Airlines of the United States Since 1914 This notable book by a leading authority on the world's airlines traces the development of air transport in all the countries south of the United States, including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, & the whole continent of South America. Since William Burden's The Struggle for Airlines in Latin America, the only previous book on the subject in English, was published in 1944, this entire community of nations has undergone a complete social & economic metamorphosis. Many people in Latin America had flown before they had ever ridden in a car. Many underdeveloped republics have been transformed into powerful modern nations. Much of this information can be credited to the airlines. Mr. Davies covers airline developments in each country in separate chapters, beginning with four on Mexico & working south with eight on Brazil, three each on Colombia & Argentina, two on Peru & one devoted exclusively to the legendary TACA. The influence of early German aircraft, especially Junkers & the contribution made by the great French airline Aeropostale, are comprehensively covered, as are latter-day developments in modern piston-engined & jet airliners, dominated by the USA constructors but with other influences too, not excluding the Brazilian. The expansion of routes is clearly shown in eighty-five maps & charts. Some 400 photographs, many of them rare & some previously unpublished, show the progress from the flimsy wood-&-fabric aircraft of the formative years through succeeding generations of aircraft. The industry was built through the inspiration & initiative of some remarkable people & these airline pioneers are given well-deserved prominence, showing that although foreign interests once dominated the scene, these have now receded & play a relatively minor role in current airline affairs in Latin America. There are over thirty tables of summarised data; a special appendix providing comprehensive fleet lists of the pre-jet aircraft of eighty-four major airlines; & an excellent index. |
