Photograph of airmail planes at Omaha, Nebraska

1920

The first airmail field used by the Post Office Department in Omaha, Nebraska was known as Ak-sar-Ben Field (or Nebraska, spelled backwards). The field was part of the transcontinental flyway between New York City, New York to San Francisco, California. The airfield was the site of one of the most dramatic events in the early years of the airmail service; pilot Jack Knight's historic flight during a demonstration of night flying. Due to the limited instrumentation of the time and lack of beacon lighting, flying time was limited by the length of the day.