New A330's

[Dont call me Shirley]

They stuck with that into modern times. In fact, their pilot's uniform hat brass had "US Mail" on it.

Back in the days when Air Mail was a major revenue source, many airline pilots were armed, not against hijackers but to protect the US Mail from robbers.

Oldest use of the US suffix by Northwest Orient was on the Electra. http://rzjets.net/ai...ge=3&typeid=149

Can't find it online, but some years ago I read (in a book! Maybe one of Robert Serling's) that it was a Cold War patriotism thing.