 For the first eight years of the Air Mail service (May, 1918 to February, 1926), all mails were flown entirely in U.S. Government owned and operated airplanes.Dean Smith was one of those that helped instigate the pioneer air mail services and was the first to fly mail by night.On February 2, 1925, however, the Congress mandated that this would change with the passage of HR 7064 entitled ""An Act to encourage commercial aviation and to authorize the Postmaster General to contract for Air Mail Service"" (45 Stat.