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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-first-airmail-1918

The first regular U.S. air mail service in 1918 connected Washington, DC, with which city?

New York City, by way of Philadelphia.

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  1. Chicago
  2. San Francisco
  3. New York City ✔

Why: Air mail began on May 15, 1918, with Army pilots flying between Washington, Philadelphia and New York. The Post Office took it over that August. Chicago was added in 1919 and San Francisco in 1920.

Huh, didn't know that: Early mail pilots flew low and followed roads and railroads to find their way.

The dad joke
Why did the letter take the airplane? It wanted to be first-class.
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References

Answer: New York City. Air mail began on May 15, 1918, with Army pilots flying between Washington, Philadelphia and New York. The Post Office took it over that August. Chicago was added in 1919 and San Francisco in 1920.

  1. CAP Teacher's Guide for Aerospace: The Journey of Flight (lesson outlines) www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/2nd_edition_Teachers_Guide_5D3166D76F9B1.pdf
    The first airmail route was between Washington DC and New York City.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. FAA: 100 Years of Sustained Power Flight History www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/education/educators/curriculum/k12/K-12_One_Hundred_Years_of_Sustained_Flight.pdf
    May 15, first Air Mail service was inaugurated
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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