A BRIEF HISTORY OF CUBAN AVIATION
July
1857:
Matías Pérez goes up in an
air balloon. In his second attempt, endangered by gusty winds, he disappears
from the horizon forever, giving way to the popular expression: "He flew
like Matías Pérez".
May
7, 1910:
First airplane flight in Cuba. For a few minutes, Frenchman André Bellot rose into space in a 60HP Voisin
biplane. He took off from the Almendares Hippodrome
and fell almost immediately but he was not hurt.
February
1, 1911:
Aerial exhibitions begin in Havana, Cuba at the Military Camp of Columbia, by a
group of pilots from Curtiss Exhibition Company.
February
5, 1911:
Canadian pilot, James McCurdy made a spectacular flight from the Military Camp
of Columbia to the Morro Castle, in his 60HP Belmont biplane.
January
2, 1912:
In Havana, for the first time a Cuban goes up in an airplane. Agustín Parlá Orduña, accompanied by
pilot and teacher Charles F. Walsh.
April
20, 1912:
Agustín Parlá graduates as
a pilot from Curtiss School, in Miami, Florida. First Cuban graduated pilot.
October
22, 1912:
Spanish-born Domingo Rosillo del
Toro graduates as pilot in Paris, France.
March
31, 1913:
Domingo Rosillo flies over Havana, Cuba.
May
17, 1913:
Domingo Rosillo piloting his French Morane monoplane, flew from Key
West, Florida to Havana, Cuba winning a prize of $10,000. as
the first aviator to cross the 90 miles between Key West, Florida and Havana,
Cuba.
May
19, 1913:
Agustín Parlá made the
second international flight from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba. Parlá had only a compass while Rosillo
preferred a naval escort.
July
5, 1913:
Creation of the Aviation Corps of the Cuban Army. Agustín
Parlá "Father of Cuban Aviation" was named
Captain.
February
25, 1914:
Rosillo flies from Pinar del Rio, at the most
occidental part of the Isle of Cuba, into Havana, Cuba.
May
1914:
Cuban aviator, Jaime González Crocier
made one of the longest flights of the era, Cienfuegos-La Habana (178 miles).
December
1914:
First inverted flight (looping the loop) in Cuba, made by Spanish-born aviator,
José Piñeiro.
May
24, 1915:
First flight SCU/HAV (Santiago de Cuba-Havana) with stops, made by Cuban pilot
Jaime González Crocier,
which lasted 7 hours.
September
14, 1917:
The first Cuban fleet was created and offered to France, named "LE
ESCUADRILLE CUBAINE". Cuban aviator, Santiago Campuzano
organized this fleet and received a medal of valor from the French government.
May
15, 1918:
By law, the Aviation School and the Cuban Air Squadron were created.
May
12, 1919:
The first Cuban government owned aircraft was christened with the name
"SUNSHINE".
May
29, 1919:
Agustín Parlá carries out
the first commercial flight with the United States in an aircraft named
"SUNSHINE".
June
29, 1919:
First aerial photos of Havana are taken from aboard "SUNSHINE".
October
1919:
Compañía Aérea de Cuba was
founded by millionaire businessman Anibal J. de Mesa,
who hired Agustín Parlá as
General Manager. Unfortunately, because of the economic depression in Cuba, CAC
folded in January 20, after just three months of existence.
April
13, 1920:
Florida West Indies Airways Co. is founded and later merged with Aeromarine Co., airplane builders, forming the new company Aeromarine West Indies Airways Co.
July
4, 1920: Cuban
pioneer pilot, Jaime González Crocier,
dies while piloting his airplane. His plane had trouble right after departure
at La Bien Agradecida, in Luyanó.
October
1920: Compañía Aérea Cubana commences service Havana-Cienfuegos-Santa Clara with
two round trip weekly flights. Air fare was $50.00 and $70.00 from Havana to
Cienfuegos and Santa Clara and $25.00 between Cienfuegos and Santa Clara.
November
1, 1920:
Aeromarine West Indies Airways commences daily
scheduled flights to transport mail between La Habana and Key West, with hidroplanes named, Santa María
and La Pinta. Also passenger flights began with the
same equipment and capacity for 11 passenger per
flight.
February
1921:
French aviatrix Madame Harveux makes several flights
over Columbia Military Camp.
September
1921:
Due to the economical crisis of 1920-21, Compañía Aérea Cubana ceases operations.
December
1922:
A German hydroplane unit (Junkers) arrived in Cuba.
December
22, 1922:
A Junker hydroplane flights from La Chorrera, Havana
to Santiago de Cuba, Oriente province.
January
1924:
The famous French aviator Charles Nungesser
accompanied by the also famous French pilots, André Bellot
and Maurice Weiss arrived at the Military Columbia Airport, in Havana.
May
24, 1925:
Cuban president, Gral. Gerardo Machado commands the
reorganization of the Aviation Corps in the Cuban Army. Three hangars were
built and Corsair airplanes bought. A new Command Building is built as well as
the mechanic's shop and the Parachutes Dept.
October
28, 1927:
A wood and fabric Fokker trimotor airplane loaded the
sacks of U.S. Mail and bouncing along a dirt runway at Key West, Florida headed
south across the waters.....and one hour and ten minutes later landed at
Havana, Cuba, 90 miles away.
Cuban
government officials, including Cuban President General Gerardo Machado
himself, were on hand to greet the plane, for this was a very special occasion:
the very first scheduled international flight of Pan American Airways (PAA)
from the United States into Cuba.
This
plane was christened "General Machado".
Within
three months the fledging airline was carrying passengers as well as mail on a
daily schedule between Florida and Cuba.....and making plans to extend its
routes to the rest of the Caribbean and into Latin America.
February
8, 1928:
World known pilot, Charles A. Lindbergh arrives in Havana from Haiti piloting
the "Spirit of St. Louis" on his Goodwill Tour of the Caribbean.
February 8 was known as Lindbergh Day. Following his Atlantic crossing,
Lindbergh visited many countries in his plane, and he had the national flags of
each country painted in the fuselage. The Cuban flag is the last one because
following his trip, Lindbergh retired "The Spirit
of St. Louis" and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is
exhibited today at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
February
12, 1928:
President Gerardo Machado y Morales flies over Havana, with Charles Lindbergh.
January
9, 1929:
The Pan Am Airways aircraft "CUBA" arrived in Havana to start the
route between the United States, Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Santo Domingo and
Puerto Rico.
March
1929:
The start of what is today the José Martí
International Airport is authorized by General Order No. 223.
October 8, 1929: Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss
S.A. is founded.
Later
it was to become Compañía Nacional
Cubana de Aviación and on
March 21, 1944 it was to be known as Compañía Cubana de Aviación.
February
24, 1930:
José Martí International Airport is officially
inaugurated.
October
30, 1930:
The first inaugural CNCAC, S.A. flight HAV/SCU (Havana-Santiago de Cuba)
carries the mail using a Ford trimotor with stops in
Santa Clara, Morón and Camaguey.
April
1, 1931:
Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss S.A.
operates an amphibian monoplane Sikorsky S-38 between Holguín and Baracoa, in
the Oriente province, with stops in Antilla and Cayo Mambí.
The
Sikorsky landed at the Holguín strip and in the water at Cayo
Mambí and Baracoa.
January
1, 1932:
Passenger service started between Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. Also in
1932, every Tuesday, passenger service to Isla de Pinos
was started.
March
1932:
Pan American Airways bought CNCAC, S.A. and shortened the name to CNCA.
June
10, 1933:
The historic aircraft "Cuatro Vientos" (Four Winds) arrives in Camaguey, Cuba from
Seville, Spain piloted by Capt. Mariano Barberán and
Lt. Joaquín Collar. The next day they departed to
Columbia Airport, in Havana, Cuba.
June
20, 1933:
Capt. Barberán and Lt. Collar departed Havana, Cuba
on their way to Mexico City, but were never heard from again.
1935: Compañía
Nacional Cubana de Aviación replaces the Ford trimotor
equipment for Lockheed Electra aircrafts, increasing their annual revenues.
January
10, 1936:
Start of flights HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) with stops in Venezuela, Natal and Dakkar by the aircraft "4th of September"
commanded by Capt. Antonio Menéndez Pélaez. The Lockheed Sirius aircraft christened "4th
of September" was flown previously by Lt. Antonio Menéndez
Pélaez between Camaguey, Cuba and Seville, Spain.
This plane was made out of wood lined with cloth, had a WASP Pratt &
Whitney 550HP engine, with a cruising speed of 180 mph and no radio.
November
11, 1937:
Sponsored by the Sociedad Colombista
Panamericana, the flight "Pro Faro Colón"
began, consisting in 3 Cuban planes ("Niña", "Pinta" and "Santa María")
and one Dominican plane ("Colón") with 53 stops planned.
December
29, 1937:
A few minutes after takeoff from the Cali, Colombia airport, the Escuadrilla Panamericana suffered
an accident, crashing into flames the Cuban aircrafts. The "Santa María" piloted by Lt. Antonio Menéndez
Pélaez, mechanic Manuel Naranjo
and Official News Reporter Ruy de Lugo Viñas; the "Niña" piloted by Lt. Feliciano Risech Amat and mechanic Alberto
Medina Pérez and the "Pinta"
piloted by Lt. Alfredo Jiménez Alum and mechanic
Pedro Castillo. All crew and persons on board died.
According
to official information from the scene, the Cuban pilots took the route over
Cali river north, and were confronted with sudden bad weather, and since the
aircraft were overloaded, they could not reach a higher altitude to avoid the
danger in that area. Visual witnesses of the accident confirmed that the first
aircraft to crash was the largest one, the "Santa María",
followed by the "Niña" and the "Pinta"
which were trying to return when they saw the "Santa María"
go down.
The
"Colón" aircraft piloted by the Dominican Mayor Frank A. Féliz Miranda and the Dominican mechanic Ernesto Tejeda Matos were at the end of the squadron flying at a
higher altitude and thus they arrived safely at their final destination.
1939: The Cuban Red Cross
buys a "Stinson" SR-8 Reliant, to be used for emergencies.
1940: A Howard DGA-8
aircraft from the Cuban Navy Air Corps makes a goodwill flight "Pro Faro
Colón" covering 20,000 miles and 22 countries of Latin America withouth any incidents.
At
the time, in Cuba, there were only 21 aircrafts registered and 12 of them
belonged to the Compañía Nacional
Cubana de Aviación.
June 3, 1940: The Academia Nacional de Aviación Civil y
Reserva Aérea (ANACRA) is created.
1942: First Cuban made
aircraft "Estrella Errante"
(Wandering Star) designed and constructed by Major Benigno
Díaz, First Lt. Jorge Melo
and Roberto Gude.
Expreso Aéreo
Interamericano carries out is inaugural flight
HAV/SAL (Havana- San Salvador) with a C-46.
January
14, 1943:
The first Control Tower in the country is built at the Aeropuerto
Rancho Boyeros in Havana.
January
27, 1944:
The Union of Air Transportation Workers is founded in Havana, Cuba.
March 21, 1944: Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación changes
its name to COMPANIA CUBANA DE AVIACION.
February
8, 1945:
By means of Decree 409, the control of civil aviation is transferred from the
Cuban Army to the newly created Commission of National Transportation.
April
16, 1945:
The International Association of Air Transport (IATA) is formed at Havana,
Cuba.
May
1, 1945:
Cubana commences daily night flights Havana-Camaguey
with DC-3 aircrafts.
May
15, 1945:
First international operations of Cubana de Aviación in the route HAV/MIA (Havana-Miami) with DC-3
equipment.
October
1945:
With an active capital of $1,110,000.00 "Aerovías
Q" is founded by Col. Manuel Quevedo.
September
1946:
Aerovias Q establishes passenger and cargo flights
between Havana, Cuba and Key West, Florida.
November
24, 1946:
First commercial Cuban flight to Spain, on the aircraft "Ruta de Colón" by Aerovías
Cuba Internacional, with DC-4, registration N44567.
February
6, 1947:
"Ruta de Colón" aircraft crashes at 1,400
meters between El Fraile and Las Flores, in Avila,
Spain.
April
24, 1947:
By Decree # 1150, the Cuban government suspended the gasoline tax for aviation
gasoline used in Cuba which supplied the international service aircrafts.
April
26, 1948:
Cubana de Aviación carries
out its first transatlantic flight HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) on board a DC-4
named "Estrella de Cuba" (Cuban Star).
May
5, 1948:
Cubana de Aviación
inaugurates its first transatlantic flight MAD-HAV (Madrid-Havana) on board
DC-4 "Estrella de Cuba".
July
1948:
Cubana starts service SCU/PAP (Santiago de Cuba-Port
au Prince, with DC-3 aircrafts.
August
16, 1948:
With an authorized capital of $400,000.00 Cuba Aeropostal
is born.
May
3, 1949:
Cuba Aeropostal starts operations with 4 Curtiss C-46
and 2 Douglas DC-3 aircrafts, from the Military Airport at Columbia, Havana to
Miami and Nueva Gerona, Isla de Pinos.
March
13, 1950:
By Decree 926 the Civil Aeronautic Board is created
and controlled by the First Minister and the Ministers of State and
Communications.
April
2, 1950:
First flight HAV/ROM (Havana-Rome) by Cubana,
"The route of the stars" with DC-4 aircraft.
April
26, 1951:
Fatal accident of "Estrella de Cuba"
aircraft CUT-188 when it crashes with a U.S. Navy aircraft that was practicing
instrument flying.
Forty
eight people died including Captain Javier Zayas-Bazán.
It is believed that the Control Tower at Boca Chica,
Fl., gave the wrong altitude to the U.S. Navy airplane.
August
16, 1951:
First night flight SCU/HAV (Santiago de Cuba-Havana) with DC-3 aircraft.
May
2, 1952:
By Decree Law # 41, the Civil Aeronautics Board (Dirección
General de Transporte Aéreo)
is created.
May
16, 1952:
The Air Force of the Cuban Army (FAEC) gets the first of 28 fighter aircrafts
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, for the recently created, "Fighters
Fleet".
June
1952:
The Army Aviation Corps changes to Cuban Army Airforce
(FAEC).
1952: Pan American Airways
releases control over Cubana de Aviación
as a group of Cuban businessmen, represented by Mr. José López
Vilaboy acquires the majority of Cubana's
stock.
By
the end of the year, Cuba Aeropostal buys two C-46
for cargo use in its route HAV/MIA (Havana-Miami).
December
6, 1952:
"Estrella de Oriente"
DC-4 registration CU-T397 suffers an accident over Bermuda on its way to
Havana, coming from Madrid, only 3 miles after leaving Bermuda. Many died,
including Capt. René Ayala, who commanded the aircraft.
January
1953:
Cubana inaugurates the route Havana-Varadero.
June
15, 1953:
First Cubana flight HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) in a
Lockheed L-1049G Constellation.
September
17, 1953:
First flight HAV/MEX (Havana-Mexico) in a Cubana
Constellation.
1954: Cubana
de Aviación is no longer a subsidiary of Pan American
World Airways.
October
14, 1954:
Cubana gets first position in buying the first L-1049E,
becoming the first company to acquire this aircraft.
November
1954:
Cubana buys a Lockheed L-1049E Constellation,
registration CU-T573.
December
22, 1954:
The Commission of Civil Aeronautics is created by Law-Decree 1863.
October
1955:
The Baseball World Series were seen live in Cuba for the first time using a
DC-3 from Cubana as a reception antenna, receiving
the signal from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba, and retransmitting it to the
rest of the island. This aircraft circled between Key West and Havana to
retransmit the signal anticipating in many years ahead the use of the satellite
TV transmission. Cuban baseball player, Edmundo Amorós leftfielder for the Dodgers, saved the game, when
with the bases loaded, he caught a fly and turn it into a double play, getting
the two outs needed to end the inning and winning the World Series.
February
20, 1956:
Cubana receives 3 Lockheed L-1049G Super
Constellations.
March
5, 1956:
First Cubana flight HAV/MAD (Havana-Madrid) in
L-1049G Super Constellation.
May
12, 1956:
Cubana initiates its HAV/NYC (Havana-New York) with
their new fleet of Super Constellations.
May
20, 1956:
Cubana buys 3 Vicker
Viscounts Serie 700 for the route HAV/MIA
(Havana-Miami).
May
25, 1956:
"Antonio Maceo" International Airport opens
in Santiago de Cuba, Oriente province, Cuba.
October
1956:
Once again the World Series were transmitted to Cuba using a Cubana Airlines DC-3 circling between Key West and Havana.
This time with the same opponents as last year, the Yankees won the series,
thanks to the perfect pictching game thrown by Don
Larsen.
June
10, 1957:
Compañía Cubana de Aviación places an order to purchase 2 Jets Boeing 707-121,
placing a deposit of $200,000.00 for each aircraft with an option for another
aircraft.
By
mid 1957, the Cuban Army Air Force receives the first group of B-26 Invaders
aircraft, for a total of 17 including two trainers (B-26T).
December
1957:
Aerovias Q buys two DC-4 for
passenger service between Havana-Key West and Havana- West Palm Beach.
1958: Expreso
Aéreo Interamericano
operates 3 C-46 cargo planes from the José Martí
Airport (Rancho Boyeros) in Havana to Miami, Florida.
At the beginning of 1958, Cubana de Aviación purchases from Cunard
Eagle Airways, 4 Vicker Viscounts 800 Series aircrafts.
November
24, 1958:
Cubana gets 4 Bristol Britannia 318 aircrafts
"The Silent Giant " for its route HAV/MEX
(Havana-Mexico).
January
1959:
With the help of the freed pilots that took part in the riots of September 5th,
1957, Lt. Manuel Villafaña Martínez
is named Chief of FAEC (Cuban Air Force).
May
25, 1959:
Fidel Castro and his "revolutionaries" confiscate Cubana
de Aviación.
September
1960:
The government of the United States confiscates the Cubana
aircraft CU-T670, which took the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro to the city of New
York, to participate at the XV General Assembly of the United Nations.
April
15, 1961:
B-26 aircrafts from the Cuban Brigade 2506 bombarded the José Martí International Airport in Havana and the Antonio Maceo International Airport in Santiago de Cuba, two days
prior to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, organized by the U.S. government and
with the participation of the heroic Cuban exiles.
Other
international airlines that flew in Cuba:
AEROLINEAS
ARGENTINAS connected New York to Havana, and to the south Trinidad, Sao Paulo,
Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, with DC-6 equipment.
AEROPOSTAL
VENEZOLANA S.A. flew Miami-Havana-Caracas with Super Constellations.
ALA,
Transportes Aéreos de
Chile, in 1958 started non-scheduled services between Santiago de Chile and
Havana, with stops in Perú and Panamá, with DC-4.
BRANIFF
AIRWAYS, connected Havana to the north with Texas and others states and to the
south with Panamá and other South American countries, such as Ecuador, Perú,
Colombia, Argentina and others, with DC-6 equipment.
DELTA
AIRLINES to the north Havana with New Orleans and Chicago and to the south with
Montego Bay, Jamaica and Caracas. It also flew from Havana to Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, Ciudad Trujillo, Rep. Dom., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. It flew with Convair 440 and DC-7.
IBERIA,
Líneas Aéreas from Spain,
vied with Cubana in the route Habana-Madrid, with
Super Constellations.
KLM,
Compañía Real Holandesa,
flew between Miami-Havana-Curazao, with DC-6 and DC-7
and the route Havana-Montreal-Europa with DC-7.
LACSA,
Líneas Aéreas Costarricenses, connected Havana with San José de Costa
Rica and other cities in Central America, such as Guatemala, mainly with Convair 340.
MAKEY
AIRLINES inaugurated its passenger service between Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and
Havana, with DC-4.
MEXICANA
DE AVIACION flew between Havana, Mérida and México, 4 times weekly with the
same equipment as PAA.
NATIONAL
AIRLINES in 1958 flew daily the route Havana-New York and Havana-Miami, with
DC-6, DC-7 and Convair340 & 440, respectively.
PAN
AMERICAN AIRWAYS en 1958 connected Havana to Miami (around 8 daily flights),
with Mérida and El Salvador, with DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7. Also it had flights from
Camaguey to Miami and to the south, Jamaica, Venezuela and other South American
countries.
TAN,
Transportes Aéreos Nacionales (Honduras) connected Havana to Central America
with C-46 equipment.