Springfield Massachusetts Operation ---Boston-Springfield--Hartford ( Brainard Field) -Albany NY--NY City ( Jackson Hts. -Grand Central Air Terminal)

I think the Ford  Tri-Motor airplane in view is marked #3.	The black man on left clothes looks like he does most of the  real work ! Somehave ties  & likely work inside for tickets & such.Some  may do loading of mail & luggage ?
	These are likely the pilots & male sturdi
This Ford Tri-Motor is marked #2.	Documents related to NE&WATC Mechanic ,  Albert William Wallsten,  Hi.  I have been doing some research on my grandfather and found your site.  I have quite a few original pictures just like the ones you have and a few more.  My grandfather is the third mechanic from the right.  His name is Albert William Wallsten.  He had a long career in the aviation industry; both commercially and for the government.  Maybe you could help me find out more about him.  He died when I was 3; I am now 45. Thank you Greg-----GWback@aol.com
New photo from daughter of airline owner.My maiden name was Georgia D. Corson and my father was    Chalon Eugene Corson, president of the above mentioned company.  Chalon's wife was Helen H. Corson and was his secretary before she married him.	1930 Air Mail Letter from Bowles Airport  Likely on NEWATC?

We received your e-mail communication of May 29, 2002, in which you
requested assistance in locating information on New England & Western
Air
Transport Co. of Springfield, MA.
According to information that we assembled from several sources, this
operator commenced first services in May 1930 with routes from
Springfield to new York, Boston and Albany. The President was C. E. Corson. It's
last known service was in November 1930, having apparently fallen victim to
the Depression. We have been able to identify three aircraft owned and/or
operated by the line. These were:

Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor NC-9614 manufacturers serial number 4-AT-57
acquired 2/10/30 Ford 5-AT-C Tri-Motor NC-410H manufacturers serial number 5-AT-69
acquired 5/8/30 and sold 10/16/30
Ford 5-AT-C Tri-Motor NC-412H manufacturers serial number 5-AT-71 leased
from Linden Associates 6/12/30 sold 10/2/30.

We regret that this is the extent of what we have on this short-lived
airline.
Sincerely,
Dan Hagedorn
Research Team Leader
Archives Division - MRC 322
National Air and Space Museum
Washington, DC 20560-0322

Getting back to you about NE&WATC...

I cannot find anything explicitly about this airline.  Between the mid 1920s
and 1931 the mail routes between NY and Boston and Alberny were owned by
American Airways.  These eastern hub routes were renewed in 1931 by
American.  They used contract airlines for some of the 'end' routes but I
can find no mention of NE&WATC.

Is it possible that as the NY area mail contracts were coming up in 1930
this airline gambled on being able to win the local route contracts from
American Airways?  If so they lost out... the US Postal Service didn't like
to take chances on small carriers when a large and well established one was
available.  Also these contracts were bid for, I would imagine American
Airways (now American Airlines) would have have been able to under-bid a
small carrier running on a shoe-string.  Even in 1930 these mail contracts
were extremely important financially to the airlines. (It is hard to believe
that in the 1920s passengers were an after-thought for the airlines and air
mail and freight was the big prize!)

But looking at the photographs and the timetable extract you have on your
site, I would suspect that this airline was mainly aimed at passengers.

In 1930 the mail routes were pretty secure and held by the big four but the
non-trunk routes were often sub-contracted to small local carriers.  These
local carriers made much of their revenue flying the mail and freight.  But
by 1930 they had also started taking passengers on as a serious business.

Most of these small local airlines that linked the trunk route hubs to local
destinations were short-lived, either being forced to merge with competitors
to keep flying, or simply going out of business altogether. It was a
cut-throat time for the airlines who flew into what are now called regional
airports which usually had no navaids or real facilities.  They often used
old equipment discarded by the trunk route airlines like TWA, American and
so on.

If NE&WATC had been bought out by a larger carrier then I think I would have
found reference to this.  It seems more plausible that the airline simply
went under- the real money was only ever made by the big four who had a firm
grip on the better paying trunk routes (trans-continental routes).

Thank you again for pointing me to this airline and to your photos.  I would
like to use two of them with your permission (I will copyright them to you
as you own them now).  I would also like to put a link to your page.

PS... I notice that the Tri-Motors seem to have a circular fuselage logo
'NEW'.  Is it possible that the airline was called 'N.E.W.' for short?

Best wishes

Sarah

Ms Sarah Ward  -  Airline History Admin

Airline History website - www.airline-history.co.za

                       With the FDR administration believing that monopolies were not in
                       the public interest, Roosevelt canceled all government contracts
                       with the big four airlines. Then he ordered the Army Air Corps to
                       take over airmail delivery. But he only gave the Air Corps ten days
                       to gear up in midst of the worst winter in years. As a result, twelve
                       pilots died within a month. The President finally decided that the
                       army should get out of the airmail business and give it back to
                       private industry. But Roosevelt did make changes. The Airmail Act
                       of 1934 restored open bidding. In addition, the huge holding
                       companies like Boeing that controlled both manufacturers and
                       airlines were broken up. It was a law with enormous consequences.
                       For with their lucrative monopolies on flying the mail gone, if the
                       airlines were going to grow, they would have to expand in an
                       entirely different market - flying passengers.

Located at:
Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association, Inc.
New England Air Museum
Bradley International Airport
Windsor Locks, Connecticut 06096
(203) 623-3305