/2019 10:03 AM, ALFRED STETTNER wrote:
Hey – I would love to read a proof.
USES is most likely the United States Employment Service which
reportedly helped find jobs for vets during and after the war. You can
find some info by googling US Employment Service.
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On 8/12/2019 11:16 AM, AL STETTNER wrote:
FYI, I was looking thru the FAA HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY, 1926-1996
(available on the FAA.gov website) and saw these two items that you’ll
be interested to read (you’re familiar with the second one):
Apr 24, 1946: Winged Cargo, Inc. began the first glider commercial
freight service, using a DC-3 to tow a Waco glider. The flight took off
from Philadelphia and made stops at Miami, Havana, and San Juan.
(See also fly.historicwings.com/2013/04/winged-cargo/)
Sep 15, 1946: CAA required all nonscheduled air carriers to apply for an
operating certificate by this date, when a new Civil Air Regulations
Part 42 governing this category of operator became effective. The
nonscheduled carriers had also been required to file a registration
statement and financial/traffic report with CAB by Sep 3. The actions
introduced greater oversight of the “nonskeds,” charter operators that
offered transport services on an irregular basis. The nonskeds had grown
in number and importance due to the post-war availability of surplus
aircraft and ex-military pilots. Although now required to have a CAA
safety certificate, the nonskeds continued to operate without
certification under CAB’s system of economic regulation. Effective Jun
10, 1947, CAB created the category of noncertificated irregular air
carriers as a new designation for the nonskeds. The irregular carriers
were divided into two classes according to the size of their aircraft,
with those using heavier planes subject to greater economic reporting
requirements.
Sent from my iPhone
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On Aug 12, 2019, at 2:59 PM, Gaye Lyn wrote:
Did you read the Winged Cargo story — which never mentions how glider
operations worked…like going back to get the a/c and the crew. Then I
read the comments at the end.. One man said the a/c were “disposable.”
Winged Cargo sounds at first like a dumb idea unless you knew the
gliders were disposable, retrieving them from these remote locations
would have been a nightmare. Thanks for making that point.
Yes, the 9/15/46 story is familiar. I sure wish I had VA’s
paperwork…to understand the specifics of the role the Government
played in our demise. At least I’d like to understand what % of it was
financial. One of my theories is that investors where scared off by
possibilities of the air line losing certification, getting so tightly
regulated that they couldn’t build business or revenue. Flip side of
that might have been the guys didn’t want investors anyway. But by late
’46 they may have begun to change their minds about outside investors –
swap some of their control for survival. BIG RED FLAG!!! THAT could
have been a bigger mess. But this is all speculation, Al. Even the
timing of VA’s first offer of outside investment is not known…early or
late? would love to track that down.
I’ll have to re-read my insertion of the glider references into the VAE
story. It came up OFTEN in early clippings and I thought it was worth
mentioning. But my “coverage” needs qualifying. It needs to be stated
more as speculation. Below refers to the first glider attempt intended
to accompany their first revenue cargo flight (Louisville to Newark). I
just edited it to “within VA operations radius”
A disappointment, it is the first (and likely not last) circumstance
that proves the glider to be unreliable transport. Weather restrictions
alone make it tricky. Additionally, few if any locations existed within
Veterans Air operations radius that are both 1) remote enough to justify
glider service and 2) with open enough terrain to accommodate glider
operations.
I’ve been up since 4. It feels like it should be super time — and it’s
1pm!!!! Ciao for now.
Gaye
Gaye Lyn Gravely
Current day Researcher
Saunie Gravely, Founder, 1945
Veterans Air Express & Veterans Air Line
w: VeteransAir.org
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From “AL STETTNER”
To Gaye.Lyn
Date 8/12/2019 7:06:09 PM
Subject Re: Hey, Go-To-Guy…what was USES?
I think the basic issue for the post war start ups like VAE and Winged
Cargo is that it was a very tough undertaking. Altho planes and crews
were cheap, parts and maintenance were not. Cargo flights were probably
not overly profitable and getting passenger business, as noted in the
Winged Cargo article and as experienced by Saunie et al, was difficult.
With so many start ups – plus the big airlines – competition was fierce.
And, as we know, the govt added big hurdles.
Sent from my iPhone