1920-1930

Aeromarine begins “High Ball Express”

One of Florida’s — and the country’s — most famous early commercial passenger airlines was Aeromarine Airways, which began operating from Key West to Havana in 1920.

Founder mixes business with pleasure

Aeromarine began life in March 1914 as the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Co. Its founder, Inglis Uppercu, was a successful NYC Cadillac dealer and aviation enthusiast, but also a businessman who believed in the commercial future of aviation. Before and during World War I, Aeromarine manufactured several experimental aircraft — both land planes and seaplanes — for the Army from its plant in Keyport, NJ.

After the war, Aeromarine became interested in developing variations of Curtiss designed Navy HS 2L coastal patrol boats. It purchased them in war surplus sales and converted them to commercial use. The company offered three different versions, the most expensive of which, the deluxe Flying Limousine Model 80 had an enclosed cabin. Aero Limited, Florida’s first international seasonal air service, was an early customer, purchasing several of Aeromarine’s Model 80.

From sales to service

By 1920, Aeromarine had begun to develop its own airline service in addition to selling aircraft. Recognizing that commercial operations needed long range, comfortable aircraft, Aeromarine developed a conversion of the Navy’s F-5-L flying boats which it called the Model 75 Navy Cruiser. The conversion enclosed the entire hull and featured two finely upholstered mahogany fitted cabins. The forward cabin had six big leather seats, each with its round porthole window. The aft cabin contained five seats and was intended for smoking, writing or playing cards. In addition to the 11 passengers, the Model 75 accommodated three crew members. The first of these flying boats was launched from Keyport on June 22, 1920.

In October 1920, Aeromarine held a dedication ceremony for two new Model 75s, the Santa Maria and the Pinta, in New York City (a third Model 75, the Nina, was dedicated a month later). Hours later, both aircraft were enroute to Florida, to begin service over the winter season between Key West and Havana.

Flights are a hit with wealthy vacationers

Regular mail and passenger service commenced on November 1, 1920, making Aeromarine the first U.S. carrier ever to offer regularly scheduled international mail and passenger service. Given the one-way fare of $75, passengers tended to be relatively wealthy. Since it was the Prohibition era in the U.S., the flights were a popular way for many to drink legally in Havana’s bars. In fact, the press dubbed Aeromarine’s Key West-Havana service the High Ball Express. Two flights a day from each port were offered, at Noon and at 4:30 PM. Flight time was 1 1/4 hours versus an 8 1/2 hour journey by boat.

At left: Aeromarine timetable, circa 1921-1922 – Courtesy https://www.timetableimages.com/

Merger brings Ed Musick into the Aeromarine fold

Aeromarine’s ability to carry the mail between Key West and Cuba was the result of its merger earlier in 1920 with Florida West Indies Airway. Florida West Indies Airway had been awarded the first U.S. Air Mail contract between the U.S. and Havana but was financially unable to carry out its obligations. One of the pilots hired by Aeromarine as a result of the merger was Ed Musick, who later became world famous while flying for Pan Am as the first pilot to cross the Pacific Ocean. Originally called Aeromarine West Indies Airways, the merged company was renamed Aeromarine Airways, Inc. shortly thereafter.

During Aeromarine’s first season in Key West, its fleet was added to by the Columbus, the Ponce de Leon and the Balboa. The Nina was damaged beyond repair in Havana when it slipped its moorings during a storm. Also during this first season, passenger service was extended from Key West to Miami, Palm Beach and the Bahamas. Over 2000 passengers were carried safely and 371,000 passenger miles were logged in the first season alone.

Enviable safety record tragically marred

Aeromarine’s enviable safety record, which persisted throughout its second season, was tragically tarnished a few months into its third season, in January of 1923. The flying boat Columbus, carrying seven passengers and mail between Key West and Havana, developed engine trouble. A forced landing in the Florida Straits damaged the hull, which filled with water. Most of the passengers were able to climb on top of the hull but two were swept overboard and drowned. Two children, aged 5 and 3, who had been sleeping in the aft cabin, could not be reached by the crew and perished. The surviving passengers were rescued by lifeboat. Though it was Aeromarine’s only accident involving passenger fatalities, it garnered national publicity. Aeromarine had to struggle to dispel the shadow that it cast.

Ahead of its time

A few months later, in March 1923, Aeromarine unveiled ambitious plans to make Miami the hub of America’s first permanent air station, with daily flights to Nassau and future service to New York. Its vision, as reported in the accompanying Miami News clipping, included plans to build the nation’s first aeronautical seaplane base and to turn Miami into a gateway for intercontinental air travel to the West Indies, South America, and even Europe.

It was a vision that was ahead of its time. 1923 turned out to be Aeromarine’s third and final season in Florida. Despite announced plans to return in the Fall, when Aeromarine sent its fleet of flying boats back north in May, they were never to return to Miami. Aeromarine’s New York/Atlantic City operations were discontinued in August due to lack of passenger demand, and financial difficulties forced the company to shut down completely at the end of the year. Despite a glowing public relations campaign that had consistently characterized the airline’s operations as nothing less than highly successful, in January 1924 a controlling interest of the company was sold to Barron G. Collier and Associates and the old organization dissolved. Although the plan was ostensibly to continue operating from Florida as in previous seasons, the airline simply folded.

The high-cost factor of operating an airline at the time, the lack of government support to tide commercial aviation through its initial period of public acceptance (later provided by Air Mail subsidies), the need for more landing fields and government regulation and licensing — all were factors that contributed to Aeromarine’s demise. It was an airline that was simply ahead of its time.

Fulfillment of a dream

An interesting postscript to Aeromarine’s short lived but significant presence in Miami is worth noting. Aeromarine pilot Ed Musick was hired by Pan American Airways when it began service between Key West and Havana in October 1927, eventually becoming the airline that was to fulfill Aeromarine’s vision of establishing a system of intercontinental passenger airline travel.

At left (above): Forward cabin of the Santa Maria, an Aeromarine Model 75. Photo courtesy Journal of American Aviation Historical Society Fall 1980.
At left (below): Passengers on an Aeromarine Model 75. Photo courtesy Monroe County Public Library.

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