Leon D. Cuddeback

Leon D. Cuddeback
Cuddeback, Leon
Born(1898-05-16)May 16, 1898
Colma, California
DiedJuly 6, 1984(1984-07-06) (aged 86)
Walnut Creek, California
Resting placeCypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California
OccupationPilot
Employer(s)Varney Air Lines, United Airlines; Civil Aeronautics Board

Leon Dewey "Lee" Cuddeback (May 16, 1898 – July 6, 1984) was an American pilot who worked for Varney Air Lines and United Airlines. He is most known for flying the first scheduled, civilian Air Mail (Contract Air Mail or CAM) flight in the United States[1][2] on April 6, 1926.

Personal life

Leon Cuddeback was the son of Moses Clinton Cuddeback[3] and his third wife Cloa Kent-Irons (although Leon's death record list his mother's maiden name as Ford).

He married Lois Whittaker (1899-1969) on June 21, 1929. The couple had a daughter, Florence.

First scheduled Air Mail flight

On April 6, 1926, Leon D. Cuddeback, chief pilot for Varney Air Lines, completed the first scheduled commercial air mail flight in a Curtiss-powered Swallow biplane[4][5]. He took off from Pasco, Washington, had a stop in Boise, Idaho, and terminated in Elko, Nevada with $1,256 worth of stamped air mail.[6] Because the start of the contract air mail system is considered the beginning of airline service, Cuddeback's flight is cited as the first U.S. airline flight,[7][8] and is also celebrated as the "birthday" of United Airlines.[8]

Career

Cuddeback was a pilot for Varney Air Lines which eventually became United Airlines until 1938.[6] He then joined the Civil Aeronautics Board until he left for service with the United Army Air Force in World War II. During the war, Cuddeback was an operations officer.[6]

According to a history of the Directorate of Air Transport, Allied Air Force, South West Pacific Area and the 322nd Troop Carrier Wing:

[Leon]l Cuddeback is one of the true pioneers of civil aviation in the United States. He first learned to fly in 1921 at the Varney School of Flying, San Mateo, California. He worked as a mechanic and watchman for his training, and on becoming a pilot, flew for the school and became an instructor pilot. Finally he was chief pilot, supervising all flying instruction. Varney during this period was experimenting on running scheduled operations to determine the equipment and facilities necessary to operate airplanes on fixed schedules between cities, and to determine the costs of such operations. The only precedent at that time was the Army Air Mail Service. Cuddeback went to Central America for the Nicaragua Government to investigate routes for a civil airline for this country. Political conditions in Nicaragua put an end to this proposal. In 1925 Varney bid and won a contract with the U.S. Government to fly the mail on [the] Pasco, Washington to Elko, Nevada run by way of Boise, Idaho. The line was finally extended to Salt Lake City, Utah, Portland. Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. The organisation became incorporated in 1928 as Varney Airlines, and he was made Vice-President of the firm. In 1931 Varney merged with Boeing Airlines. The Colonel became Assistant Chief Pilot for Boeing. Around this time instrument flying and radio developed in aviation along with the carrying of passengers. In 1932 Boeing and several other airlines merged to form the United Airlines. Lt. Colonel Cuddeback was made Regional Superintendent of the old Varney route with his main office in Salt Lake City. Up to 1939 his division either won or was runner-up of the operational efficiency trophy for the United Airlines. In 1939 he went with the Government Safety Bureau of Civil Aviation Board as inspector in charge of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
In 1942 he was commissioned a Major direct in the U.S. Army as an air transportation specialist, and immediately assigned overseas to USASOS in the Transportation Corps. He arrived in Brisbane in May 1942 and transferred to DAT and Air Corps in May 1943. His Lieutenant Colonelcy was received in November 1943. He is entitled to wear service pilot's wings.[9]

After the war, Cuddeback returned to the Civil Aeronautics Board and by 1949 became regional director for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.[10] He retired from the CAB in May 1963 as Chief Supervisory Air Safety Investigator in Oakland, California.[6]

Death and Legacy

He died in Walnut Creek, California in 1984.[11] Cuddeback Dry Lake Landing Strip in Atolia, California is named after him.[12]

References

  1. ^ Centennial of Flight Archived 2006-12-07 at the Wayback Machine (US Government Site)
  2. ^ "About – Pasco: United in Flight for 100 Years". Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  3. ^ Moses Clinton Cuddeback Biography Archived 2008-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles County GenWeb Project
  4. ^ Tillman, Barrett; Rodina, Jr., Matthew Edward. "The Aircraft History of United Airlines". American Aviation Historical Society: 169–184.
  5. ^ "Pasco celebrates first Air Mail delivery in the Columbia Basin on Apr". www.historylink.org. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  6. ^ a b c d "Air Line Started with Mail Flight". Oakland Tribune. April 6, 1966. p. 58. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  7. ^ Dirt Runways, Elko Airport - The Early Years (1919-1926) Archived 2006-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b United Airlines Company History 1926-1933 Archived 2007-05-20 at the Wayback Machine (United.com site)
  9. ^ Australia at War Website, Directorate of Air Transport, Allied Air Force, South West Pacific Area, Major William H. Carleton, U.S.A.A.F.
  10. ^ Plane Crashes In Flames On Take-Off, Walla-Walla Union-Bulletin, January 3, 1949
  11. ^ Rootsweb Social Security Death Index 528-03-8813
  12. ^ "Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields: California: Mojave area". Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields. Retrieved February 27, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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