An early use of the airplane in Nebraska was mail delivery. The Omaha Daily News, January 8, 1920, microfilmed copies of which are at the Nebraska State Historical Society, included the following account of the first airmail flights into and from Omaha on January 8, 1920.
“Promptly at 8:30 a.m. today, right on schedule[d] time, Pilot Farr Nutter, air pilot, left in an airplane with Omaha’s first air mail for the east.
“He had six sacks of mail, three from Omaha and three from a Union Pacific train due here at 4 a.m. There was but 349 pounds of mail on the initial trip.
“The mail was taken from the post office to Chamber of Commerce flying field by trucks.
“Only post office officials were on hand to see Nutter leave.
“Nutter is to bring back 400 pounds of mail when he comes from Chicago. . . .
“Pilot W. J. Smith is due in Omaha from the east with the first load of air mail for Omaha at 2:30 p.m.
“Blowing of the siren whistle at the W.O.W. building announced Nutter’s start from Omaha this morning and will announce the arrival of Pilot Smith this afternoon. Assistant Postmaster General Praeger A. S. Brown, superintendent of aerial mail service, and Carl Egge, Brown’s assistant, were to participate in the welcoming ceremonies for the first plane arriving here with aerial mail.
“General Pershing and his staff, city officials and Chamber of Commerce representatives also were to be at the landing field to welcome Pilot Smith.” Gen. John J. Pershing was then in Omaha on a brief official visit.
(March 1997)
