1 7 4 6 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 8 1 9 ▁death s <0x0A> </s> ▁Cons air way ▁( also ▁Cons air way ▁Division ▁or ▁Cons olid ated ▁Air way ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁civil ian ▁w art ime ▁air line ▁created ▁in ▁late - 1 9 4 1 ▁as ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁the ▁Cons olid ated ▁V ul te e ▁A ircraft ▁Corporation . ▁The ▁air line ▁worked ▁under ▁contract ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Corps ▁Fer ry ing ▁Command , ▁primarily ▁for ▁supp lying ▁the ▁South ▁West ▁Pacific ▁theatre ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁Its ▁very ▁first ▁fl ights , ▁starting ▁April ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁however , ▁were ▁L end - Le ase ▁deliver ies ▁of ▁American - built ▁aircraft ▁to ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁ ▁The ▁air line ▁performed ▁hundreds ▁of ▁miss ions ▁deliver ing ▁m un itions ▁and ▁personnel ; ▁and ▁supporting ▁US O ▁activities ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁including ▁transport ing ▁passengers ▁such ▁as ▁Bob ▁Hope , ▁Joe ▁E . ▁Brown ▁and ▁Ele an or ▁Ro ose vel t . ▁Cons air way ▁originally ▁operated ▁out ▁of ▁San ▁Diego ▁but ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Fair field - S uis un ▁Army ▁Air ▁Base ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁The ▁air line ▁operated ▁land - based ▁aircraft , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁similar ▁air lines ▁operating ▁flying ▁boats , ▁out ▁of ▁H ick am ▁Field , ▁Gu am