The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1925-04-23
AIR TRADE LINE STARTED
BY THE FORD COMPANY
Maiden Dearborn Finishes De-
trOit-ChicagO Round Trip
With Freight


IN Garrett county as well as through
out the entire country concerning the
proposed Ford-built airplane, as Mr..
Edsel Ford, president of the Ford
Motor Company has shown much in
terest in "fivverizing" the air as his
father has done to the good-roads
systems of the world. The following,
concerning the initial flight of the
first commercial air line established
in the United States, and probably
the beginning of such a commercial
lied atmosphere, is clipped from the
Baltimore Sun, of Tuesday morning:
Detroit, April 13.- The ."Maiden
Dearborn" landed at the Ford airport,
Dearborn, at $50 p. m. today on the
return flight of the trip to Chicago
which inaugurated what is said to be
the first commercial air line to be es-
tablished in the United States.
The trip from Chicago was made in
two hours and fifty minutes, exactly
the same time as was required for the
fight to Chicago. The aircraft was
loaded on the return trip with one
thousand pounds of freight.
Former British Flyer At Pilot.
There was no demonstration here
upon the return of the Maiden Dear
born" only a few of the officials of
the Ford Motor Company and of the
Stout Metal Airplane Company,
builders Of the craft, being present.
The plane, plated by Eddie Hamil-
ton, a former Royal Air Service flyer,
is one Of two duralumin planes to
form the nucleus of an air service to
link the Ford company here with its
plants at Chicago, St. Louis, St. Paul
and Iron Mountain, Mich. The sec
ond plane will receive its first tests
within a few days. The service is to
be extended gradually until several
planes will be leaving here daily on
regular flying schedule, the Ford
company announced.
Not Available For Public.
Fer the present flights will be
made chiefly over the Detroit Chica-
go line, with landings at the Ford air
port here and the United States Mail
Airdrome at haywood, III.
The Ford air line, today's state
ment said, will not be available for
public use nor connected in any way
with outside interests.
The Maiden Dearborn was purchas-
ed from the Stout Metal Airplane
Company, in which Edsel Ford, presi-
dent of the Ford Motor Company, has
shown an interest. The plain has
400-horsepower Ford-built Liberty
engine.
Passengers Not To Be Carried
Before being turned over to the
Ford company today the Maiden
Dearborn was equipped with extra
large landing wheels, which will de-
crease the speed somewhat, but add
factor of safety because the larger
wheels will make it easier to land
without mishap on muddy fields.
No passengers will be carried, pro-
vision being made only for a mechan-
ic to accompany the pilot.
The Maiden Dearborn is entirely
constructed of duralumin, has a wing
spread of sixty feet and its length is
forty-fve feet two inches. The plane
has a maximum speed of lis miles
an hour and a cruising speed of one
hundred miles an hour.
The Ford statement said: "Plans
for extending the company's airplane
fleet will proceed at once. These in
clude three air lines. One will have
a terminus at st. Louis, Mo-, another
at St. Paul, Mimi, and the third will
terminate at Iron Mountain, Mich.