1901 Col.J.W.Eddy and the Creation of Angels Flight®
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“Funicular” is from a Latin word, “funiculus,” which means a slender rope or cord that connects. A funicular is an incline railway. Col. Eddy started building Angels Flight® on August 2, 1901.
Angel Flight missions are made possible by pilots who volunteer their time, their skills, and the funds required for aircraft operating expenses. Many pilots provide Angel Flights in their own personal aircraft, although some do so using rented aircraft.
The funicular has operated on two different sites, using the same cars and station elements. The original Angels Flight location, with trackage along the side of Third Street Tunnel and connecting Hill Street and Olive Street, operated from 1901 until it was closed in 1969, when its site was cleared for redevelopment.
The railway was built by Colornel J. W. Eddy; who was a Lawyer, Engineer and even a friend of President Lincoln. The arch at the bottom has the words Angel's Flight written on it, and this is where the railway obtained its formal name, back in 1912, when the Funding Company of California purchased the railway.
Col. J.W. Eddy opened this funicular railway in 1901 to climb steep Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles, CA, joining the once wealthy residential district at the top of hill with the business district below. Two cars of the line served 38 passengers at a time.
Angel Flight is financially supported primarily by our pilots who fly the missions (by donating the use of their airplanes and operating expenses) and by contributions from individuals, service clubs, social and religious groups and corporations. We receive no financial aid from any government entity.
Fare. The fare is $1.00 each way, and you can purchase a souvenir round-trip ticket for $2.00 to take a piece of history home with you. A $0.50 Metro fare discount is available for TAP Card users with Stored Value for a one-way trip.
We are a non-profit charitable organization of pilots, volunteers, and friends that are proud to serve the heartland area of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. We will arrange free air transportation for any legitimate, charitable, medically related need.
Patients must be medically stable, ambulatory and capable of sitting upright and wearing a seat belt for the duration of the flight. There must be either a demonstrated financial need or reason why public transportation cannot be utilized.
Angels Flight® was closed in 2013 after one of the cars derailed, leaving passengers stranded. Several improvements have been made since the incident. Actors Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling rode in one of the railroad cars in a scene in the 2016 movie “La La Land.”