American
Airlines, one of the original airlines awarded a trans-continental route,
was assigned the "Southern Route" across the US. Even in 1939 they had an
extensive route system. In 1939 dollars,
though, flights were expensive.
American's Timetable included twenty-one routes, detailed in separate
tables. The download includes a map of each of these routes.
The flight descriptions make use of both NDBs and VORs. An FSNavigator plan
is also included for each of the 245 legs comprising the twenty-one routes.
In addition, you may fly any route in reverse if you wish, doubling the
available flights. Use Real Weather for the most satisfaction while flying
these flights.
These 245 flights total 43,491 NM ... over 300 hours of flight time.
American Airlines is the largest airline in the world. They began on January
25, 1930, when four airlines were consolidated into American Airways. In
1934 they became American Airlines.
American Airways inaugurated the nation's first all-air transcontinental
service in 1930. The route linked Atlanta with Los Angeles with stops in
Texas and Arizona using Fokker F-10A tri-motor aircraft. In 1931, American
flew the first New York to Los Angeles transcontinental route, using Ford
Tri-Motors.
In 1933, American Airways began flying the eighteen-passenger Curtiss
Condor. A sleeper version of the Curtiss Condor was later introduced in
1934. With the introduction of the Condor, flight attendants, then called
"stewardesses," made their first appearance on American Airlines aircraft.
In addition, American introduced the first true in-flight meal service in
the US in 1934 and the first hot meal service a year later.
Douglas Aircraft began the design of the DC-3 in 1934 at the insistence of
C.R. Smith, president of American Airlines. Smith wanted two new planes – a
longer DC-2 that would carry more day passengers and another with
railroad-type sleeping berths, to carry overnight passengers.
The first DC-3 built was the Douglas Sleeper Transport, the DST, and it was
the height of luxury. Fourteen plush seats in four main compartments could
be folded in pairs to form seven berths, while seven more folded down from
the cabin ceiling. The plane could accommodate fourteen overnight passengers
or up to twenty-eight for shorter daytime flights. The first was delivered
to American Airlines in June 1936, followed two months later by the first
standard twenty-one-passenger DC-3.
In 1947, American became the first airline to demonstrate the use of VHF
Omni-Directional Range receiving equipment, the VOR. Go here for the Photo
Gallery or to learn more about American Airlines or the Douglas DC-3.
Enjoy the flights! They should be OK for FS98 and later.
