Aerial_wilshire_boulevard_and_fairfax_avenue_looking_north1920

Mercury Aviation Company was one of the first commercial

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers or freight (cargo). Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines ...

services founded in by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

. DeMille, Hollywood American film director and producer, was one of the first to see the

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

's potential in commercial airline service. At first Mercury Aviation flew

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

surplus

Curtiss JN-4 Jenny The Curtiss JN "Jenny" is a series of biplanes built by the Glenn Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft f ...

for sightseeing and charter flights from DeMille Field No. 1 and then later purchased passenger planes. DeMille restored a World War I plane in 1917. Mercury Aviation Company did not make a profit and closed in after two years of operation.

Al Wilson Aldra Kauwa Wilson (born June 21, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eight seasons with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volu ...

was DeMille's flight instructor and became the manager of the company for a short time.

Air Service

Mercury Aviation Company's Mercury Air Lines started regular scheduled flights in May 1921. Mercury Aviation Company offered flights to Santa Catalina Island,

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, and

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. Other cities were added to the airline service. Mercury Aviation Company thus became the first airline service to offer flights to multiple destinations. Over 25,000 passengers were transported in the two years of Mercury Aviation Company operation. Mercury Aviation Company closed in 1922 with no crashes in its two years of operation.

DeMille Field No. 1

DeMille Field No. 1 built by Cecil B. DeMille in 1918, located at the southwest corner of

Melrose Avenue Melrose Avenue (sometimes referred to simply as "Melrose") is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles, California, starting at Santa Monica Boulevard at the border between Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills and W ...

and Fairfax Avenue, Fairfax was called Crescent Avenue in the 1920s. DeMille Field No. 1 was located at across the street from the current Fairfax High School. In 1920 he closed DeMille Field No. 1 and moved to DeMille Field No. 2. The DeMille Field No. 1 site is now houses in the

Fairfax District, Los Angeles The Fairfax District is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, Central region of Los Angeles, California. Historically the Fairfax District has been a center of the History of the Jews in Los Angeles, Jewish community in Los Angeles. It is ...

DeMille Field No. 2

DeMille Field No. 2 also called Mercury Field was at the northwest corner of Lindenhurst Ave and

Fairfax Avenue Fairfax Avenue is a street in the north central area of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It runs from La Cienega Boulevard in Culver City at its southern end to Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood on its northern end. From ...

, Fairfax was called Crescent Avenue in the 1920s. It was just north of the Sydney Chaplin's Airport at . Cecil B. DeMille's Mercury Aviation Company purchased a Junkers-Larsen JL-6 aircraft in August 1920 and start his commercial airline.

Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (born Edward Rickenbacher, October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.Curtiss JN-4 Jenny The Curtiss JN "Jenny" is a series of biplanes built by the Glenn Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft f ...

for sightseeing, US Mail, cargo and charter flights. Cecil B. DeMille used DeMille Field No. 2 for some of his silent picture films. In August 1920 two stunt pilots were killed at DeMille Field No. 2: Ormer "Lock" Locklear and Milton "Skeets" Elliott, in the making of ''

The Skywayman ''The Skywayman'' is a 1920 American silent action drama film directed by James P. Hogan (director), James P. Hogan and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The film starred noted aerial stunt pilot Ormer Locklear and Louise Lovely. ...

''. Mercury Aviation Company had a unique gas station at Fairfax and Wilshire. One side filled up cars the other side filled up aircraft. DeMille Field No. 2 was the site of the first passenger plane to land from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The airport closed in 1930, as Mercury was not profitable. The site is now housing in the Fairfax District.

Eaton Altadena

Eaton Altadena Airport was built by Mercury Aviation Company in 1922 in

Altadena, California Altadena () is an unincorporated area, and census-designated place in the San Gabriel Valley and the Verdugos regions of Los Angeles County, California. Directly north of Pasadena, California, Pasadena, it is located approximately from Downtow ...

located at at 1347 East Mendocino Street. The airport also served nearby

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

. Eaton Altadena had much less service than Field No. 2. The site is now the Altadena Town & Country Club.

References

{{Airlines of the United States, state=collapsed Airlines disestablished in 1919 Airlines established in 1930 Defunct airlines of the United States 1919 establishments in California 1930 disestablishments in California American companies disestablished in 1919 American companies established in 1919 Airlines based in California

Air Service

DeMille Field No. 1

DeMille Field No. 2

Eaton Altadena

See also

References