Airways to Peace

This film provides a behind the scenes look at the vital war work being done by the ‘world’s greatest airline’: the US Army’s Air Transport Command. From its early mission flying ammunition to the British Army in Egypt, to its crucial role ferrying cargo, personnel and combat aircraft all over the globe, the issue tells the audience about the ATC’s vital war work as well as conveying a visceral excitement at aviation’s new potential to make the world a smaller place.

Established in 1942, the Air Transport Command was a branch of the US Army Air Forces developed to deliver personnel, supplies, equipment and combat aircraft to combat theatres all over the world. This issue explains the importance of the ATC’s work but is equally taken by the implications for the future of air travel, encapsulated in a brief scene where a man confidently (and correctly) asserts: ‘After the war we’ll fly everywhere’. Aerial shots of mountains, jungles and oceans and scenes showing the pilots and ground crew at work in Africa are used to illustrate the global reach of the ATC’s fleet of planes, which included converted commercial airliners, as well as specially designed cargo planes.