United Air Lines Inc. of Chicago began on July 1st 1931 as the
holding company of four mid-1920s US carriers: Boeing Air Transport, Varney
Air Lines, Pacific Air Transport and National Air Transport .
These airlines were among the first airlines in the USA and came
into being as a result of the 1917 Post Office air mail contracts for an
airmail service trans-continentally between New York and San Francisco. This
was the first main air route for the USA and each airline flew a section. It
began on 15 May 1918 with tenders flying ex-Army Curtiss JN-4 Jenny biplanes
on the New York to Washington route.
When, on 2 February 1925, the Air Mail Act of 1925 was passed by
Congress (the Kelly Act) allowing private airlines to fly the doors opened
for the airline industry to grow and many airlines bid for the contracts.
The four airlines that formed into United Air Lines were all section
contract winners...
BOEING AIR TRANSPORT won the Chicago - San Francisco section and
flew it successfully using 25 Boeing B.40a biplanes, powered by Pratt &
Whitney Wasp engines, which could also carry two passengers along with the
mail which allowed William Boeing could subsidise the mail flights. Boeing
Air Transport set new records for reliability on this route with the Boeing
B.80 triplane which cruised at 120mph. The airline carried 6000 passengers
and 1300 tons of mail in the first two years of operation.
Boeing Air Transport's Boeing B.40 carried mail and two passengers
or 4 passengers
Boeing Air Transport's Boeing B.80 carried 12 passengers at 120 mph
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT won the contract for the Chicago - New York
section of the route and services were started using single engined Curtiss
Falcon biplane, which could also carry passengers. Later it flew the modern
Ford Tri-Motor 5AT tri-engined airliners.
National Air Transport used Ford 5AT Tri-Motors with 13 pax at
115mph
PACIFIC AIR TRANSPORT won the Seattle - San Francisco - Los Angeles
section of the mail route and began its operation with the Ryan M-1.
VARNEY AIR LINES was awarded the Elko - Pasco leg and flew it using
a Swallow biplane.
Varney Air Lines Swallow biplane in air mail five markings - 1
passenger
The beginning of UAL...
Boeing Air Transport purchased Pacific Air Transport in 1927. Boeing
Air Transport and National Air Transport merged in May 1930 to and flew the
resulting San Francisco to New York route in an amazing 28 hours. In June of
that year they then purchased Varney Air Lines . So in 1931 the result of
these four airlines was United Air Lines.
Boeing 247 twins were the first new type to be flown by the new UAL
after being ordered by each of the forming airlines prior to 1931. They were
finally introduced in June 1933 for the coast to coast route between San
Francisco and New York. 30 were delivered and the new type cut the route
down to 20 hours.
Boeing 247D of United Air Lines in the early 1930s
These were replaced in the early 1930s by Douglas DSTs and DC-3s.
The DST - Douglas Sleepter Transport - was a converted Douglas DC-2 for use
on the Los Angeles to San Francisco route, as were the DC-3s.
UAL had a huge fleet of over 100 of the classic Douglas DC-3 which
flew the above route and the Chicago to New York 'Mainliner' services and
these were painted in silver with dark blue cheatline, as shown below. The
Chicago to New York route was UAL's busiest route and it was flown in hard
competition with American Airlines so UAL introduced DC-3s on a luxury
'Sky-lounge' service in 1937 with lots of room and swivel-chairs for the
passengers. It was discontinued by 1939 as it was uneconomical.
UAL DC-3 'Mainliner' N16070 in early '1930s' livery
UAL DC-3 'Mainliner' poster from the 1930s
Douglas DC-4s were also used and flew mainly the Chicago to New York
service. The DC-3 era was coming to an end when, in the 1940s, Convair made
the Convair twin range of aircraft. UAL purchased the Convair CV-340 twin.
The CV-340 was still in use in the early 1960s when the Caravelle jet came
along.
Convair CV-340 N73102 in 1950s livery
Boeing 377 Stratocruisers were used into the 1950s and were one of
the most comfortable aircraft to fly as a passenger on long routes on at
that time following the idea of the Douglas DST aircraft.
The Passenger's Dream - Boeing 377 Stratocruiser of the early 1950s
The DC-6Bs supplemented the Douglas DC-4 aircraft - introduced after
the Second World war. These were used for the Chicago to New York
'Mainliner' route and also on the new route to Hawaii which was first served
by UAL in 1959.
Douglas DC6B in 1950s ' DC-6 Mainliner ' UAL livery
The DC-6 aircraft were used into the early 1960s but were replaced
with the new jet fleet. The DC6 below is seen in 1960 in the then-new 1960s
livery introduced with the new jets.
Douglas DC-6b N37522 in 1960s livery - Boston 1960 - Bill Armstrong
UAL operated the long range Douglas DC-7 for a few years in the
1950s before the jet age made the aircraft obselete.
Douglas DC-7b N6347C at Boston 1960 - Bill Armstrong
Jet Age services began on 18 September 1959 with the introduction of
Douglas DC8-10s for use on mainly internal routes. UAL had to wait for
delivery of the entire jet fleet and this put it at a disadvantage when
competitors were getting their Boeings and Convairs delivered more quickly.
These early-model series -10 jets were later supplemented with an order for
Douglas DC8-61 stretched jets.
Douglas DC8-61 at LAX in 1960s livery - AirNikon
One year later in 1960 Boeing 720B jets were introduced on the
Chicago to Los Angeles via Denver route in competition with American
Airlines, who also ordered this medium haul version of the intercontinental
Boeing 707.
Boeing 720B in 1960s livery - AirNikon
The first of a fleet of 20 Sud Caravelle 6Rs were delivered for the
short haul route between New York and Chicago in 1961 and UAL was the only
US airline to use the Caravelle although it quickly gained a reputation
among passengers for a pleasantly quiet cabin - the Whispering Jet.
Caravelle 6R in original SE210 livery 1966 - Bill Armstrong
The French jet was not to continue as a fleet type though and UAL
purchased Boeing 727s instead of a second Caravelle order.
Boeing 727-100 N7404U in original delivery markings
In July 1960 UAL took over Capital Airlines , a domestic US carrier,
and its highly competitive Viscount turboprops became part of the UAL fleet
along with other types.
Vickers Viscount 800 N7450 of Capital Airlines in 1959 - Bill
Armstrong
This takeover left UAL as the largest airline in the world with the
Soviet Union's Aeroflot airline being the largest (note: Much of the
Aeroflot fleet were not actually airliners as all civil aircraft were
'Aeroflot'). Capital Airlines was the fifth largest airline in the US with a
dense domestic network in the northeast of the country.
By the mid 1960s DC8-50s, a large fleet of DC8s, B720s and Boeing
727-100s, Caravelles, DC7s, DC6s, Convair 340s and Viscounts made up the
huge United fleet.
By the end of the 1960s Boeing 737-200s...
and Boeing 727-100 and the newer -200s were used for internal
routes.
Boeing 727-200 N7463U in 1970s 'U' livery at Oakland in 1984 -
AirNikon
UAL purchased the soon-to-be-defunct PAN-AM Tristar widebody jets
and acquired the airline's Pacific services in 1986.
Boeing 747-100 'jumbo-jets' were introduced in 1970 with -200s
following.
Boeing 747-200 N4711U in '747 friendship' livery 1974 - Tom Hildreth
United flew a widebody service to Europe in the 1980s with their
Boeing 747-200s, by now repainted in the 1970s 'U' livery.
Boeing 747-200 N4703U at Gatwick in 1983 - Sarah Ward
Internal routes within the US were served from 1971 by a new fleet
of the short-leg/High Density Douglas DC10-10s.
Douglas DC-10-10 in original 1960s Four Star Friendship livery -
AirNikon
Douglas DC-10-10 in 1970s livery - Richard Chase
Douglas DC10-30 long-range aircraft were also acquired.
During the 1980s UAL re-engined some of its DC-8-61s to conform to
Europe's noise and pollution regulations. These were called DC8-71.
Douglas DC8-71 N8095U in 1970s 'U' livery - Stefano Pagiola
From 1986 UAL also began introducing a standardised fleet of new
Boeing 737-300s and Boeing 767-200s to replace some of its wide range of
aging jet types. Airliner types introduced before the Boeing 747-100s in
1970 were replaced. UAL now uses several variants of the Boeing 737
the -200, -300, --500.
United took over PanAm's Heathrow routes in 1991 with the final
demise of PanAm.
The 1990s saw UAL introduce Airbus A320 and A319 short-haul jets
which, with the Boeing 737 and 767 types, has become one of the backbone
mainstay fleet aircraft.
Airbus A320 in 1990s blues livery - Richard Chase
Boeing 747-400s were introduced alongside the 747-100 and 747-200
jumbos.
Boeing 767-300 jets came along with the success of the original
nineteen 767-200 jets.
Boeing 757s were also acquired and UAL now has almost 100 of the
type.
1994 saw a new dark- blue and grey overall livery wich began
replacing the age-old 'double-U' livery.
Boeing 777-200s were introduced in 1995, UAL was the launch airline
for the type. UAL immediately began using the jet on Europe routes.
Boeing 777-200 at Heathrow in April 1998 - Neil Cochrane
UNITED EXPRESS
This feeder-carrier flies UAL feeder routes and regional services in
United Express livery. United Express is made up of many smaller airlines
including: Air Wisconsin, Aspen airways, Atlantic Coast, Mesa Airlines, and
West Air.
BAe 146 feeder-liner at Chicago in United Express livery
SHUTTLE BY UNITED
This is a no-frills service using 58 shuttle-configured Boeing
737-300 and -500 jets.
FLEET: Airbus A320, A319, Boeing 747-400, 747-200, 747-100, Boeing
777-200, Boeing 767-200, 767-300, Boeing 757, Boeing 737-200, 737-300,
737-500, Boeing 727-200, DC10-10, DC10-30.
DESTINATIONS: With main hubs at San Francisco, Chicago, Denver and
Washington United flies to over 150 destinations in the USA, Europe,
South/Central America, the Middle East Australia and Asia.