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Boeing: Boeing Air Transport
built 629 days ago
With the addition of National Air Transport, Boeing's airline holdings formed the original United Air Lines. In 1928 all these companies were organized under a holding company called the Boeing Aircraft and Transportation Company. In 1929 a larger holding company was formed, the United Aircraft and Transportation Company. Included in this group were the 'United' airlines and Stout Airlines; Pratt & Whitney (engines); Boeing, Sikorsky, Northrop, and Stearman (manufacturers); and Standard Steel Prop and Hamilton Aero Manufacturing (propellers). Boeing was made chairman of the company and Fred Rentschler of Pratt & Whitney was named president.
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After winning a US Mail contract to carry mail between Chicago and San Francisco, Boeing formed a subsidiary company in 1927, Boeing Air Transport, to provide airmail and passenger services. The first flight was on 1 July, 1927 in a Model 40A - a 22.5 hour flight between San Francisco and Chicago. The success of these flights encouraged Boeing to develop its first ever plane specifically for passenger services - the three engined Model 80 biplane, carrying 12 passengers and cruising at 125 mph, with a range of 460 miles. Shortly thereafter, Boeing added the first female flight attendants to its passenger services.
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Boeing was so infuriated with the investigation that he retired from the company (at age 52) and sold all his aviation stocks. Upon Boeing's departure the company's production manager, Phil Johnson, was named the new president. But William Boeing was not forgotten by the aircraft industry. In 1934 he was recognized for his innovation in aeronautical research and development with the award of the Daniel Guggenheim medal, 'for successful pioneering and achievement in aircraft manufacturing and air transport.'
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To run its burgeoning passenger service, Boeing Air Transport - a predecessor to United Airlines - was created. In 1929, Boeing consolidated its operations into a huge holding company called United Aircraft and Transport Company. It was a vertically integrated company with many divisions: airplanes, airlines, airmail service, engines, propellers and airports. But it would last only until 1934, when the federal government broke-up holding companies on anti-trust grounds. Boeing decided to return to its roots as a manufacturer of aircraft.
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