page_title: Pacific Air Transport
section_title: Early operations
hierarchical_section_title: Pacific Air Transport / Early operations
caption_attribution_description: English: Ryan M-1 NC2073 preserved airworthy in Pacific Air Transport markings at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Creve Coeur airport, Missouri.
context_page_description: Pacific Air Transport was an early US airline, formed in 1926 for carrying mail as well as passengers. It was acquired two years later by Boeing Air Transport.
context_section_description: Gorst's new airline successfully bid for Route CAM 8 and contracted to purchase a fleet of ten Ryan M-1 mailplanes.  These had a four-seat enclosed cabin because Gorst planned to carry fare-paying passengers as well as mail and express parcels. The service was inaugurated on 15 September 1926 after arrangements had been made for the provision of makeshift lights and beacons, and persuading the Standard Oil Company to paint the names of towns on the roofs of its buildings. Despite these precautions, by the end of the winter, three of the M-1 aircraft had been lost. 
  The hardy passengers had to pay $132 for the doubtful privilege of being crammed in among the mailbags for the 18-hour flights. Intermediate landings were made for fuel and mail at Portland and Medford in Oregon and San Francisco, Fresno and Bakersfield in California. The route was operated daily in each direction.
caption: An airworthy Ryan M-1 mailplane in Pacific Air Transport markings at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum
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