Evening star., 1947-09-14

Hannegan announced Wednesday
& that the first regularly scheduled
helicopter airmail service will be
inaugurated by the Post Office De-
partment in the Los Angeles area on
= October /, with Los Angeles Alrways,
Inc, as the carrier.
This marks an epochal step for
ward in mail transport. The Post
: Office Department has always taken
advantage of every new means to
speed up the delivery of mall Mr..
dannegan declared, land it is sig
nifcant that once again, through the
use of the helicopter. the postal serv-
ice is keeping pace with transporta-
ton progress"
The first helicopter route will
give direct air mail service between
the Los Angeles airport and nine
outlying communities to the north.
Many other towns will be served
indirectly through these offices. On
the same day, a shuttle service will
begin operation between the airport
and the terminal annex post Office
in downtown Los Angeles. A second
helicopter route serving cities to
the east of Los Angeles will begin
service on october 1e.
THE real objectives in adding
the helicopter to the postal trans
portation scheme" Mr.. Hannegan
pointed out, ARE to give trunk
line air mail service to those cities
and towns which surround metrop-
oils and, secondly, make it possible
to have 12-hour air mail between
any two metropolitan areas"
Circular routes-routeS that en-
snate from and terminate at the
airport were decided upon because
they are more efficient in operation
and, because of fog conditions which
are prevalent during certain seasons
of the year. Moving inland, the
helicopter will avoid the early morn
ing coastal fog and return to the
airport by way of costal cities When
fyine conditions are more favorable.
Ultimate extension of shuttle service
between the airport and terminal
annex to include some of the
branches Of the Los Angeles post
Office is authorized under the order
of the Civil Aeronautics Board.
Postal officials estimate that more
than two million people will be
benefited by this new service. They
also anticipate that other cities
and towns will be included on the
routes as soon as landing areas
can be selected and operational
problems worked out.
Route A will begin service on
October | and operate twice daily
except Sundays and holidays. 1t
will serve Pasadena, South Pasadena,
Alhambra, Monrovia, Glendale, Bur-
bank, North Hollywood, Van NuyS
and Santa Monica. Trips will leave
the airport at $50 and 1l:5O am,
returning to the air field at 7:4i
am, and 1903 pm.
Shuttle service between the air
port and Terminal Annex will oper-
ate on a 14-minute schedule and will
make six round trips daily except
Sunday. The first trip will leave
the airport at $40 am. and the
last trip will arrive at the airport
at 2:09 pm.
Service on Route B will begin
October 16. Stops will be made at
Lynwood, Whittier, Montebello, Ell
Monte, Ontario, Riverside, Corona
and Fullerton. Operating at the
same frequency as Route A, the
trips will be made from the airport
at $40 and 11:2O am, returning at
8:33 am. and 1888 pm, respec-
lively.
For the benefit of collectors de-
string flight covers. identical official
cachets will be provided at all
Offices on the two routes, at the
air mail field and at the Terminal
Annex. Covers sent from post Of
fees and the Terminal Annex will
also receive appropriate postmarks,
and will be backstamped at the air
mail field. Covers sent from the
air mail field will be given similar
postmarking, and will be back
stamped at a designated Office on
the routes.
Covers to be mailed from post
Offices should be sent to the respec-
tive postmasters; those to be mailed
from the Terminal Annex should be
sent to the Postmaster, Los Angeles
So. Calf, and those to be mailed
from the airport should be sent to
the District Superintendent, Rail-
way Mail Service, District 2, Los
Angeles.
Covers for the Inauguration of
service on Route A and the shuttle
route on October l should be ac-
companied by the usual request and
the covering envelope Endorsed
Inauguration Helicopter Service
October l. 1947."
Those intended for mailing on the
Inauguration of service on Route B,
October 16 should contain similar
request and the covering envelope