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Reuben H. Fleet had the distinction of being “Air Mail
Pilot Number 1” at the time the U.S. Post Office Department
established regular air mail service on May 15, 1918. Image,
from the NASM, shows him at about that time.
His second wife, Dorothy Mitchell Fleet, wrote a book (reference,
left sidebar) that covers the Fleet legacy from his early airmail
days to leader of Consolidated Aircraft. Click this
for a biographical chronology of Reuben Fleet with some great,
clear images and other links (as well as a description of
the “haunted house” he and his wife lived in in
San Diego!).
Image, below from Dorothy Fleet's book showing Fleet with
President Wilson (left).
There are 48 landings by his Fleet aircraft cited in the
Davis-Monthan Register. As testimony to the utility of the
Fleet marque, there are landings by them under Army Air Corps
and Navy military registry, as well as NC, NR (restricted),
NS (government) and NX (experimental) civil registry.
Pilot Fleet arrived at Tucson on Wednesday July 31, 1929.
He was in Fleet NX8612, headed northwest from El Paso, TX
to Phoenix, AZ. He carried a "Passanger" [sic].
They stayed on the ground at Tucson for an hour and a half.
He gave no reason for their travel in the remarks column of
the Register. Anybody know what they were doing?
Reuben Fleet was born March 6, 1887 in Montesano, WA and
died October 29, 1975 in San Diego, CA. He was 88 years old.
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Below is a portion of the seven-page typescript
written by Fleet describing early airmail operations.
UPLOADED: 01/07/06 REVISED: 01/25/08
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