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During the 1920s and early 1930s, airlines found it difficult to make a profit in commercial aviation without a lucrative airmail route contract. In July of 1927, Pan American Airways was awarded the overseas airmail route from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba, with a deadline to start service by October 19, 1927. The company acquired a Fokker F.VIIA-3m to fly the 90-mile route; however, various issues including rainy weather conditions delayed the construction of a suitable runway for the aircraft in Key West. Pan American hired West Indian Aerial Express's pilot Cy Caldwell and their Fairchild FC-2, which had been fitted with floats, to carry the mail for them. #Onthisday in 1927, Caldwell took off for Havana from Key West in the Fairchild FC-2, named La Niña, with seven bags of mail. It was Pan American's first operation. Nine days later, Pan American's Fokker F.VIIA-3m took over the route, inaugurating scheduled service. This image was posted on October 19, 2021.

This post mentions the following things involved with the SFO Museum collection:

Pan American Airways. It is related to Pan American World Airways (the company) .