' s ▁civil ▁av iation ▁network . ▁ ▁After ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁L end ▁Le ase ▁Act ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁exped ite ▁the ▁delivery ▁of ▁bom bers ▁to ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain . ▁Maj . ▁Gen . ▁Henry ▁H . ▁Arnold ▁established ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps ▁Fer ry ing ▁Command ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁and ▁selected ▁Old s ▁to ▁organ ize ▁it , ▁reporting ▁directly ▁to ▁Arnold . ▁ ▁Old s ▁selected ▁a ▁staff ▁that ▁included ▁Col . ▁C ale b ▁V . ▁Hay nes , ▁his ▁pilot ▁on ▁the ▁R ex ▁inter ception , ▁as ▁his ▁chief ▁of ▁staff ▁and ▁Major ▁William ▁H . ▁Tun ner ▁as ▁adj ut ant ▁and ▁chief ▁of ▁personnel . ▁Old s ▁developed ▁a ▁plan ▁for ▁expansion ▁of ▁three ▁air fields ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁handle ▁the ▁movement ▁of ▁a ▁thousand ▁plan es ▁a ▁month . ▁For ese eing ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁providing ▁air ▁transport ation ▁of ▁personnel ▁and ▁cargo ▁between ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁war ▁zones , ▁he ▁drew ▁up ▁two ▁fer ry ▁routes ▁for ▁cou rier - pass enger ▁service : ▁a ▁northern ▁route ▁to ▁Great ▁Britain ▁via ▁Green land ▁and ▁I cel and , ▁called ▁the ▁" Ar n old ▁Line " ▁by ▁the ▁British , ▁and ▁a ▁southern ▁route ▁through ▁Brazil ▁to ▁Africa ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁entered ▁the ▁war , ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁and ▁Far ▁East . ▁The