Maddux Airlines

Maddux Airlines was incorporated in 1927 by John L. "Jack" Maddux operating from Rogers Airport in Los Angeles, California. Service was offered between Los Angeles to San Diego. As service picked up additional routes were added. In 1929, Maddux merged with Transcontinental Air Transport, which had introduced coast-to-coast air-rail service. This airline later merged with Western Air Express as Transcontinental & Western Air which finally became TWA.

(photo courtesy of Mary Beth Kirtlink (kirtlink@missvalley.com)

John Luther "Jack" Maddux (left), head of Maddux Airlines stands beside Charles Lindbergh; Helene and Jack Maddux Jr. stand beside Lindbergh.

The first day of service as a passenger express airline was on 21 July, 1927 at Los Angeles. The preeminence of the airline was demonstrated on 22 September when Charles Lindberg piloted the airline's Ford 4-AT trimotor on one the first scheduled flight from San Diego to Los Angeles. This inaugural flight for Maddux Airlines was also the first passenger service airplane to land in the small dirt landing strip that was to one day become Los Angeles International Airport -- then called Mines Field.

Sitting in the co-pilot seat was Will Rogers, who was well known as a vaudeville performer, humorist, cowboy and columnist. Among the twelve passengers on this flight were Harry Culver developer of Culver City, Benjamin Franklin Mahoney, owner of Ryan Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Mr. and Mrs. Jack L. Maddux, owners of a Los Angeles Ford and Lincoln dealership and former federal judge Benjamin Bledsoe.

Following a brief ceremony 11:00 a.m., new passengers boarded the plane for the return trip to San Diego. This time B. F. Mahoney sat in the co-pilot's seat.

Despite the importance of this flight, it received very little press coverage in order to keep the crowds to a minimum. It was attended by only a few invited dignitaries, influential friends, investors and members of the press. The dirt landing strip known as Inglewood Site did not provide what Maddux Air Lines needed so that day was the first and last stop. Jack decided upon Rogers Airport which offered the needed improved facilities, and later moved to Grand Central Air terminal in Glendale.

It was a successful publicity stunt. Despite the small group that attended, the next day everyone who was anyone of importance in Southern California's aviation, business and political communities knew about the unknown Maddux Air Lines and the plans to build a real airport. Having Lindberg the world's adored aviation hero make the flight was an added bonus.

Hollywood stars, Dolores Del Rio and Arthur Edmund Carew, were among the many film personalities which were photographed flying Maddux Airlines. The airline employed a publicity department which actively pursued such opportunities to promote the airline's popularity with the stars.

By the end of the year, the new airline had carried more than 1,400 passengers. On 14 April, 1928 daily return passenger service from Los Angeles to San Francisco was introduced. On 14 April, 1928 three daily flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco had been added -- one way distance was 378 air miles for a total of 2,268 air miles a day. Their competitor Western Air started two daily flights on May 26, 1928 for the same route. On 15 November, 1928 Maddux started offering three daily flights from Agua Caliente to San Diego, a one way distance of 129 air miles for a total of 852 air miles a day. By the end of 1928, Maddux Air Lines had carried 9,440 passengers along the airline's routes. On 10 February, 1929 additional service was added from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona -- a one way distance of 299 air miles for a total of 720 air miles a day. Other short-hop local flights were added in the Southern California area as well.

On 8 July, 1929, Maddux Air Lines began daily flights between Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio. The flight was a grueling 775 air miles for a total of 3,674 air miles a day.

Maddux Air Lines provided one of its Ford trimotors to escort the German airship Graf Zeppelin upon its arrival at to Mines Field near Redondo, California following the successful transit of the Pacific during the airship's round-the-world flight on 26 August, 1929. A crowd of 50,000 wide awake spectators applauded, yelled and honked car horns as the airship, escorted by the Maddux Ford and a host of other aircraft, landed at the field.

In November 1929, the Lindbergh's spent several days at the home of Jack Maddux, head of the western end of Transcontinental Air Transport, apparently negotiating the pending merger of the two airlines. Western Air Express which provided service between California and Kansas City was the dominating air service until TAT bought Maddux Airlines on 16 November, 1929. The merger resulted in the creation of TAT-Maddux Air Lines, the biggest operator of Ford trimotors at the time. The combined fleet included several 4-ATs and seven 5-ATs. There were also two Lockheed Vegas and two Travel Airs that helped to carry 40,000 passengers that year and 1930 began with a timetable of full schedules.

A Maddux Airlines "Mate" (mechanic) applies grease to the left engine.

United Parcel Service cargo being loaded onto a Maddux Ford (5-AT-10). Freight was often the "other" passenger in early airlines.