Mystery Cam Flight Covers

I recently picked up two CAM covers that were each flown from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on December 28, 1929. This route was CAM-24S2, which was inaugurated on December 17, 1927 by Embry-Riddle Co. It had daily flights between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. (CAM-24N2 flew between Indy and Chicago).

One cover has a typed notation, part of which says: "LAST FLIGHT, RUN #302." The other cover has a typed notation saying it was carried by George Zimmerman, who was a noted collector, and a Director of the American Airmail Society. The Zimmerman cover has a luggage sticker on the back for a special Christmas flight (three days earlier) that was flown by another airline (Interstate Airlines) on a different route (CAM-30).

Can anyone tell me what "LAST FLIGHT, RUN #302" might refer to so I can understand what these covers commemorate? Thanks much.

Was merged and was no longer known by that name. Last flight under the old name. [Google is your friend.]

Thanks, parcelpostguy. What you say makes sense. However...

I know that Embry Riddle was taken over by Aviation Corporation (AVCO), but can't verify that the merger was on December 28, 1929. According to Wikipedia (which is often in error) AVCO was formed on March 2, 1929, and it acquired Embry Riddle in "Summer 1929." Wikipedia's information, with the exact same wording, can be found copied on a few other sites. But that doesn't make it correct.

I was able to find a book online (Airlines and Air Mail: The Post Office and the Birth of the Commercial Aviation) that probably is where Wikipedia's information came from. It verified that AVCO was formed on March 2, 1929.

That same book says: "During the summer of 1929, AVCO continued its acquisition program, eventually gaining control of eleven of the twenty-five outstanding contract air mail routes. In addition to Colonial and Universal's holdings, AVCO finalized the acquisition of Embry-Riddle and purchased Interstate Airlines, which owned the rights to CAM-30 from Chicago to Atlanta." That statement really doesn't say that Embry Riddle was acquired in the summer, just that "eleven of the twenty-five" were acquired in the summer. So the Embry Riddle acquisition could have been later.

After AVCO acquired Embry Riddle, it sold off Embry Riddle's flying school, which still exists. In discussing the school's history, there are several references (with the same wording) that say the following: "In 1929, Embry-Riddle was one of the first five flying schools in the country to be certified under the Department of Commerce's newly-minted Air Commerce Act. However, later that year, the Embry-Riddle Company merged with the newly-formed Aviation Corporation (AVCO)." It would seem that "later that year" could be refer to the summer, or December 28, or some other date.

I like the idea that the merger took place on December 28, 1929, and it makes sense, but I still can't verify the date.

See: https://erau.edu/about/brief-history for A Brief History of Embry-Riddle

It started as a flight instruction school, stopped after the first merger. Eventually becoming part of the merger which produced American Airlines.

The two principals left, one to Florida to restart an aviation school which is now known as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with campuses worldwide.

Edit:

I do not like to reference Wikipedia, but if you look at AVCO in Wikipedia you will see that it was formed to buy up many small airlines, nearly two dozen, which it did throughout 1929. With the arrival of 1930 the changes began. However for the best history details about Embry-Riddle's history, visit the University Archives of ERAU..