| Was it really so long ago when flying was still a | | | | Cargo, Inc., to deliver freight. Air Cargo operated |
| novelty. What am I saying, there are people walking | | | | during most of the war, and continued on until 1944. |
| around this earth that don't have a clue about | | | | Near the end of the war, many of the airlines, |
| cooking on a stove, so how could they ever | | | | including TWA and United, decided to start their own |
| conceive of a time without flight. So humans wanted | | | | independent air freight services. |
| to fly, and even though they were born without | | | | Many small plane operators wanted to join the air |
| wings, that was just a minor detail that they would | | | | freight industry, but they weren't welcomed. The big |
| eventually overcome. Eventually the airplane became | | | | airlines made it clear that they didn't want the small |
| a reality, and not only that, but time and technology | | | | plane operators in the business. The big airlines |
| made it possible for other people to ride the plane | | | | believed that the small plane operators would make |
| besides the pilot. But humans are restless, and began | | | | the industry unstable; plus, they really didn't want any |
| thinking of other ways to use the air plane. | | | | competition. There were a few small plane operators |
| One of the ideas for using a plane, was to allow | | | | that tried, but practically all of them fell by the |
| them to carry freight. History was made in | | | | wayside. But there was one small plane operator that |
| November of 1910, when a department store | | | | survived, its name was Flying Tiger. Flying Tiger was |
| shipped a bolt of silk by air from Dayton to | | | | owned by Robert Prescott, who was a "Flying |
| Columbus, Ohio. This was considered the first | | | | Tigers" pilot during the war. Flying Tiger was able to |
| demonstration of air freight. In 1919, American | | | | survive because it delivered both civilian and military |
| Railway Express used a converted bomber to ship | | | | freight. During the 1960s, Flying Tiger became the |
| 1100 pounds of freight from Washington, D.C. to | | | | largest air freight airline in the country. |
| Chicago; unfortunately, the radiator froze and the | | | | Despite great hopes, especially after a tremendous |
| plane had to land in Ohio, but that didn't stop the | | | | start, the air freight industry wasn't growing as |
| company from continuing to use planes as a way to | | | | expected. It wasn't until the 1980s that someone |
| move their freight. In the late 1920s, many airlines | | | | tried to put a new spin on air freight; and that person |
| were known to be freight carriers. The invention of | | | | was Fred Smith. Fred didn't believe the way the air |
| air freight was great for American business, not only | | | | freight industry was doing business was efficient or |
| did it allow them to get parts and merchandise | | | | good for business and he opened up his own air |
| quicker, but the speed of the process meant that | | | | freight business in Memphis, and named it Federal |
| businesses didn't have to keep as much inventory on | | | | Express. A major plus for customers who chose |
| hand. | | | | Federal Express, was that they offered guaranteed |
| As with any great idea, the early stages of the air | | | | next-day delivery. Within ten years of operations, |
| freight industry saw tremendous growth. In 1927, | | | | Federal Express reported revenues of one billion |
| only 45,000 pounds were shipped, but by 1931, that | | | | dollars. In 1989, Federal Express bought Flying Tiger. |
| number had grown to over one million pounds a year. | | | | The two companies were merged together to |
| Although there were some attempts at organizing | | | | create the world's largest full-service all cargo airline. |
| the air freight industry early on, the first commercial | | | | Today, Federal Express is joined by United Parcel |
| airlines that were all cargo did not happen until after | | | | Service, which got its start back in 1907, as two of |
| World War II. In March of 1941, the top four airlines; | | | | the more trusted and reliable air freight delivery |
| United, American, Eastern and TWA formed Air | | | | services. |