Night Flying Division

Planes flew the New York to San Fransisco route 24 hours a day -- pony express style -- covering different sections. Emergency air fields were placed every 25 miles. Alice Marks' father was caretaker of McGirr Field, the first stop west of Chicago in the night section -- Chicago, Ill. to Omaha, Neb., -- the flat plain states. He was to be on duty from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily to light the field and be ready for any emergency landing, the only time air mail planes landed at his field. But there were many of those times because of bad weather or mechanical problems.

maps copyright 1999, Alice E. Marks