In 1924, in Macon, Georgia, Delta Air Lines first took to the air as
Huff Daland Dusters.
Delta, The History of an Airline
Huff Daland Dusters became Delta Air Service in 1928, and on June 17,
1929, the company inaugurated passenger service from Dallas, Texas to
Monroe, Louisiana, with the single engine Stinson Travel Air S-6000-B. It
carried six passengers and cruised at ninety miles per hour.
Delta, The History of an Airline
A 1929 ad depict's Delta's route system and the Travel Air. Originally
stretching from Dallas to Jackson, the route was extended to Birmingham on
September 1, 1929 and to Atlanta on June 12, 1930.
Delta, The History of an Airline
Delta purchased five Stinson-T aircraft, Model SM-6000-B, from American
Airlines in 1934. This high-wing, fabric covered tri-motor carried seven
passengers at 100 MPH, and was equipped with two anti-drag cowlings, three
electric starters, two landing lights, a two-way radio, heater, toilet, and
full instrumentation for "standard and blind flying." New price was $22,500
each but Delta paid American only $5400 each.
Delta, The History of an Airline
Delta's purchase of two low-winged, tri-motor Stinson A's was their
first acquisition of brand new aircraft.
The sleek "A" carried eight passengers at 160 MPH and Delta flew it from
1935 to 1937. At $34,000 it was much more luxurious than the "T" and had
cabin soundproofing and reclining upholstered seats.
Delta, The History of an Airline
In 1936 Delta decided to acquire some really up-to-date planes and
received their first Lockheed Electra Model 10B in December of that year.
The all-metal aircraft, with retractible landing gear and a distinctive
twin-tailed configuration, could cruise at 180 MPH and carry ten passengers.
Delta purchased three at $50,000 apiece and flew them from 1936 to 1942.
This aircraft required two pilots for proper operation.
Delta, The History of an Airline
Delta was growing nicely and needed larger aircraft to handle the
increasing passenger demand. In early 1940 they purchased four DC-2s from
American Airlines. It could accommodate fourteen passengers instead of the
Lockheed's capacity of ten and was somewhat faster. But it was already
semi-obsolete.
Still increasing passenger demand pushed Delta to purchase their first
six DC-3s in 1940. Seating twenty-one passengers and cruising at 185 MPH,
they paid $115,000 each for them. It was the first aircraft that could earn
profits by carrying passengers alone. The DC-3 was in Delta's fleet for
twenty years, until 1960
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With the DC-2 and DC-3 Delta also introduced its first female cabin
attendants. No longer could the copilot also serve as a steward. As on other
airlines at the time, stewardesses had to be unmarried, under the age of 26,
and registered nurses. Besides learning their normal duties in their
two-week training period, they had to learn to make – at least on paper – an
instrument approach. Their pay could reach $115 per month.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In 1941 Delta moved its home base from Selman Field in Monroe,
Louisiana to Atlanta, Georgia. How many remember going to their
commercial airport to watch the planes from the observation deck?
