Aeromarine Airways    Curtiss Type 75                        ("Columbus")
     
                                     

                                        Prior to the passing of the Kelly Air Mail Act in 1925, by far the largest of the outfits operating
                                        both mail and passengers services was Aeromarine Airways.          Experimental services were             
                                        flown from Key West to Havana under a government Foreign Air Mail contract using ex-
                                        military Curtiss HS-2s    Later full time services were operated from Miami to Nassau, Key
                                        West and Havana.   The HS-2s were augmented in 1921 with Curtiss F-5L flying boats.
                                        Aeromarine converted these themselves to 14 seat aircraft known as the Curtiss Type 75.
                                        There were no official registrations in those days, and Aeromarine had at least four of these
                                        large twin-engined boats named 'Santa Maria, Pinta, Ponce de Leon and Columbus'
                                        The latter is seen above in this image from the Smithsonian archives.   By 1922 the airline
                                        expanded and flew routes from New York-Atlantic City - Beaufort - Miami and also north
                                        to Montreal.  Unfortunately, this rapid expansion was made too quickly the company did
                                        not make a profit and hence after three years of regular service it ceased operations.